The Czech Philharmonic honored Jiří Bělohlávek with a bust at the Rudolfinum

“During his tenure, Jiří Bělohlávek elevated the Czech Philharmonic to an extraordinary artistic level and inspired the orchestra on a human level as well. One of his great contributions was the founding of the Orchestral Academy, which trains future players not only for the Czech Philharmonic, but also for other Czech orchestras. It is therefore only natural that his bust has been placed among the portraits of his famous predecessors."

— David Mareček, General Director of the Czech Philharmonic

The ceremony on September 25, 2025 was attended by Jiří Bělohlávek's wife, Anna Fejérová, and Czech Minister of Culture Martin Baxa. The bust can be found among portraits of other important conductors associated with the Czech Philharmonic – Václav Talich, Rafael Kubelík, Karel Ančerl, Václav Neumann, Karel Šejna, and František Stupka.

The author of the work is Stanislava Kavanová, a prominent sculptor of the second half of the 20th century and a graduate of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague. “I met Mrs. Fejérová through mutual friends. I had previously worked on portraits of several musicians, which is probably why the idea arose for me to create a bust of Jiří Bělohlávek. I received several recordings, but I didn’t listen to them while I was working – I would have felt too nervous, and I couldn’t afford that. I didn't know Jiří Bělohlávek personally, so I had to rely on photographs and television recordings for my work. But that always has its pitfalls, because the finest details and facial expressions are best revealed through personal contact," she said.