In the book The Good Soldier Svejk, a character whispers “Let’s be Czech, but nobody needs to know about it. I’m Czech too.” Composer Václav Jindřich Veit might have said much the same thing, except using the word “Romantic” instead of “Czech”. Today, Veit’s music sounds pleasing and smooth, but it has only recently come to be recognised as a cornerstone of Czech Romanticism. The Sedláček Quartet has long been seeking out forgotten treasures, and it has included Veit’s music in its programme. The ensemble is also making a contribution to the exclusive Dvořák Collection programme series by performing Dvořák’s Two Waltzes in the composer’s quartet arrangement of his own original piano pieces. For Luigi Boccherini’s quintet, the Sedláček Quartet is being joined by guitarist Lukáš Sommer, who is also contributing a new work of his own to the programme. Bringing the concert to an exciting conclusion is Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seventh String Quartet, which the composer dedicated to the memory of his first wife.

The origins of the Sedlacek Quartet date back to 2007, at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (AMU), following the tradition of the original Sedlacek Quartet in Pilsen (1974–1994), as a family musical ensemble. They continued to develop under the tutelage of many reputable music teachers, such as Jiří Panocha, during their chamber music studies at the AMU. Later, they also took several masterclasses led by members of several renowned string quartets, such as the Keller Quartet, the Artis Quartet Wien, the Tel Aviv Quartet, and the Alban Berg Quartet.

The Sedlacek Quartet has appeared at renowned festivals both in the Czech Republic and abroad, including the isa – International Summer Academy, the International Music Festival Young Prague, the Ludwig von Beethoven Festival Teplice, the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades, and others. The ensemble is the winner of the Czech Chamber Music Society Award (2016), and also won prizes in the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition in Katowice and the Bohuslav Martinů Music Competition in Prague, both in 2014. They later claimed 3rd prize in the Leoš Janáček and Johannes Brahms International Music Competition.

However, the hallmark of the Sedlacek Quartet is their focus on music which is not a part of any standard chamber music repertoire. This especially includes Czech works (along with other international composers) that were either never published, or rarely performed, so in this way the ensemble makes many unknown compositions come to life. They have already made recordings of K. Slavický, S. Hořínka, B. Martinů, and J. Teml with the support of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation. With oboist Lukáš Pavlíček, they have also recorded music by F. A. Míča, W. A. Mozart, and A. Dvořák. In 2017, they recorded the complete string quartet works by V. J. Veit (1806-1864). In 2019, they followed with a CD of three of Rafael Kubelík’s (1914-1996) string quartets, which they self-published. Their most recent impressive recording project was the completion of all the string quartets by K. B. Jirák (1891-1972), this time for Czech Radio.

From 2022 to 2024, the ensemble is taking part in the performing of Antonín Dvořák's complete string quartets at the Dvořák Prague Festival.

source: Sedlacek Quartet

Lukáš Sommer is a Czech concert guitarist and prominent figure of the younger generation of composers. He studied guitar and composition at the České Budějovice Conservatoire, the Prague Conservatoire, and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He is the author of a unique guitar recital that comprises more than 30 works and is likened to a time-lapse document. He regularly performs in both the Czech Republic and abroad. His compositions have been enjoying increasing popularity in venues around the world (Chicago, Minnesota, Delhi, Manila, Florence, etc.).

The mainstay of his work lies in music for orchestras and chamber ensembles, which is often commissioned by leading artists. He has written pieces for prestigious festivals, such as Prague Spring, Opera Barga, Festival delle Nazioni, Concerto Bohemia, Concentus Moraviae, Znojmo Music, and others. He draws on the deep tradition of European composition, which he augments with unorthodox approaches. He likes to explore beyond the boundaries of classical music, melding the stylistic strands of ethno, jazz, and classical music.

GUITAR GALA

This extraordinary display of Czech master craftsmanship showcases five magnificent guitars by Czech instrument makers. Lukáš Sommer presents their exceptional quality through the works of eminent composers of Baroque, Romantic, and 20th-century music, further enhanced by his own “bespoke” compositions often created by engaging in dialogue with the instruments’ makers. The intriguing stories of how each of the guitars came about are aptly illustrated by the beautiful and often untraditionally designed works of artisanship, providing the audience with a profound aural and visual experience. “Guitar Gala” sees Sommer perform on instruments created by Richard Hruš, Jan Veselý, Petr Semenec, and Miroslav Pospěch.

As a guitarist, he likes to gauge his audience’s “mood” and formulate a concert programme that creates a cohesive experience for the given place and time, often through improvisation and dialogue with the listeners. He is in for a busy season next year, with major performances including a recital at Prague Spring. Among his most impressive accomplishments was the rare opporunity to perfrom his own solo guitar recital at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall in May 2020.

Lukáš Sommer – composer: In 2017, he won first prize for La fine del tempo (The End of Time) at the Concorso Novaro international composer contest; the head juror, Krzystof Penderecki, also accorded the work the Critics Award and the Audience Award.

In 2011, he composed the flute concert entitled Letter to My Father under commission by Prague Spring, which made him the youngest commissioned composer in the festival’s history. In 2018, he wrote the opera Časoplet (Timeweave) for the Vision 97 Foundation to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Czech independence. His work for Pavel Šporcl, Gala Violin, was nominated for Contemporary Composition of the Year at the Classic Prague Awards.

Lukáš Sommer’s “time-lapse” original concert project is arousing ever-greater interest both at home and around the world. It is inspired by specific events in his life, often related to his visits abroad. It is more than just a virtuosic display of guitar technique – spiced with flamenco, soul, and jazz, the whole concert is conceived as a personal musical narrative. In “The Soul of the Guitar”, Lukáš Sommer performs on instruments built by Richard Hruša, Petr Semenec, and Strunal Schönbach.

source: Lukáš Sommer

The Convent of St. Agnes in the 'Na Františku' neighbourhood of Prague's Old Town is considered the first Gothic structure not only in Prague but in all of Bohemia. It was founded by King Wenceslas I in 1233–34 at the instigation of his sister, the Přemyslid princess Agnes of Bohemia, for the Order of Saint Clare which Agnes introduced into Bohemia and of which she was the first abbess. The convent was preceded by a hospital. The 'Poor Clares' originated as an offshoot of the Order of St. Francis of Assisi, and the convent was at one time known as the Prague Assisi. Agnes was an outstanding figure in religious life of the thirteenth century. Besides this Clarist convent she also founded the only Czech religious order – the Hospital Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. She was canonized in 1989.