Jakub Hruša to Replace Jirí Belohlávek As Conductor of Czech Phil

Young Czech conductor Jakub Hr?ša will replace Ji?í B?lohlávek who is now unable to visit Australia due to ill health.  Jakub Hr?ša will conduct two thrilling and exclusive Australian performances by the Czech Philharmonic, one of the world's great orchestras, at 2pm Sunday 26 August and 8pm Monday 27 August. 

Born in the Czech Republic in 1981 and named by Gramophone magazine in 2011 as one of ten young conductors "on the verge of greatness", Jakub Hr?ša is the protégé of Ji?í B?lohlávek and is currently Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Prague Philharmonia, Music Director of Glyndebourne on Tour, and Principal Guest Conductor of Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.

In recent seasons Jakub Hr?ša has appeared with many of Europe's leading orchestras, including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, SWR Symphony Stuttgart, WDR Symphony Cologne, NDR Symphony Hamburg, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic and Royal Flemish Philharmonic. In 2010 with the Prague Philharmonia, he became the youngest conductor since 1949 to lead the opening concert of the Prague Spring Festival.

He made his US debut in 2009 and has since appeared with Washington National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and Seattle Symphony among others. He is also a regular visitor to Asia and returned in December 2011 to conduct two programs as Principal Guest Conductor of Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 he made his Australian debut conducting the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, followed by his highly acclaimed Melbourne Symphony Orchestra debut in 2011.

Highlights in 2011/12 include returns to the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic and Finnish Radio Symphony; debuts with Dallas Symphony, Houston Symphony, National Arts Center Orchestra Ottawa, Netherlands Philharmonic, Barcelona Symphony, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Orchestre National de Lyon; a major tour of Japan with the Prague Philharmonia and a return to the Prague Spring Festival to lead a concert performance of Beethoven's Fidelio, also with the Prague Philharmonia.

The first performance by the Czech Philharmonic at 2pm, Sunday 26 August will feature Smetana's overture to The Bartered Bride,Josef Suk's Fantasy in G minor led by brilliant young Czech violinist Josef Špa?ek, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major. 

The repertoire for the second concert, at 8pm, Monday 27 August, includes Janá?ek's overture to From the House of the Dead,Bohuslav Martinu's Memorial to Lidice, soloist Jan Martiník in Antonin Dvo?ák's Biblical Songs and Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 6.