Czech Philharmonic ⬩ Giovanni Antonini

The Czech Youth Philharmonic will play Haydn´s Symphony No. 85 and the Violin Concerto by Vivaldi. 
The Czech Youth Philharmonic is supported by CEZ Group, the general partner of the Czech Philharmonic.

“Baroque music has experienced a great revival in recent years and I am delighted that the Czech Philharmonic has included this programme with Giovanni Antonini, an expert on this period, in its subscription series. It is a tremendous revival not only for me and the orchestra, but also a very beneficial and educational experience for the upcoming generation of young musicians from the Czech Youth Philharmonic who are part of the programme. Vivaldi was a superstar in his lifetime, and his violin concerto Grosso Mogul, which I will be playing, was the rock'n'roll of its time. I look forward to rocking it for you, the dear audience, at the concert!”

— Josef Špaček

The fact that Giovanni Antonini is an expert on the music of the Baroque and Classical eras is no secret to the public at the Rudolfinum. A conductor and a flautist, in past seasons of the philharmonic, he has appeared in both roles, which he has masterfully combined throughout his career. As a player of the recorder, he revealed the seemingly simple instrument’s potential for virtuosity, and as a conductor he has thrilled orchestras and audiences alike with his lively temperament and his musical sensitivity. Last year, he also led the Czech Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for the first time. The players of the youth orchestra can boast of having worked not only with Antonini, but also with Semyon Bychkov and Simon Rattle, and they will be appearing on the first half of today’s programme. Just like last year, also coming to Prague with Giovanni Antonini is the violinist Stefano Barneschi, who will be playing the role of concertmaster. His engagement is no coincidence. For over 20 years, Barneschi has been the concertmaster of the famed ensemble Il Giardino Armonico, of which Giovanni Antonini is the founder. For a ninth season, Antonini and his ensemble are at work on recording the complete symphonic works of Joseph Haydn as part of the project Haydn2032, which is to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the birth of the “father of the symphony”. It is therefore no surprise that works by Haydn constitute the lynchpins of yet another of Antonini’s programmes in Prague.