Jiří Bělohlávek

Jiří Bělohlávek (born February 24, 1946) is a Czech conductor. In his youth, he studied the cello with Milos Sádlo. [cite news | title=Miloš Sádlo (obituary) | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/23/db2302.xml | work=The Telegraph | date=23 October 2003 | accessdate=2007-12-13] Bělohlávek is a graduate of the Prague Conservatory and Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He also studied conducting with Sergiu Celibidache. He won the 1970 Czech National Conducting Competition before progressing through national and international conducting roles.

Career in Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic

Bělohlávek was an assistant conductor at the Czech Philharmonic for 2 years. [cite news | author=Allan Kozinn | title=Czech Philharmonic With Its New Leader | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE0D7103FF932A25753C1A966958260 | work=New York Times | date=11 October 1990 | accessdate=2007-10-25] From 1977 to 1989, he was chief conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

Bělohlávek became chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic in 1990. However, in 1991, the orchestra reorganized and controversially voted to appoint Gerd Albrecht its new principal conductor to replace Bělohlávek. Instead of remaining until Albrecht's accession, Bělohlávek resigned from the Czech Philharmonic in 1992. [cite news | author=John Rockwell | title=Czech Philharmonic Faces Perilous Times In Dividing Country | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DD143EF933A05751C1A964958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | work=New York Times | date=30 December 1992 | accessdate=2007-10-25] He subsequently founded the Prague Philharmonia "(Pražskou komorní filharmonii)" in 1994 and has recorded and performed in concerts worldwide with the orchestra. [cite news | author=Geoffrey Norris | title=I've never been to the Last Night | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/06/08/bmprom08.xml | work=The Telegraph | date=8 June 2006 | accessdate=2007-08-27] He conducted the Prague Philharmonia at its first BBC Proms appearance in 2004, in a televised performance. [cite news | author=Erica Jeal | title=Prague Philharmonia (review of Prom 4, 2004) | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/proms2004/story/0,,1269367,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=24 July 2004 | accessdate=2007-09-10] In 2005, he relinquished his post with the Prague Philharmonia, and now is the orchestra's conductor laureate.

Career outside the Czech Republic

From 1995-2000, Bělohlávek was principal guest conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO). In February 2005, he was named its twelfth chief conductor, effective July 2006, with an initial contract of 3 years. [cite press release | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/02_february/01/conductor.shtml | title=Jirí Belohlávek appointed Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra | publisher=BBC Press Office | date=1 February 2005 | accessdate=2008-03-28] [cite news | author=Geoffrey Norris | title=I'm here to raise the standard | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/02/02/bmjiri02.xml | work=The Telegraph | date=2 Feb 2005 | accessdate=2007-08-27] Bělohlávek is the first BBC SO principal guest conductor to be named chief conductor of the BBC SO.cite news | author=Andrew Clark | title=The quiet cosmopolitan | url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6ce19c58-2b81-11dc-b498-000b5df10621.html | work=Financial Times | date=6 July 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-28] His tenure with the BBC SO began with the First Night of the 2006 Proms. [cite news | author=Tom Service | title=BBCSO/Belohlavek | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1822292,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=17 July 2006 | accessdate=2007-08-27] He also conducted both the First Night [cite news | author=Erica Jeal | title=BBCSO/Belohlavek (review of Prom 1, 2007) | url=http://music.guardian.co.uk/classical/livereviews/story/0,,2127190,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=16 July 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-10] and Last Night [cite news | author=Tim Ashley | title=Prom 72 | url=http://music.guardian.co.uk/live/story/0,,2165716,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=10 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-10] of the 2007 Proms, the first conductor of the Last Night who is not a native English speaker. In September 2007, Bělohlávek extended his contract with the BBC Symphony to 2012. [cite news | author=Tom Service | title='If I understand the heckles, I'll respond' | url=http://music.guardian.co.uk/proms2007/story/0,,2163195,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=6 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-08] [cite news | author=Geoffrey Norris | title=BBC Proms: A vintage and stirring night | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/09/10/bmlast110.xml | work=Telegraph | date=10 September 2007 | accessdate=2007-09-10]

In opera, Bělohlávek has conducted "Jenůfa" and "Tristan und Isolde" at Glyndebourne Opera. [cite news | author=Charlotte Higgins | title='Grumpy? What's that?' | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1403559,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=2 February 2005 | accessdate=2007-09-28] He made his Metropolitan Opera (Met) debut on December 17, 2004 conducting "Káťa Kabanová", with Karita Mattila in the title role. He returned to the Met in January and February 2007 for "Jenůfa". Other orchestral guest conducting appearances in the US have been with Philadelphia Orchestra and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Bělohlávek has recorded for the Supraphon [cite news | author=Andrew Clements | title=Dvorak: The Stubborn Lovers: Kloubova/ Brezina/ Sykorova/ Belacek/ Janal/ Prague Philharmonia/ Belohlavek | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1183698,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=2 April 2004 | accessdate=2007-09-10] , Chandos, harmonia mundi [cite news | author=Andrew Clements | title=Mozart: Symphonies Nos 35 & 36, Prague Philharmonia/ Belohlavek | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1551631,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=19 August 2005 | accessdate=2007-09-10] , and Warner Classics [cite news | author=Andrew Clements | title=Dvorak: Symphonies Nos 5 & 6; Scherzo Capriccioso; The Hero's Song, BBCSO/ Belohlavek | url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1937924,00.html | work=The Guardian | date=3 November 2006 | accessdate=2007-09-10] labels.

Note on family name

"Bělohlávek" translates from Czech as "Whitehead". The pronunciation of the family name is "Bye-lo-hla-vek" with the stress on the first syllable and a long "a" as in "part".

References

External links

*
* [http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=273 Jiří Bělohlávek] at IMG Artists
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/orchestras/symphonyorchestra/about_us/jiribelohlavek.shtml BBC Symphony Orchestra - Jirí Belohlávek]