Radomil Eliška

Radomil Eliška (born April 6, 1931) is a Czech conductor.

Biography

He received his musical educationin on conducting by Břetislav Bakala at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. Afterwards, he conducted in the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra from 1960 to 1990 and activated as a conductor mainly in the domestic Czech Republic.

He taught young musicians at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague since 1978 and became a professor of the academy in 1996.

In Japan

Eliška visited Japan first time in 2004, to conduct Smetana's "Má vlast", and Dvořák's "Cello Concerto" and the "Symphony No. 9" at a charity concert. This performance was recorded, and created a sensation by the broadcast on radio. Takashi Yoshimatsu, a Japanese composer and radio host, spoke very highly of his Dvořák. Tadaaki Otaka, the Music Director of Sapporo Symphony Orchestra also got to know his talent, and asked him to guesting for the orchestra.

In 2006, Eliška conducted the Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade" with the orchestra in Sapporo. Because the performance also won popularity, the orchestra officially invited him as the "Principal Guest Conductor" that created for him. Though he was unknown in Japan, after winning the reputations, he came to be known rapidly and take an active part in guest-conducting with Japanese orchestras.