The Prague Spring has devised a new format dedicated to contemporary music. Over a period of two days, the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art inHolešovice will come alive with the latest from the contemporary international and domestic scene.
This is primarily thanks to the contribution from one of the most high-ranking ensembles specialising in contemporary music, Klangforum Wien, who will assume the role of Ensemble-in-Residence for the next three festival editions. “We have succeeded in securing extremely productive collaboration for this venture, namely by involving Klangforum in the early stages of the project. We are thus able to utilise their experience and contacts acquired over the decades they have been active as a leading ensemble on the international contemporary music scene,” says the festival’s Programme Director Josef Třeštík. Klangforum Wien will appear at two evening concerts and, via public workshops and master classes, they will hand down their expertise to the young generation of composers and instrumentalists.
Each year Prague Offspring will have a Composer-in-Residence, whose work will be featured on the festival’s concert programmes. In 2022 Prague will host Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth, one of the world’s most sought-after artists. “Olga Neuwirth has been the subject of wide discussion in recent years, particularly in connection with the premiere of her opera Orlando at the Vienna State Opera. After the renewal of concert life in September 2021, the premiere of her new work Keyframes for a Hippogriff performed by the Berlin Philharmonic and the conductor Jakub Hrůša won great acclaim”, says Mr Třeštík. She has been one of the most fascinating and most important composers for several decades now. We are delighted that she has agreed to take part in our festival”, he adds.
Prague Offspring will also host the premieres of works by renowned composers that have been commissioned by the festival – this year it’s the turn of Martin Smolka. The most promising talents will be given an opportunity as well – Jakub Rataj, Lucie Vítková, Adrián Demoč, Konstantin Heuer and Ian Mikyska. And that’s certainly not all. Festival audiences can look forward to encounters with musicians and artists, a panel discussion featuring major names on the European contemporary music scene, a performative installation by composer Matouš Hejl and director Aleš Čermák, and a lecture and performance by architect of the DOX+ building complex Petr Hájek, who conceived the concert hall itself as a musical instrument. And we’ll wind things up with a closing party, at which composer Kontantin Heuer will act as DJ.
“Prague Offspring is a new tradition for the Prague Spring festival – crunchy, a bit mischievous, young, open, experimental,” is how the new format is defined by Miroslav Srnka, composer and member of the Prague Spring’s Artistic Board. “Prague is reinforcing its name on the European map of cutting-edge music. The capital’s entire DOX complex will come alive with sound for an entire weekend, when fans of the latest from the music scene will appreciate that being in Prague is starting to pay off.”
