Czech music for violin and piano: two lines, one center

Martinů was a student of Josef Suk, Suk a student of Antonín Dvořák. This pedagogical lineage—three generations, one tradition—forms the backbone of the evening. But the program also follows a second line: the American one. Dvořák opened new horizons for himself and others in the USA. Martinů found a second home there decades later. Korngold conquered Hollywood there. The two lines naturally intersect—and at their intersection stands the figure of Bohuslav Martinů.

The evening opens with Antonín Dvořák’s Romantic Pieces—melodic, nostalgic, and straightforwardly beautiful. This is followed by Bedřich Smetana’s From the Homeland, music imbued with a connection to the landscape and tradition. Suk’s Four Pieces bring the emotionally richer, more distinctive language of late Romanticism and serve as a link between Dvořák’s and Martinů’s generations. Janáček’s Sonata for Violin and Piano then comes as a turning point: abrupt, internally tense, stylistically entirely different. Martinů’s Sonatine is its natural counterpart—fresh, playful, neoclassically light. And the finale belongs to Korngold’s suite Much Ado About Nothing: elegance, humor, and cinematic color all in one.

This captivating cross-section of Czech and European music will be presented by Jiří Vodička, concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic, and Martin Kasík, one of the leading Czech pianists—a duo whose ensemble playing is breathtaking. 

Get ready for an extraordinary musical experience that will take you through the best of Czech and European classical music. The concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic, violin virtuoso Jiří Vodička, will join forces with one of today’s most acclaimed Czech pianists, Martin Kasík. This exclusive collaboration promises more than just interpretive perfection. Both artists are renowned for their profound musicality, technical mastery, and above all, their breathtaking ensemble playing, which creates an almost telepathic understanding on stage. Together, they will breathe life into the scores that have shaped European culture and offer the audience an evening full of untamed energy, lyrical tenderness, and thrilling emotions.