Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 & Fazil Say plays Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue

Artists

Concertgebouw

The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam was built as a result of a public campaign aimed at financing a new Philharmonic hall. A grand Neoclassical concert hall topped with a symbolic Apollo´s lyre, it opened in 1888. In the late 20th century the Concertgebouw was renovated in order to improve the acoustics and add more space for visitors. The magnificent organ, after almost a century of service, was also restored and modernised. The Concertgebouw hosts around 600 concerts every year, ranging from big symphonic performances to jazz and pop concerts. Conveniently located at the beautiful Museumplein (Museum Square) with the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh museum right next to it, everyone will find something to their taste in one of the finest concert halls in the world!

Antonín Dvořák

Antonin Dvorak is considered to be one of the most well-known and prominent Czechs in the world, as his musical work gained international recognition already during his lifetime. He was born in 1841 in a small Czech village into a butcher’s family. At the age of 6, Dvorak started taking violin lessons and it immediately became obvious that the boy had exceptional talent in music. Later in life, he was learning to master piano and organ as well as simultaneously working in a slaughterhouse. After Dvorak turned 16, he was admitted to the Organ School in Prague that trained future professional composers. After graduating, he stayed in Prague, joined Karel Komzak’s orchestra and started actively composing his own music. However, he struggled to make ends meet and always had to work on the side by playing music in churches and giving private music lessons. Finally, 1874 became a turning point in his life when he won a financial grant from an Austrian Prize competition for his 15 submitted works. This allowed him to quit the orchestra and devote himself fully to composing. During this period, he wrote his Slavonic Dances, Moravian Duets and Violin Concerto, which brought him sweeping success. In 1892 he was invited to teach at the New York National Conservatory, where he stayed until 1895 before returning home. He started teaching at the Prague conservatory and later became its director. Until his death in 1904, he had been a successful and well-loved composer, both in his homeland and around the whole world.