Prague Philharmonic Choir
The Prague Philharmonic Choir (in Czech Pražský filharmonický sbor) is an independent, self-governing chorus operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic. The choir has been associated with various orchestras over its nearly 90 years of existence, although not with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Prague Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1935 by singer Jan Kühn as the Czech Choir. At first, it served the needs of what was then Czechoslovak Radio and sang with that network's Symphony Orchestra of Czechoslovak Radio. Both organizations were silenced by the German occupation during World War II, but the choir was re-formed in the postwar years and performed with various orchestras. Several performances were landmarks: the choir performed Dvorák's oratorio St. Ludmila in the courtyard of Prague Castle in 1948, and Arthur Honegger's King David under the composer's baton the following year. In 1953, the choir was attached by the Czechoslovak Culture Ministry to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. It took the name Prague Philharmonic Choir at about this time. Kühn remained the director until his death in 1958 and was replaced by Josef Veselka. The choir toured often in the 1960s and 1970s, not only in Eastern Europe. Veselka stepped down in 1981 and was replaced by his pupil, Lubomír Mátl.
With the end of Communist rule in 1990 and the subsequent separation of the Czech Republic from Slovakia, the Prague Philharmonic Choir was removed from its connection to the Czech Philharmonic and became independent under conductor Pavel Kühn (son of Jan). In the 1990s, the choir spawned the smaller Czech Chamber Choir, which has gone on to considerable renown on its own. Since 2007, Prague Philharmonic Choir's conductor has been Lukás Vasilek. In modern times, the choir has appeared often with orchestras in both eastern and western Europe and has expanded its activities into opera.
The choir's recording catalog dates back to a performance of the Dvorák Stabat Mater under Vaclav Talich in 1952. It has recorded for the Praga and Supraphon labels, but also for CPO, where it was heard with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in the world premiere recording of Max Bruch's opera Die Loreley on an album released in 2019.
© James Manheim /TiVo
Similar artists
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Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Czech Philharmonic, Semyon Bychkov, Christiane Karg, Elisabeth Kulman, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Symphonies - Released by PentaTone on Apr 7, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Alfred Schnittke: Choir Concerto, Requiem
Prague Philharmonic Choir, Jaroslav Brych
Sacred Vocal Music - Released by Praga Digitals on Aug 1, 2000
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Bohuslav Martinů: Songs of the Highlands
Prague Philharmonic Choir, Jaroslav Brych
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Praga Digitals on Apr 1, 2002
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Rossini : Il Viaggio a Reims
The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Claudio Abbado, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Full Operas - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1983
The Qobuz Essential DiscographyGramophone Record of the Year16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Orff: Choral Works
Prague Philharmonic Choir, Inštrumentálna skupina, Josef Veselka, Vaclav Smetacek
Classical - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Mar 29, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stravinsky, Janáček, Bartók: Village Stories
Lukas Vasilek, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Classical - Released by SUPRAPHON a.s. on Oct 27, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms : Altrhapsodie, Schicksalslied, Triumphlied
Brigitte Fassbaender, Wolfgang Brendel, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Lubomir Matl, Czech Philharmonic, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Antonín Dvořák: The American Flag, Te Deum, American Suite, Old Folks at Home
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Classical - Released by Clarton, Edit, Music Vars Corporation, s. r. o. on Feb 3, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mahler 2 "Resurrection Symphony"; Totenfeier
Riccardo Chailly, Melanie Diener, Petra Lang, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition (Live)
Elena Zaremba, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Pavel Kühn
Classical - Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG) on Jan 1, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gorecki: Beatus Vir/Totus tuus/Old Polish Music
Nikita Storojev, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Czech Philharmonic, John Nelson
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brahms : Ein deutsches Requiem
Lucia Popp, Wolfgang Brendel, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Czech Philharmonic, Giuseppe Sinopoli
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák: Dimitrij. Opera in 4 Acts, Op. 64
Czech Radio Chorus, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Czech Philharmonic, Gerd Albrecht
Opera - Released by SUPRAPHON a.s. on Nov 1, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Janáček: Male Choruses
Josef Veselka, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Classical - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Jun 3, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dvořák: Saint Ludmila, Op. 71 by Václav Smetáček (2023 Remastered, Prague 1963)
Vaclav Smetacek, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Classical - Released by Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording on Nov 29, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Nursery Rhymes
Prague Philharmonic Choir, Lukas Vasilek
Classical - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Oct 6, 2023
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Louis Spohr: Mass, Op. 54, 3 Psalms Op. 85 - Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: 3 Psalms, Op. 78
Prague Philharmonic Choir, Jaroslav Brych
Choral Music (Choirs) - Released by Praga Digitals on Jan 1, 1998
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Missa Solemnis in D Major, Op. 123 (Digitally Remastered)
Prague Philharmonic Choir, Lubomir Matl
Classical - Released by EMG Classical on Jul 1, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Foerster: Mistrovské sbory
Josef Veselka, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Classical - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Dec 13, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Havelka: Praise of Light
Jindřich Rohan, Antonín Šídlo, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonic Choir
Classical - Released by Supraphon a.s. on May 2, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Choruses (Hurník, Podešva. Eben, Chlubna, Kálik)
Hana Legerová, Josef Veselka, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Moravan Academic Singing Association
Classical - Released by Supraphon a.s. on Feb 14, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo