The Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno

The Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno was founded in 1990. Despite its short history it has already been ranged among the best and most sought-after professional ensembles in Europe. The choir specializes in oratorios, cantatas and recently also in opera repertoire of all periods. Its rising artistic quality is reflected in the intensive concert activity both in the Czech Republic and abroad (represented by more than 70 concerts every year).

The choir has been performing with major local and foreign orchestras and conductors (eg Petr Altrichter, Jiří Bělohlávek, Leoš Svárovský, Sir Charles Mackerras, Leopold Hager, Marcello Viotti, Sir Roger Norrington, Enoch zu Guttenberg, Mario Venzago, Hugh Wolff, Marc Soustrot, Jean-Claude Casadesus, Aldo Ceccato, Georg Schmöhe, Bertrand de Billy, Gerd Albrecht, Lawrence Foster, Zubin Mehta, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Kurt Masur, Isaac Karabschevsky and others).

It appears regularly at international festivals and concerts in Vienna, Linz, Munich, Luzern, Basel, Frankfurt, London - BBC Proms, Wiesbaden-Eberbach, Lübeck, Passau, Milan, Roma, Vatican, Paris, Rennes, Nantes, Angers, Nürnberg, Dresden, Oviedo, Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, Litomyšl, České Budějovice, Český Krumlov etc.

The choir has recorded CDs for Panton, Supraphon, Farao, KOCH International, Sony Classical, Ultraphon, Arco Diva, Chesky-Records New York, Pronto, Antiphona, PAN Classics, Musikproduktion Dabringhaus, Discantica and others.

The founder, artistic director and conductor of the choir is Petr Fiala (b.1943), a graduate of the Brno Conservatory and the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts. Besides his activities as a teacher (at the Brno Conservatory) and composer (author of more than 180 compositions) he has been active also as a conductor for 30 years. The assistant of the choirmaster Petr Fiala is Jan Ocetek (b.1972).
The activities of the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno are made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Southern Moravia Region, Statutory City of Brno, and Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.

February 2007