The Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (''Janáčkova filharmonie Ostrava'') is a Czech orchestra based in
Ostrava,
Czech Republic. Named after composer
Leoš Janáček, the orchestra performs its concerts at the City of Ostrava Cultural Centre.
History
The roots of the orchestra date back to 1929, with the establishment of a radio orchestra in
Ostrava. In 1954, the orchestra was formally established under the name of the Ostrava Symphony Orchestra, with Otakar Pařík as its first chief conductor under that name, and gave its first concert under that name on 3 May 1954. In 1962, the orchestra changed its name to the ''Státní filharmonie Ostrava'' (Ostrava State Philharmonic Orchestra), then with Václav Jiráček as chief conductor. In 1971, the orchestra changed its name to its current form, the ''Janáčkova filharmonie Ostrava'' (Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava). In the 1990s, the orchestra developed a new emphasis on performance of contemporary music, including renditions of compositions by composers such as
Earle Brown,
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...
,
Maria de Alvear,
Morton Feldman,
Petr Kotik,
Alvin Lucier
Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. (May 14, 1931 – December 1, 2021) was an American composer of experimental music and sound installations that explore acoustic phenomena and auditory perception. A long-time music professor at Wesleyan University in Mi ...
,
Pauline Oliveros,
Somei Satoh,
Martin Smolka,
Karlheinz Stockhausen,
Toru Takemitsu,
Edgard Varese, and