PRAGA CAMERATA
Artistic director PAVEL HULA
The Czech Republic is considered to be a great power in the area of chamber music. The ensemble PRAGA CAMERATA follows this tradition and the tradition of the Prague Chamber Soloists ensemble, which was established in 1961 by the principal conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Vaclav Neumann. This ensemble has toured extensively in virtually all European countries, Canada and Japan. It has appeared at major festivals, including among others The Prague Spring, Montreux, the Flanders festival, Sintra, Strassbourg, Menton, Ansbach, Montreal, Chartres and Toulon. The ensemble has worked with a number of leading conductors and soloists: V. Neumann, L. Pesek, J. F. Manzone, U. Schneider, H. Szeryng, G. Kremer, J. Suk, Z. Ruzickova, J. P. Rampal and others. In what has been its major characteristic feature, the Praga Camerata membership is now comprised exclusively of outstanding instrumental soloists, chamber musicians, cultivating with the ensemble a repertoire centered around highlights of the world concertant literature. The orchestra´s standart string combination ( counting with 15 players ) is occasionally enlarged by wind instruments, opening up the way to broader repertoire. In 2003 Praga Camerata starts (with the new name) the cooperation exclusive with french label Praga Digitals, distrib. Harmonia Mundi with many interesting projects. The ensemble just came from the very successful tour from Japan and is invited there again for the „Dvorak Festival 2004“.
PAVEL HULA, the current artistic director has already been a member of Prague Chamber Soloists since 1972 ! He is a versatile violinist successfully combining the twin careers of soloists and chamber player. Since 1975 he has been leader of the Kocian Quartet www.concerts-prague.cz/Kocian/
with which he has appeared in over 2.500 concerts worldwide, and has made more than three dozen CDs for Denon, Supraphon, Orfeo and Praga Digitals. In 1997 the Kocian Quartet was awarded a Grand Prix du Disque in Paris. Lately, Pavel Hula is beginning to devote himself also to conducting.