PKF — Prague Philharmonia

The PKF — Prague Philharmonia was founded in 1994 on the initiative of the conductor Jiří Bělohlávek (1946-2017) under the original name Prague Chamber Philharmonia. Today it is one of the most recognised orchestras, not only among Czech but also world ensembles. Regular invitations to tour abroad as well as recording projects with the most renowned international labels bear testimony to this. Since the 2015–16 season the orchestra has been led by the French conductor Emmanuel Villaume.

Freshness, energy and perfectionism are characteristics inscribed in the orchestra’s ‘Birth Certificate’, as well as a love of music expressed in each of their concerts. Behind the highly valued distinctive sound of the PKF — Prague Philharmonia is partly its key repertoire, which has been from the beginning Viennese Classicism, namely compositions by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. However, the PKF is remarkably flexible in this respect, and is capable of expanding from concertanto repertoire for a chamber set up without a conductor, to projects involving a large symphony orchestra augmented by extra players from the PKF Orchestral Academy. In this way, even as a large body, the PKF is able to retain the characteristic sound that Jiří Bělohlávek honed with them over a period of eleven years, as well as its esprit, linking the generation of excellent, experienced players with the greatly talented and perfectly technically prepared younger players.