ITF Golden Prague — Sunday October 5, 2014

ITF Golden Prague is a unique international festival presenting the world's best music and dance programmes and films in all musical genres. The prestigious international competition is accompanied by a videolibrary, premiere screenings, workshops and the Gala Awards Ceremony.

Organised by Czech Television in cooperation with EBU and IMZ.

October 5 - 8, 2014 | Archa Theatre

PROGRAM — LARGE AUDITORIUM

12:30-13:30 — Elia Cmíral

Cultural documentary charting the career of Czech composer Elia Cmíral in the Mecca of the American film industry - Hollywood. Cmíral has been living in Los Angeles since 1993 and has composed music of 66 films. Interviews with American film producer and composer show how a dream of Moravian native came true.

Introduced by: Jiří Vejvoda , joined by composer Elia Cmíral and director Petr Kaňka

14:00-15:30 — Songs of the Wanderers

Songs of the Wanderers is arguably Cloud Gate Theater´s and Lin Hwai-min´s greatest success. Inspired be the wealth of religious practices found throughout Asia, a personal pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya in India and Herman Hesse´s account of Siddhartha´s quest for enlightenment, Lin Hwai-min transforms ancient rites into resonate dance theatre. A visually stunning paean to spiritual pilgrimage, “Songs of the Wanderers” creates a world of intense reverence, distinctly Asian in its imagery yet with powerful relevance far beyond Asia. Spiritually evocative moments, rites of passage, set to soulful Georgian folk songs interpreted by the Rustavi Choir, brought to life on a truly astonishing set of three-and-a-half tons of shimmering golden grains of rice. Cloude Gate Dance Theater transforms ancient aesthetics into a thrilling modern celebration of motion which has been seen the world over and is now freshly recorded in Taiwan on HD.

Introduced by: Jiří Vejvoda and producer Reiner Moritz

16:00-17:30 — Dvořák - In Love?

The Cello Concerto by Dvořák is one of the most popular concertos ever written and one of Dvořák’s last ever works, but a strange and rather tragic story lies behind its composition. Renowned director Tony Palmer investigates the story behind the music in the wonderful Dvořák - in Love?.

In the early 1980s Tony Palmer visited Prague looking for books about Dvořák, at the time Czech’s most famous composer, there were surprisingly none. In September 1988 he filmed a new recording of the Cello Concerto in Prague performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, which was conducted by the great Czech maestro Václav Neumann with the soloist Julian Lloyd Webber, already making a reputation as one of the leading British cellists of his generation. Tony went on to explore how this stunning piece of music came to existence.

Dvořák – in Love? was originally a co-production with Czechoslovak Television in 1988, but when they saw the finished film and its implied political message, they explained that it could not be shown in Communist ruled Czechoslovakia. Two years later the Russians finally withdrew, and this film was the very first documentary to be shown on the newly uncensored Czech television. The relevance of what Dvořák has to say through his Cello Concerto about political developments in Eastern Europe today could hardly be more relevant.

Tony Palmer will introduce the „renewed“ version, after twenty-five years still very convincing.

Introduced by: Jiří Vejvoda, joined by director Tony Palmer

18:00-19:30 — The Extraordinary Life of Vlastimil Harapes

He was born July 24, 1946 in Chomutov. In 1965 he completed his studies at Prague Dance Conservatory and from 1971 he worked as a solo dancer in the ballet ensemble of the National Theatre.

He has performed, among other countries, in Hungary, Romania, Spain, Austria, from 1977 to 1983 he was a regular guest of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf / Duisburg (ballets La Bayadère, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Orfeo), several times he performed within the Ballet Festival in Cuba. After he had worked at international ballet stages he returned to the National Theatre in 1989 as a director and choreographer. From time to time he guested in F.X. Šalda Theatre in Liberec.
Harapes is also a film and theatre actor. Already in the 60's he played in films Starci na chmelu (Hop Pickers) or Markéta Lazarová, he played the role of a prince in scary fairy tale Panna a Netvor (Beauty and the Beast) of Juraj Herz, he played a ballet teacher in comedies Jak vytrhnout velrybě stoličku, Jak dostat tatínka do polepšovny and Jak se krotí krokodýli.

Today he is a member of the Kylián Foundation in Prague, he works as a juror at the international ballet competition Prix Carpeaux in France and as a chairman of Philip Morris Ballet Flower Award. He taught classical dance in Florence, Rome and at the Dance Conservatory in Prague.

Introduced by: Jiří Vejvoda, joined by Vlastimil Harapes and director Martin Kubala

20:00-21:30 — Libor Pešek's Romantic Universe

Libor Pešek – a musical gentleman and one of the most famous of Czech conductors founded during his illustrious career several chamber ensembles and as principal conductor was employed in eminent positions in the Czech Republic, Holland, Britain and Slovakia. The culmination of Pešek's career outside of his homeland is without a doubt his eleven-year stint leading the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. He was (and remains) a regular guest of the Czech Philharmonic, the main guest conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the City of Prague and also remains the principal conductor of the Czech National Symphonic Orchestra. As a regular and honoured guest he makes visits to the Liverpool Philharmonic. He has been repeatedly granted major State honours – Order of the British Empire and Medal of Merit (1st Grade).

This year having reached eighty years of age, Libor Pešek is not only a demanding but, above all, a wise conductor who always manages to form an amicable relationship with individual members of the orchestras. From such relationships the most impressive interpretations of symphonic music are created. And it is also because Libor Pešek has learnt in his career to humbly listen to music, people and life itself.

Introduced by: Jiří Vejvoda, joined by Libor Pešek and director Martin Kubala

PROGRAM — SMALL AUDITORIUM

13:00-20:00 — Video Library

ENTRANCE FOYER

13:00-20:00 — registration and info