The Prague Philharmonia was founded in 1994 by Jiří Bělohlávek as the Prague Chamber Philharmonic, an ensemble consisting of recent graduates of music schools. Maestro Bělohlávek was at the orchestra’s helm until 2005, when his successor for three concert seasons was the Swiss conductor Kaspar Zehnder. From 2008 until 2016 Jakub Hrůša was the orchestra’s chief conductor and artistic director. Since the 2015/2016 season, the French conductor Emmanuel Villaume has been at the orchestra’s helm. Since the orchestra’s inception, its core repertoire has been the music of the Viennese Classical period, supplemented by compositions from the Romantic era and a special concert series with music of the twentieth century. During its twenty-three years of activity, the orchestra has established itself as one of the most distinguished Czech ensembles, and it also appears regularly on stages abroad. It has so far recorded more than 80 albums for top international labels (Deutsche Grammophon, Harmonia Mundi, Decca) and has won numerous prestigious awards for these recordings. At the beginning of 2020, the orchestra went on a three-week European tour with the world-famous tenor Jonas Kaufmann.

French conductor Emmanuel Villaume was born in Strasbourg where he graduated from the conservatoire. He then continued his education in Paris, earning diplomas in literature, philosophy, and musicology. For several seasons he served as artistic director and chief conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic and chief conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic. He conducts in many opera houses of the world including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Milan’s La Scala, La Fenice in Venice, and the Royal Opera (Covent Garden) in London. He has also led such prestigious orchestras as the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony, L’Orchestre de Paris, L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and the Danish National Symphony among many others. For nine seasons he held the post of music director for the opera and orchestra of the Spoleto Festival in the USA. He records for prestigious labels: Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, and EMI. Since the 2015-16 season he has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Prague Philharmonia.

Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais is one of the most sought-after stars on the current international operatic scene. She first drew major public attention in 2010 through her rendition of the title role in Dvořák’s Rusalka with the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Three years later she had her debut with New York’s Metropolitan Opera as Magda in Puccini’s La rondine. She also caused a major sensation on the same stage when within less than twenty-four hours she debuted in lead roles in two other Puccini works, as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly and the very next day as a substitute in the role of Mimi in La bohème. Otherwise she performs regularly with the Vienna State Opera, the Berlin State Opera, Milan’s La Scala, and London’s Covent Garden. Apart from extraordinary vocal qualities, her interpretations are prized for intelligent expression and convincing acting.

The outstanding Slovak mezzo-soprano Jana Kurucová is a multi-talented musician: besides operatic singing she holds diplomas in piano, organ, choral directing, and vocal pedagogy. For more than a decade she has been appearing regularly on operatic stages especially in German-speaking countries, specializing in Mozart and Vivaldi. Since the 2009-10 season she has been performing as a regular soloist with the German Opera in Berlin, rendering numerous roles in operas by Humperdinck, Verdi, Mozart, Janáček, and Puccini. In the Prague State Opera she appeared in the title role in Bizet’s Carmen and as Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. She also sings concert repertoire with relish, performing in many important venues both at home and abroad in such works as Beethoven’s Mass in C, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.

Richard Samek was born in Třebíč. Richard Samek graduated from the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. After completing his studies, he studied privately with N. Romanová. In 2006, he made his debut at the stage of the National Theatre in Brno.       At present he is a permanent guest of the National Theatre in Prague, and performs as Rodolfo (La Boheme), Ismael (Nabucco), Cassio (Otello) or the Prince (Rusalka). He regularly performs on czech and international stage. He performed in Théâtre de Reims, Opéra Théâtre de Limoges, Opéra de Rennes and in the Staatsoperette Dresden, where he has been a permanent member of the cast since the season 2014 / 2015. Since the same season he has been giving guest performances also in the Theatre Magdeburg as Don Manuel in Z. Fibich’s The Bride of Messina and since 2016 also as Faust in the Gounod’s same name opera. Since the season 2015 / 2016 he has performed also in the Staatsoper Hannover as the Prince in Dvořák’s Rusalka or as Rodolfo in Pucinni’s La Bohème. In 2015 he participated in the realization of a live recording of Smetana's Dalibor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of J. Belohlavek and in 2016 he created a live recording of Fibich’s Bride of Messina with Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Richard Samek cooperates with leading conductors and chamber and symphonic orchestras – BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and others.

Presently one of the most sought-after basses in the world, René Pape was born in Dresden where already as a child he sang in the famous Kreuzchor boys’ choir. In 1991 Sir Georg Solti cast him, despite his youth, as Sarastro in a production of Mozart’s Magic Flute at the Salzburg Festival. In the same year he debuted in that role also in Milan’s La Scala. Then during the next several years he appeared progressively in London’s Covent Garden, in the Bayreuth Festival, and in New York’s Metropolitan Opera, where by now he has performed about twenty roles. His repertoire is very broad, ranging from Mozart and Beethoven through Gounod, Saint-Saëns, and Mussorgsky to Verdi, Wagner, and Richard Strauss. He has also made numerous recordings of both operatic and concert repertoire. In June 2014 he gave a solo recital in Prague.

Choirmaster Petr Fiala graduated from the Brno Conservatoire in piano, composition, and conducting. He has composed many dozens of work for voices, orchestra, and chamber ensembles, and for years served as a professor at the Brno Conservatoire. Apart from teaching and composing, for five decades now he has been known above all for his work as a choirmaster and conductor. In 1990 he founded the Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno, which under his leadership has earned a position among the best choral ensembles in Europe. He has won honours in many domestic and international competitions, and serves as an instructor in conducting courses as well as a member of international juries. He is often invited to conduct works for chorus and orchestra as a guest both at home and abroad. In 2009 he received the Order of Cyril and Methodius from the Czech Bishops’ Conference, and four years later he was honoured by the Prize of the City of Brno.

The Czech Philharmonic Choir of Brno ranks among the finest European ensembles in its field today. Established only twenty-seven years ago in 1990, it has already become—under the leadership of its founder, music director, and choirmaster Petr Fiala—one of the most sought-after choral ensembles. It has worked with many conductors from both Czechia and abroad including Jiří Bělohlávek, Charles Dutoit, Roger Norrington, Zubin Mehta, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and Kurt Masur, and is a frequent guest on numerous concert stages in Vienna, London, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Lucerne, Basel, Rome, the Vatican, Nürnberg, Dresden, Prague, and elsewhere in Europe. The choir has made many acclaimed recordings for both Czech and foreign labels. For its recording of motets by Anton Bruckner it won a prestigious Echo Klassik award in 2007, and its recording of Liszt’s oratorio Christus was declared ‘Recording of the Year 2007’ in Germany.