I regret to announce that the conductor Jiři Bělohlávek has died at the age of 71. Bělohlávek was music director of the Czech Philharmonic from 1990 to 1992, and then again from 2010 to the time of his death. His contract had been extended this year through 2021-2022.
Bělohlávek was a high-profile champion of music from his native land. I was fortunate enough to see him conduct on several occasions, most memorably leading performances of Dvořák’s “Rusalka” and the “New World Symphony.” I met him, briefly, following the latter, but I got the impression that his English was not very good. On the same occasion, I met Dvořák’s grandson, who spoke no English at all, as far as I could tell. Ironically, the grandson (also named Antonin) died earlier this week, at the age of 88.
Join me this evening at 6:00 EDT, following a broadcast concert from The Princeton Festival with Concordia Chamber Players at 4 (for which Glenn Smith will be your host), when I’ll remember Bělohlávek with an hour of his recordings, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
His obituary in The Guardian:
PHOTO: Antonin Dvořák III (left) with Jiři Bělohlávek