Czech National Symphony Orchestra 

Works

Bedřich Smetana: The Moldau
Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto no. 1 (with Maxim Lando, piano)
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony no. 9, From the New World

Steven Mercurio, music director

Recognized as one of Europe’s first-rank symphonic ensembles and renowned for its versatility, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra makes a triumphant return to the Moss stage under the baton of music director Steven Mercurio. 

Having wrapped up its 30th anniversary tour in 2023, which included the ensemble’s Carnegie Hall debut, the orchestra is joined by dynamic guest soloist Maxim Lando, an American pianist and winner of the 2022 New York Franz Liszt International Competition, to perform two of the most beloved works from the Romantic repertoire — Antonín Dvořák’s famed Symphony no. 9, From the New World, and Liszt’s monumental Piano Concerto, no. 1. 

About the Czech National Symphony Orchestra

Composers, conductors, and performers — such as Lalo Schifrin, Pino Donnagio, Giuliano Taviani, José Carreras, Giuseppe Tornatore, Carl Davis, Steven Mercurio, Marcello Rota, Christian Lindberg, and Vladimir Cosma — repeatedly come back to Prague to either record with the orchestra or perform in the beautiful Smetana Hall at Prague’s Municipal House, the home concert stage of the orchestra. Highlights from recent concert seasons include a European tour with the legendary Ennio Morricone and a Prague concert with Anna Netrebko.

In the studio, the orchestra has worked on recording Plácido Domingo and Vittorio Grigolo’s Christmas album, also collaborating with Ennio Morricone on his score for the western film The Hateful Eight, directed by Quentin Tarantino. Morricone won an Oscar for Best Original Score for his work on the film and the soundtrack was recorded live and launched by Tarantino, Morricone, and the orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in December 2015. 

The Czech National Symphony Orchestra has also renewed its longstanding cooperation with Andrea Bocelli and has accompanied Rolando Villazon and Jonas Kaufmann. It has collaborated with prominent pop artists, including Sting, George Michael, Natalie Cole, Dianne Reeves, Angélique Kidjo, Denise Donatelli, and Ute Lemper, as well as acclaimed instrumentalists like James Morrison, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Shew, Joe Lovano, John Abercrombie, John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Chick Corea, and many more.

Successful tours have taken place over the British Isles, the U.S., Canada, France, Spain, Dubai, Japan, Mexico, China, Korea, Oman, Australia, and New Zealand. Other accolades include the Gustav Mahler Prize, awarded for the interpretation of Mahler’s works, and the prestigious contract the orchestra signed with IMG Artists London and Columbia Artists New York. Achievements also include a long-standing recording project in association with Tokyo-based media company Victor Entertainment.

The Czech National Symphony Orchestra was set up in 1993 by trumpet player Jan Hasenöhrl and legendary conductor Zdeněk Košler. In 1996 American Paul Freeman took over as chief conductor and remained in this position for an amazing 10 years. At the beginning of 2007 Maestro Libor Pešek was named the chief conductor; he continues to hold this position.

Music Director Steven Mercurio

Maestro Steven Mercurio is an internationally acclaimed conductor and composer.  Currently the music director of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Mercurio also served as music director of the Spoleto Festival for five years and was the principal conductor for the Opera Company of Philadelphia. 

For the stage, Mercurio has conducted more than 60 operas in seven languages. His engagements have taken him to many of the world's best loved opera houses. He has conducted countless operatic and symphonic television broadcasts, including the internationally acclaimed Christmas in Vienna series highlighted by the best-selling Three Tenors (Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti). 

As a composer, Mercurio's compositions include songs, chamber works, and pieces for large orchestra. His large-scale orchestral work, For Lost Loved Ones, was given its world premiere by Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mercurial Overture was given its world premiere by the Oslo Philharmonic in a live concert telecast honoring Nobel Peace Prize winner Médicins sans Frontières. 

Mercurio has created arrangements for a wide array of performers across multiple genres, including Sting and Chick Corea. Most recently, he served as arranger, conductor, and producer for Andrea Bocelli’s best-selling recording, Believe. 

Pianist Maxim Lando

American pianist Maxim Lando has been described as a “dazzling fire-eater” (ARTS San Francisco) and “a total musical being” (The New Criterion). He first made international headlines performing with Lang Lang, Chick Corea, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin at Carnegie Hall’s 2017 Opening Night Gala.

Since then, he has performed with major orchestras around the world, including the Pittsburgh, Toronto, Vancouver, St. Petersburg, Memphis, and Hawaii symphonies; the Russian National, Mariinsky Theater, Zurich Chamber, and Orpheus Chamber orchestras; the Israel and Moscow philharmonics; and many others.

A recipient of the prestigious Gilmore Young Artist Award, Lando is also first frize winner in both the 2022 New York Franz Liszt International Competition and the Vendome Prize 2021-2022. He continues to garner international attention on the largest stages, this past year returning to Carnegie Hall to perform Liszt's Piano Concerto, no. 1 with Orchestra of St. Luke’s, led by Gabor Hollerung. As winner of the 2021 Juilliard Concerto Competition, he made his Alice Tully Hall debut performing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Juilliard Orchestra, led by Xian Zhang.

In 2020 he was named Musical America’s New Artist of the Month, and in 2018 he won first prize at the Young Concert Artists International Auditions at the age of 16. His following sold-out recital debuts at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall and the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater included Liszt’s complete Transcendental Etudes. Lando has been featured as a guest artist at numerous festivals and is a passionate chamber musician, collaborating with artists such as Daniel Hope, Julian Rachlin, Lynn Harrell, and the Danish String Quartet. He was awarded a 2023 International Classical Music Award (ICMA) for Into Madness with German violinist Tassilo Probst.

The Czech National Symphony Orchestra first performed at the Moss Arts Center in 2019. This is Mercurio's and Lando's first performance at the center.

This performance is supported in part by gifts from Minnis and Louise Ridenour and Ellen and Leo Piilonen.

Photos by Jan and Martin Malý, Chris McGuire, Huntington Arts Council, and Luca Rossetti