KUWAIT CHAMBER PHILHARMONIA
 
warmly invites on 

Friday, December 8, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. 
To the Hashemi II Grand Ballroom - Radisson SAS Hotel 
for Final Concert of the Classical Season - Autumn 2006 
by
 CZECH TRIO 

DANA VLACHOVA - violin 
MIROSLAV PETRAS - cello 
MILAN LANGER - piano 

Concert will be held under patronage of 
H.E. Czech Ambassador ANTONIN de BLAZEK 

Program incl. String Trios from W.A. Mozart, B. Smetana & A. Dvorak

Czech Trio, an ensemble of superlative quality, is widely known as a foremost representative of the famous Czech tradition of chamber music playing, whose history stretches as far back as the 1890s when the first ensemble of this name was formed. The trio gives dozens of concerts a year, both at home and abroad. Apart from regular appearances in Europe it has became a firm favorite with audiences in the USA and in Japan. It also is a regular guest at important international festivals. What the music critiques appreciate particularly in the Czech Trio's concert performances and recordings is, that though the group consists of such strong player personalities, their ensemble is very compact; moreover, they laud the masterly performances, the purity of musical style, the warmth and depth of expression, as well as the players' spontaneity and temperament. The ensemble has often been called an ideal interpreter of Czech music in particular. Besides the Czech composers, the centre-point of the Czech Trio's repertoire does actually lie predominantly in music by world's composers. All three members of the ensemble are sought-after teachers at the Prague Conservatoire or Academy of Performing Arts. The Czech Trio follows up on the work of previous famous trios of that name, the members of which have been spreading the fame of the art of Czech music interpretation in almost uninterrupted sequence since 1899.

Pianist Milan Langer belongs to the leading Czech music interpreters, he cooperates with prominent soloists and chamber ensembles. He has played at concerts in most countries of Europe, in America, Japan and South Korea. While he studied at Prague's Conservatoire and Academy of Performing Arts with Valentina Kamenikova, he also took part in piano master courses with Frantisek Rauch in German Weimar and Guido Agosti in Siena, Italy. He participated with success in numerous competitions, including the prestigious competition events of Bolzano, Santader, Moscow and at the Prague Spring Music Festival Competition, and has several laureate titles to his name. He has won national competitions - the Smetana Competition in Hradec Kralove and the Chopin Competition in Marianske Lazne. Playing in the piano trio, however, has become his foremost activity - he has been member of the Czech Trio since 1994. Out of the more then two dozens CDs in which he participated, exceptional attention was lately won for example by his recordings of the Piano Fugues by A.Rejcha and the Eclogues by V.J. Tomasek. Milan Langer teaches at the Prague Conservatoire, leads master-courses both in Czech Republic and abroad and is a frequent member of juries of piano competitions.

Violinist Dana Vlachova, a sought-after professor at the Prague Conservatoire, presents numerous concerts, either as recitals or with leading orchestras. The centre-point of her activities, however, is her piano trio work of many years' standing, the roots of this activity going back to her studies at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts with professor Marie Hlounova. As member of the then ARS Trio she attended the chamber-music class of professors Josef Vlach and Josef Palenicek. She was influenced by the personality of her father, first violinist of the famous Vlach Quartet, since early childhood. She is member of the Czech Trio since 1992. She can captivate the listener with her overwhelming musicality and many-sided form of expression. She plays an antique instrument made in 1797 by the Czech master Kaspar Strnad. She makes recordings for radio, television and for Czech as well as foreign gramophone companies. She has played in most countries of Europe, and also in the USA, Japan and South Korea. She leads master courses both in Czech Republic and abroad, is a member of competitive juries.

Violoncellist Miroslav Petras, professor at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, is a pupil of Sasa Vectomov, who was a member of the Czech Trio for many years. Miroslav Petras is a laureate of the international competition Prague Spring and winner of the national Beethoven Competition in Hradec nad Moravici, and others. He has presented concerts in most European countries, but also in North and South America, Japan and Taiwan. He became concert master of the Prague Symphony Orchestra, with which entity he played solo parts at many concerts in the Czech Republic and abroad. His characteristic interpretation of concertos by Dvorak and Saint-Saens are also recorded on CDs. His compact discs featuring sonatas by Z. Kodaly, op.8, and R. Strauss op.6, bear out his excellence. Miroslav Petras also teaches at the Prague Conservatoire and is a member of juries of many music competitions. He is member of the Czech Trio since 1999.

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