5 RIVERS

Press release18. 11. 2014

In October 2015, an exceptional concert inspired by the five rivers of Pilsen will be heard in the Great Synagogue in Pilsen. Five composers have written five symphonic movements for the European Capital of Culture which, together with a choir, will be presented by an orchestra consisting of students from music schools from five European cities, including the host city of Pilsen. The choirs and the orchestra will be directed by Norman Gamboa, a conductor of Latin-American origin. It is one of the major projects in the main music programme of Pilsen 2015, prepared by the civic association The World According to Jakub in cooperation with the Pilsen Conservatory and other institutions.

It began with a consideration of the meaning of the word home. It is landscape, people and information. Home is important for everyone; therefore, everywhere we go we carry a piece of it with us. This has been followed by another consideration about an important medium – water as information, water as life, water as a path. Rivers, collecting water to bring to our city from where as a single river the water flows on, have become our symbol of the importance of working together and of a shared responsibility for the outcome. Two years ago, we contacted five promising Pilsen composers - Martin Červenka, Pavel Samiec, Jiří Vyšat, Tomáš Karpíšek and their professor, doc. Jiří Bezděk.We introduced our idea to them and they were each inspired by one of the five rivers of Pilsen and composed five individual symphonic movements. Each of the rivers has its name, its mood and the history of the area through which it flows. Each has its own task. All of this is also manifested in the production of our composers, who have recently completed their work. They all have their stories that have brought them along and guided them through their work. We want people to have an opportunity to meet them and listen to the sounds of the landscape that constitutes our home.

Pavel Samiec says this about his work on the Úslava River: "Throughout the entire flow of this river, there are plenty of magical places which make us keep coming back, and each time we return we discover something new. I haven’t set out to the river to listen to singing birds or whispering forests and waters, as many might think. My trips have rather focused on moods and a certain poeticism which is hiding in this landscape. With these gathered feelings, I have been coming back to work on the Úslava, trying to convey it all through music. "

Bearing in mind that not only for young artists is it essential to have the broadest possible knowledge of the world and that nothing can help mutual knowledge and understanding better than work on common matters, we decided to invite foreign students to work on studying this newly created piece of work together with young Pilsen musicians in the project 5 RIVERS. The experience acquired together can be the basis for further projects of an international character and another opportunity for mutual enrichment.

In addition to the Pilsen Conservatory, the project involves the Conservatories in Košice, Slovakia, and in Mons, Belgium, and the Academy of Music in Riga, Latvia. The fifth school is still being negotiated. For several days in October 2015, Pilsen will be presenting the final rehearsal of the orchestra, together with the mixed choirs Czech Song and En arché, and the Chamber Choir of Czech Musicians led by Vojtěch Jouza. This difficult task will be handled by the conductor Norman Gamboa, who greatly enjoys supporting the work of contemporary composers and who has vast experience in leading youth orchestras.

The premiere will take place on 15th October 2015 in the Great Synagogue in Pilsen; the second concert will be held on 18th October 2015 at the Světce Riding School in Tachov.

The ceremonial climax of the project will be preceded by a variety of activities that have been prepared in cooperation with the Regional Authority of the Pilsen Region Department of Education, Youth and Sport.Between September and October 2015, the results of a literature competition will be announced (it was launched in October 2014 in the field of literature and art, with rivers as its theme). A public reading is planned to take place in the House of Music or, for example, at the Meeting Point on Republic Square or other venues.An exhibition of artworks by pupils and students primarily from art schools of the Pilsen Region will once again be presented in the House of Music, in OC Plaza – Pilsen and other venues that are still being negotiated.The two-day festival of music ensembles from art primary schools in the Amphitheatre Plaza – Pilsen will have the subtitle 5 SPRINGS. At present, we already have 15 registered ensembles from around the Pilsen Region.

The project is held under the auspices of Mr. Jiří Struček, Deputy President of the Pilsen Region for Education, Sport, Tourism and the Pilsen 2015 Project.

In addition to the aforementioned schools and choirs, we would also like to thank the public benefit organisation Pilsen 2015, the Pilsen Region, the Jewish Community in Pilsen, MKS Tachov and OC Plaza – Pilsen for their cooperation and financial support.

The World According to Jakub, registered associationsvetpodlejakuba@gmail.comwww.svetpodlejakuba.cztel.: 773 524 225