Great Arias For Soprano and Trumpet

HANA JONÁŠOVÁ - SOPRANO Hana Jonášová is the graduate of the Prague HAMU, Professor Jana Jonášová. Audiences in many countries have admired her pure coloratura soprano, both in concert halls and opera houses. At present Hana Jonášová is a soloist of Prague State Opera, and sings at the Prague National Theatre. In May 2003 she appeared in the Czech premiere of the ragtime opera Treemonisha by Scott Joplin, where she successfully sang the title role. Apart from operas, Hana Jonášová is also involved in songs, oratorios, and cantatas. She appears with both Czech and foreign prominent orchestras and chamber bodies, such as FOK, PFK, Brno State Philharmonic, Liverpool Royal Orchestra, Ars rediviva and more). Hana Jonášová has been co-operating with the Czech TV and Czech Radio, Supraphon and other recording companies. She was the second Prize Winner at the Golden Prague Festival, for her role in the opera Les larmes du couteau (The Tears of a Knife) by Bohuslav Martinů.

VLADIMÍR REJLEK - TRUMPET was born in Tábor. He studied at the Conservatory and Academy of Music in Prague. He is the winner of the Prague Spring International Music Competition in 1978 and a prize - winner of the Toulon competition in 1976. His wide repertory includes pieces of all styles with an accent on Baroque and contemporary compositions. He is a regular guest of concert halls both at home and abroad. In 2009 he was appointed professor at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts. Vladimír Rejlek is also the principal trumpet player in the opera orchestra at the National Theatre Prague.

JOSEF POPELKA - ORGAN Studied organ at the Conservatory of Kroměříž under K. Pokora. He continued at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Dr. J. Reinberger and prof. J. Hora. He graduated under M. Šlechta. He is a prize-winner at numerous organ competitions, he won 2nd Prize and title of laureate at the International Organ Competition of Prague Spring in 1979. He has recorded great many of recordings for the Czech Broadcast, recently he has been a professor of organ at the Conservatory of Prague and at the Academy of Performing Arts.

St. Francis Church houses the second oldest organ in Prague played by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonín Dvořák and other famous musial personalities. Nowadays classical and organ concerts are held at St. Francis of Assisi church. Organ concerts at Knights of the Cross are drafted as one hour long coherent programmes.

Besides compositions of world known masters of Baroque and Classicism you can hear music of Czech authors. Popular dramaturgy (which is, however, artistically valuable) completes rich sound of organ and its combination with solo instruments or vocal, so listener is always surprised by new colours and sound variations. Usually three artists perform at the concerts – soloists of our prominent opera and orchestra ensembles, pedagogues of the Academy of Music and Prague conservatory.