Thomas Adés, Czech Philharmonic

Date:	December 04, 2025 \| 19:30 (Thu)
Venue:	Rudolfinum - Dvořák Hall
Duration:	90 minutes
Intermission:	Yes (20 minutes)
Status:	Available

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An evening dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Pierre Boulez’s birth

Perhaps as a tribute to Boulez, Thomas Adés will appear in both roles for which Boulez was known: as a composer and a conductor.

For audiences at the Rudolfinum, this is not the first encounter with Adès, who describes composing as a process of organising chaos. In 2018, he came here to lead the Czech Philharmonic in a performance of his Totentanz (Dance of Death) and of Haydn’s Symphony No. 45, known as the “Farewell Symphony”.

Once again, Adès is not coming just to do his own music. His Dvořák Hall program is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Pierre Boulez’s birth. Like Adès, that French representative of serialism both composed and conducted. In his Messagesquisse we will hear the soloist Václav Petr with six more cellists. Boulez was not the composer of the first work on the programme, but György Kurtág dedicated it to him as a sign of respect. And it was under Kurtág that Thomas Adès studied piano in Hungary.

But that is not the end of connections in the music world. Adès gave his composition for violin and orchestra the title Homage to Sibelius. Jean Sibelius greatly admired his teacher Ferruccio Busoni, who in turn dedicated the composition Tanzwalzer to Johann Strauss. At the conclusion, we return to the waltz with Adès’s favourite composition by Maurice Ravel.

Program:

György Kurtág
Petite musique solennelle – En hommage à Pierre Boulez 90 (Czech premiere)
Pierre Boulez
Messagesquisse
Thomas Adès
The Exterminating Angel Symphony (Czech premiere)
Air – Homage to Sibelius for violin and orchestra (Czech premiere)
Ferruccio Busoni
Tanzwalzer, Op. 53, BV 288
Maurice Ravel
La Valse

Performing:

Josef Špaček - violin
Václav Petr - cello

Thomas Adès - conductor
Czech Philharmonic

Important:

Dress code: smart casual
20 min. intermission
Please note that the price of the ticket includes service fee of 10%

Famous musicals in Prague

Venue photo gallery

Rudolfinum - Dvořák Hall

Address:	Alšovo nábřeží 12 , Praha 1
Capacity:	1148
Type:	Concert hall
Winter heating:	Yes
Wheelchair access:	Yes

Rudolfinum is the most famous concert building in Prague and the seat of the Czech Philharmonic

The main Dvořák Hall is considered as one of the most beautiful concert halls in Prague with excellent acoustics particularly suitable for symphonic and oratorial, as well as chamber music. There is also a magnificent organ in the Dvořák Hall. Festive atmosphere and great classical music and jazz concerts in Rudolfinum will not let you forget this exceptional venue.

The elegant Neo-Renaissance building of Rudolfinum was built between 1876-1884. It was conceived as a multipurpose cultural center with concert and exhibition halls. The building was taken under the patronage of the heir of the Habsburg throne, the archduke Rudolph after whom the building was named.

Between 1919 and 1941 Rudolfinum served temporarily as an assembly hall of Czech Parliament. Since then it has functioned as a concert hall, exhibition space, and a seat of the Czech Philharmonic. Two concert halls stage the most prominent classical music concerts such as the Dvořák Prague or Prague Spring festivals.

In 1896 the Czech composer Antonín Dvořák conducted Czech Philharmonic performing his Symphony No. 9 "From the New World". That´s how the history of Czech Philharmonic, Rudolfinum and Dvořák Hall began...

How to get there:

Accessibility by public transport:
metro A (green line), Staroměstská stop
tram - Staroměstská stop
Nearest car parking:
Parking Rudolfinum, Alšovo nábřeží 12, Prague 1

Please note:

Disabled entrance: on the left side entry door