Role

:

Conductor  

Birth

:

June 22, 1933

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Orchestral

 

 

Symphony

 

Libor Pesek was a renowned Czech conductor and pianist who was born on June 22, 1933, in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia. He was born into a musical family, and his father was a violinist in the local orchestra. Pesek began playing the piano at a young age and showed great talent and passion for music. He studied at the Prague Conservatory and later at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where he specialized in conducting. In 1957, Pesek began his career as a conductor, working with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra as an assistant conductor. He quickly gained recognition for his talent and was appointed as the principal conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra in 1967. He held this position for 18 years and helped to establish the orchestra as one of the leading orchestras in Europe. Throughout his career, Pesek conducted many of the world's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He was also a regular guest conductor at the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. One of the highlights of Pesek's career was his performance at the 1990 Proms, where he conducted the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in a program of Czech music. The concert was a huge success, and Pesek received critical acclaim for his interpretation of the music. He also conducted the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra on their first tour of the United States in 1991, which was a major milestone for the orchestra. Pesek was also a prolific recording artist, and he recorded over 70 albums throughout his career. His recordings included works by Czech composers such as Antonin Dvorak, Bedrich Smetana, and Leos Janacek, as well as works by other composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. His recordings received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix du Disque and the Diapason d'Or. In addition to his work as a conductor, Pesek was also a talented pianist. He often performed as a soloist with orchestras, and he recorded several albums of piano music. He was particularly known for his interpretations of the music of Chopin and Debussy. Pesek received many awards and honors throughout his career, including the Order of Merit of the Czech Republic, the Medal of Merit from the Slovak Republic, and the Gold Medal of the International Gustav Mahler Society. He was also awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Ostrava in recognition of his contributions to music. Sadly, Pesek passed away on April 15, 2016, at the age of 82. However, his legacy lives on through his recordings and the many musicians he inspired throughout his career. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest conductors of his generation, and his contributions to the world of classical music will continue to be celebrated for many years to come.

More....