It's impossible to find
a person both famous
and unknown
in the world of classical music.
The two words
pretty much contradict each other.
Yet it would be a shame not
to introduce you to a man
who's "only" famous, but very famous.
Despite his young age,
he's a world known conductor
and a promise for the future.
The best orchestras in the world have
or soon will have
played under the baton of Jakub Hrůša.
After all, those who don't
ordinarily listen to classical music
might not have gotten the chance
to get to know Jakub Hrůša properly.
Let's get to it.
NAME: JAKUB HRŮŠA
AGE: 36
EDUCATION: ACADEMY
OF PERFORMING ARTS, PRAGUE
TUTORS: JIŘÍ BĚLOHLÁVEK,
RADOMIL ELIŠKA, LEOŠ SVÁROVSKÝ
MARITAL STATUS: MARRIED
CHILDREN: BEATA (4), MARTIN (1)
Interestingly enough, none of his
relatives are professional musicians.
But as Jakub Hrůša says,
music has always been a part of his life.
The most beautiful
moments I can remember
are free Sunday mornings which
I would spend playing vinyl records.
No one really forced me to do that.
But it's true that these classical music
records, we had records when I was little,
they were there, we had them at home.
As well as the records my parents
had listened to when they were young.
The Rolling Stones, Olympic, and The Beatles.
And those I never played.
He had started playing
the piano in pre-school
and he took up
the flute in the first grade.
He attended a primary
school with extra music lessons
but he never thought
of working as a professional musician.
My relationship
with music was that of a layman.
That means I couldn't
imagine my life without music
but it didn't mean working long
hours and dealing with music fanatically.
Music was an essential part
of my life, just like breathing.
After finishing primary school,
Jakub's attitude didn't change.
He applied to grammar school,
not a conservatory.
Even though many people
encouraged him to do so.
After finishing the first grade,
he realized he loved music
and that he wanted
to work in the music industry.
He thought about the specific field
and that led him to conducting.
Later on, he learned
it was the path he wanted to take.
The conducting,
being in charge of an orchestra,
that's what outweighed
everything, there was no other choice.
I knew I wanted to be a conductor.
That has stuck with me and since then
I have been on this straightforward path.
He has dedicated all of his time to music
since his decision
in the 2nd grade of grammar school,
He observed the conductor in the school
orchestra he played trombone in.
He was getting private lessons.
He had to study everything
people learn at the conservatory.
It wasn't always easy,
many people treated me dismissively.
"You need to go to the
conservatory and start from scratch."
But there were a few
kind souls who accepted me, sort of...
...wholeheartedly.
They sensed that I genuinely wanted it
and that I would do anything for it.
I had to go through
that in those three years.
And then, that was my goal,
then I went straight to college.
He started attending
the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
That's also where he would reach
a major turning point in his career.
All students were told
they were required to register
for a Prague Spring conductor competition.
He asked if he had to register too,
not having come
from a conservatory, being an amateur.
This competition was open to
all students of the music conductor field.
The professor, who's become an amazing
friend of mine since, Radomil Eliška
simply said,
"All those who study conducting will register."
But even after he said that,
I went to talk to him.
I remember it as if it was today,
we were in the Lichtenstein Palace.
I said, "Professor,
we have only started 4 months ago,
does that concern us at all?"
He just slapped me on my back and said,
"Of course you will register!"
The result was incredible. He was
the only Czech to get to the 2nd round
which garnered him considerable attraction.
The competition
changed my life because
I came from a grammar school in Brno,
no one knew me, I had no references
and suddenly I became
something of a star pupil.
This success caused another amazing thing.
In his 2nd year, he was offered
special tutoring by phenomenal conductor
and later the Chief Conductor
of the BBC Symphony Orchestra
and the Czech
Philharmonic, Jiří Bělohlávek.
These professional artists are so busy
they usually only come every six months,
deliver a training course and leave again.
But that wasn't
the case with him, he taught regularly.
Every time he was
in Prague, he would make time.
I'd say almost every day of his visit
in Prague, he'd reserve time for teaching.
He would be absent for three weeks
but then he would teach
every day for a week or two.
Apart from that, we were
invited to his rehearsals and concerts.
And those of us who developed a sort
of a special relationship with him,
were invited to go abroad with him.
Sometimes he
would pay for the trip and say,
"Come see me in Leipzig
or Vienna, we will discuss things there."
I would sit through
his rehearsals and after that
we would go
for a lunch and then we'd work.
The work was
more of a consultation
we weren't actually conducting
but it was just as relevant.
His personal example
and his tutoring and artistic
skills were essential for me.
THE UNKNOWN FAMOUS
Jakub Hrůša finished
his studies with a concert
that has been talked about since then.
He chose
Josef Suk's Asrael Symphony.
A grand, difficult work, seemingly
inappropriate for a graduate concert.
It's a funeral symphony in memory
of Suk's father-in-law,
Antonín Dvořák, who passed unexpectedly.
Suk decided to pay
his respect by this grandiose work.
While he was composing this symphony,
his wife passed away
following a brief and unexpected illness.
That was Dvořák's daughter, Ottilie.
The work is Suk's testimony
of the most tragic moments of his life.
Jakub tried to sway the teachers
for so long that they eventually agreed.
And it was glorious.
It was so good that a British
recruiter visited him the following day
and offered him a real job.
If I was to describe it, I'd have to say
that I managed to psych myself up
and that led to an incredible
performance.
I convinced the orchestra
to follow me, as well as the audience.
It was a huge event.
For me and for the others too.
It was as if we already were
professional artists, not fresh graduates.
Jakub Hrůša's
other career is also exceptional.
His interpersonal skills and a gift
for working with musical ensembles
resulted in the opportunity to conduct
student orchestras while still in school.
Unlike other graduates,
who often had to wait for their big break,
Jakub continued to conduct extensively.
He became the chief conductor
of Zlín Philarmonic Orchestra in 2006,
and then, in 2008,
the Prague Philharmonia
which was founded by Jakub's
teacher Jiří Bělohlávek in the 90s.
Besides that, he's been getting
invites from world's greatest orchestras
and he has also been
recognized in the opera world
thanks to his appearance
at the British Glyndebourne Festival.
A dream career.
Having been invited to conduct
the greatest orchestras there are today,
I just can't actually believe it.
When it comes to aspirations,
there is nothing more to aim for,
concerning people I'd love to work with.
All of my dreams are becoming reality.
There was another huge step last year.
He became the chief conductor
of the Bamberger Symphoniker.
An excellent orchestra
with a deep-rooted tradition
that shines
in the middle of this beautiful town.
- Do the locals recognize you?
- They do, quite a lot.
That's also because
of Bamberg's very effective
marketing strategy.
They can also see
me on a huge poster outside.
The main reason, however, is that every
tenth person in Bamberg is a subscriber.
Leave aside the tourists,
which there are a lot of,
and it's quite logical that
people will recognize me.
Because 10 percent
of the population go and see concerts.
That is unique, even globally.
He spends a lot of time in the town,
he has set up a home here with his family,
his wife and two young children.
The life of a globally
recognized musician is not easy.
It's not only the performing itself.
Most people wouldn't believe how
much time learning and preparing takes.
There are hundreds
of pages of score every week.
I have to find time for that.
That's how I spend the time
I go to an engagement alone.
I try to use
the time intensively for myself.
When I come home or when
we're together for longer periods of time
I am able to spend
more time with my family
than fathers that come
from a regular job every night.
Ask Jakub Hrůša to name
his most memorable concert
and you'll find out
he doesn't prefer any particular one.
But there is one unfortunate
recent memory he can't resist mentioning.
After his teacher and a friend
Jiří Bělohlávek passed away this May,
Jakub Hrůša was asked
to conduct the Czech Philharmonic,
performing Dvořák's Stabat Mater.
The Czech musicians chose it as a way
of saying goodbye to Jiří Bělohlávek.
That was the concert during which
every single one of the musicians
were focused on doing their very best.
At the same time,
it was deeply emotional.
It all put a different complexion
on what one usually sees on the stage.
Ladies, the singers, they couldn't hold
in their emotions after we had finished.
Many people were weeping.
Jiří and I were very close friends
and I was thankful for the honor
and for the opportunity
to commemorate him
by performing, by creating art.
If I were to only listen, I think
that would bring me down to my knees.
Jakub Hrůša still has
a long career ahead of him.
He says he wishes
never to burn out professionally
and to bring joy to his
listeners and himself through music.
And to the musicians he conducts.
Becoming a great conductor
means intertwining hundreds of threads.
Human and artistic threads connecting
each and every member of the orchestra.
That is what Jakub Hrůša,
a 36-year-old young man
who came to conducting in a roundabout
and somewhat belated manner,
is doing exceptionally well.
