The Slovak Sinfonietta Žilina
The Slovak Sinfonietta Žilina is one of the best-known professional orchestras in Eastern Europe and holds a significant position in Slovak musical life. It was founded in 1974 as Slovakia’s only “Classical period” chamber orchestra. Since then the orchestra has attained a prominent position in both the Slovak and Czech Republics, as well as it has achieved a considerable international reputation.
Its 35 members are graduates of the major Czech and Slovak music academies and many of them are winners of international competitions and active both as soloists and chamber musicians. The quality of the players together with the experience and musicianship of the founding music director and conductor Eduard Fischer (1930-1993) brought about the quick artistic growth of the orchestra. Following chief conductors were Jan Valta, Leoš Svárovský and Oliver von Dohnányi, Simon Chalk. For the season 2018/2019, Leoš Svárovský was appointed the Honorary Chief Conductor of the Slovak Sinfonietta Žilina. From the 2023/2024 season, the new chief conductor is the young Czech conductor František Macek.
By 1977 the orchestra attained international recognition when it was invited to the Salzburg Festival and designated the official orchestra of that prestigious festival. Soon after followed appearances at the Prague Spring and the major festivals throughout Europe, including Wiener Festwochen, Spring Festival and Haydn Festival in Vienna, Sofia’s Musical Weeks, Festa Musica Pro in Assisi, Festival de Catalunia in Spain, Festival El Djem in Tunisia, Festival de Bonaguil in France, Music in Old Krakow, Budapest Spring Festival, Bratislava Music Festival, Melos Ethos Bratislava, Mozartfest Schwetzingen, Mozart Sommer Schloss Salem, Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Festival de Manaus in Brasilia, Festival van Vlaanderen, Aspekte Salzburg, Johann Strauss Festival in Vienna, Bodensee Festival in Switzerland, Ankara Musik Festival, Slovenian Music Days, NCPA Festival Beijing, and many others.
The Slovak Sinfonietta Žilina played at such prestigious international venues as the Musikverein and Konzerthaus Vienna, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonic Halls in Berlin, Munich and Cologne, House of Artists Prague, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Komische Oper and Konzerthaus Berlin, St. Francis’ Cathedral Assisi, Auditori Barcelona, Palau St. Jordi and Palau de la Musica Catalana Barcelona, Teatro Arriaga Bilbao, Symphony Hall Osaka, Tokyo’s Metropolitan Hall, Theatre de la Monnaie Brussels, Mozarteum Salzburg, Teatro Abadia and Palacio de Deportes Madrid, Tonhalle Zürich, Pavilhao Atlantico Lisbon, NCPA Beijing, Seoul Arts Center, Les Invalides and L´eglise de la Madeleine Paris, and the Great Concert Hall of the St. Peterburg Philharmonic among others.
Altogether the orchestra has given more than 3300 concerts in almost every country in Europe, Asia, Africa, Japan, China, Korea, Brasilia, Canada and the U.S.A. The Slovak Sinfonietta Žilina recorded more than 70 CDs.
Among the prominent artists who have performed with the orchestra are conductors Peter Maag, Marco Armiliato, Theodore Kuchar, Claus Peter Flor, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Nicholas Kraemer, Erik Zainermand, Alexander Schwinck, Misha Katz, Vladimír Válek, Petr Vronský, Ľudovít Rajter, Christian Benda, Dwight Bennett, Christian Pollack, Peter Breiner, Vladimír Kiradjiev, Ernst Märzendorfer, Martin Sieghardt, Stefan Lano, Janusz Powolny, Volker Schmidt Gertenbach, Georg Mais, Urs Schneider, Ondrej Lenárd, Francesco Angelico, Daniele Rustioni, Jiří Rožeň and soloists: Igor Oistrach, Narciso Yepes, André Gertler, Václav Hudeček, Sophia Jaffé, Baiba Skride, Dalibor Karvay, Liana Issakadze, Vanessa Mae, Marián Lapšanský, Eugen Indjic, Till Felner, Paul Badura Skoda, Timur Sergeyenia, Ludmil Angelov, Michael Kofler, Peter Dvorský, Sergej Kopčák, Vittorio Grigolo, Michél Senechal, Stefan Elenkov, Edita Grúberová, Vesselina Kasarova, Georg Tichy, Pavol Breslik, Otokar Klein, Peter Mikuláš, Gabriela Beňačková, Magdaléna Kožená, Ľuba Orgonášová, Magdaléna Hajossyová, Gustáv Beláček, Jana Kurucová, Adriana Kučerová, Pretty Yende, Izabela Labuda, Benno Schollum, Ildikó Raimondi, Olivia Stapp, David Miller, Sarah Joy Miller, Il Divo, and Il Volo.
Slovak Sinfonietta is a member of the Orchestra Network for Europe (ONE), a distinctive network of classical symphony orchestras initiated in 2004. Focusing on addressing the specific issues of the classical music sector, ONE has designed a cooperation project promoting intercultural dialogue and extending artistic reach across borders.