Jakub Hrůša, who recently received critical acclaim for this debut as Chief Conductor of the Bamberger Symphoniker, has been applauded for his debut with the Boston Symphony and his return to the Cleveland Orchestra. These collaborations with reputable orchestras are only the beginning of a wonderful upcoming season for the talented conductor, who will make debuts with Rome’s Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the New York Philharmonic and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra.
Scroll down for press reviews for Mr Hrůša’s performances in Boston and Cleveland.
“Sustained, enthusiastic applause…a wide range of dynamics and orchestral colors, sharp rhythms, and an attention to balance, all of which Hrůša masterfully deployed…His gestures are so clear and apt they make the score visible…In the past, a guest conductorship has been the beginning of an enduring and fruitful relationship with the Boston Symphony…Let’s hope the Symphony Hall audience will be enjoying Jakub Hrůša’s singular musicianship 40 years hence.” – Bachtrack
“An exciting Boston Symphony debut…notable for its drama…rhythmic drive and precision…pinpoint accuracy…stark power…the conductor’s keen interpretative powers…playing of firm commitment and musicality” – Boston Classical Review
“Hrůša’s conducting made it an uplifting evening.” Writing about the concert’s closing work, Janáček’s Taras Bulba, Gantz says, “The triumphant finale wasn’t just heroic, it was noble. This is Hrůša’s first guest appearance with the BSO. It shouldn’t be his last.” – Boston Globe
“The athletic chief conductor designate of the Bamberg Symphony lit a fire under the orchestra, prodding the ensemble…into a vibrant and dynamic reading… Hrusa then had a thing or two to say with Brahms. Beyond just its marvellous, almost ideal structure, the conductor also was intent on celebrating the score’s sheer power and ferocity, traits some interpreters allow to lie dormant.” – The Plain Dealer
“[Hrůša] built the arch of the movement, building tension over its course. The other movements had those same virtues of lyricism, especially in the gentle second movement, and even in the rambunctious scherzo. The fourth movement’s passacaglia was beautifully shaped to its tumultuous close.” – Bachtrack