Jakub Hrůša’s debut as Chief Conductor of Bamberger Symphoniker earned universal acclaim from the German classical press. “Jakub Hrůša’s brilliant debut” (Michael Weiser,Nordbayerischer Kurier) on Saturday, 1 October, featured Varèse’s “Tuning Up” for Orchestra, Voříšek’s Symphony in D Major Op. 24 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major.
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’s Wolfgang Sander writes, “Hrůša has a gift: he can deliver emotion in the smallest of moments. [He] created a musical image which made us catch our breaths – just as Mahler imagined … Every note stems from cultured, sensible musicians … It was a great moment, and is only the beginning of the journey.”
Egbert Tholl, in Süddeutsche Zeitung, adds, “Hrůša is assertive, masterful … you can see and hear that the musicians are very happy with him, his exploration of musical extremes, and the tight musicianship he demands. A joyful debut.”
Fränkischer Tag’s Rolf-Bernhard Essig pays special attention to the concert’s triumphant conclusion writing:
“The undeniable high point came with Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Jakub Hrůša’s interpretation ended in a standing ovation … and a well-known Mahler connoisseur was even heard afterwards saying that ‘it grabbed me from the first second’.
“Expressive in large and small gestures … the conductor shaped the song-like sections and raging storms of Mahler’s symphony without over exaggeration. [Hrůša] integrated many finely savoured effects … in his mature interpretation, which was as dramatic as it was musical.”
One of the most gifted and exciting conductors working anywhere in the world today, Hrůša is only the fifth Chief Conductor in the orchestra’s history. In addition to his new position with Bamberg, he is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and Permanent Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. From 2009 – 2015, he was Music Director and Chief Conductor of PKF–Prague Philharmonia.
In addition to his first season with Bamberg, Hrůša’s considerable highlights of 2016/17 include major debuts with Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, the Spanish National Orchestra, and the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra.