Concert on National Day of Czech Republic
By Mariam Chanishvili
Monday, October 21
On occasion of the 101st anniversary of the foundation of Czechoslovakia, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Tbilisi presented two talented and, although young, already well-renowned singers, Czech mezzo-soprano Stepanka Pucalkova and Slovak soprano Slavka Zamcníkova, accompanied by pianist Zdenek Klauda, at the concert, which took place at the Grand Hall of the Tbilisi Conservatoire on October 17.
Numerous guests attended the event and had a chance to enjoy a selection of Czech and French works (Eben, Dvorak, Janacek, Bizet, Charpentier, Massenet, etc.)
The program featured Moravské dvojzpevy, op. 32 – by Antonín Dvorak, Po zarostlem chodnicku by Leos Janacek, Sestero piesní milostných by Eben, etc.
Born in Berlin in 1986, the mezzo-soprano Stepanka Pucalkova graduated in 2005 studying singing at Jan Neruda Music Grammar School in Prague and then continued at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
Lyric soprano Slavka Zamcníkova, born in 1991 in Slovakia, was a member of the International Opera Studio of the Berlin State Opera and Jungesansamble in Unter den Linden in Berlin. The young soprano performed in various concerts and international festivals and won several prizes in international competitions.
A composer, pianist, and flutist since childhood, Zdenek Klauda studied at the Jan Neruda Music Grammar School. After graduating from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in 2005, he joined the National Theatre, where he has been permanently engaged. His compositions have been published by the US’s Alliance Publications, Inc.
The 100th Anniversary of the Foundation of an Independent Czechoslovakia was celebrated in 2018.
The First World War that rewrote the history of Europe ended in 1918. Even though one hundred years later, Czechoslovakia no longer exists, but the Czech Republic nonetheless commemorates the occasion. October 28 is the day when independent Czechoslovakia was officially established in 1918.