Concert Dedicated to 30th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution
By Mariam Chanishvili
Friday, October 25
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Velvet revolution the Embassy of the Czech Republic is organizing the concert dedicated to the Anniversary on October 31 at the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia.
The musicians - Jaroslav Sveceny and Lucie Toth are the main guests of the event.
Jaroslav Sveceny is one of the most notable contemporary Czech violinists. Sveceny's numerous concert tours and festival performances have taken him across Europe, to the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Russia, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Algiers, Libya, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
He has recorded about 44 albums with works by international and Czech composers; many have been awarded gold or platinum discs. He was the first Czech violinist to record a CD for Sony Classical.
As a songwriter, he is increasingly active. In February 2013, he premiered his composition "Strings for the City of New York" in New York, which he dedicated to the city.
Lucie Toth, a graduate of the Pilsen Conservatory, has studied chamber music under the direction of prof. V. Snitil. She composes and performs for the Czech radio and Czech television, performing on scenes in Bohemia, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, and Spain.
He collaborates with artists from various disciplines and at the same time dedicates herself to pedagogical activities where she enjoys presenting new works by contemporary Czech composers.
Velvet Revolution, which was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurred from 17 November to 29 December 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia included students and older dissidents.
The term “velvet revolution” is said to be coined by Czech dissident Rita Klimova. She spent some childhood years in the United States and her command of English enabled her to serve as the protestors' spokesperson and translator during the 1989 demonstrations.
