From Dvořák to Martinů: Ester Pavlů in Recital

In celebration of the 180th anniversary of Antonín Dvořák’s birth and the 80^th anniversary of Bohuslav Martinů’s arrival in the U.S., NCSML and the Czech Center New York are proud to present a performance by Czech mezzo-soprano Ester Pavlů, special guest Slovak baritone Vladimír Chmelo, with piano accompaniment by Ahmad Hedar. The evening’s program will include works of Czech composers Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, and Bohuslav Martinů.

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A graduate of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, mezzosoprano Ester Pavlů was introduced as Fenena in Jose Cura’s 2017 production of Verdi’s Nabucco at the National Theatre in Prague. Pavlů portrayed the Old Woman in the world premiere of Martinů’s What Men Live By, which received the Anděl award for best classical recording of 2018. In 2019, she joined a triumphant UK tour of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with the FOK Prague Symphonic Orchestra, and received a standing ovation as Cinderella in Rossini’s La Cenerentola. This year she excelled in Dvořák’s Rusalka, singing both the Foreign Princess and Witch.

In the 2021/2022 season, Ester Pavlů will appear as Carmen in the same-name Bizet’s opera or as The Queen in Weinberger’s Schwanda the Bagpiper in the Prague National Theatre; a year later she will sing Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.

Vladimír Chmelo is a Slovak baritone and interpreter of the Italian, Czech, and Russian repertoire. He has performed throughout Europe, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and, from 2009-2015, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His portfolio of leading roles reveals his versatility, such as Macbeth, Rigoletto and Germont to Toreador, Hamlet and Onegin. He has worked with renowned conductors, directors, singers, and pianists including Boulez, Rattle, Szoltes, Fleming, Netrebko, Domingo, and many more. Chmelo is also active as a pedagogue (including to Ester Pavlů) and established the Prague Musical Institute which organizes summer singing courses in the city of Český Krumlov.

Ahmad Hedar is a leading Czech pianist, vocal coach, and singer. He studied at the Prague HAMU. His musicality has made him a sought-after accompanist to many prominent singers. Through Run OpeRun, an organization he works closely with to make opera accessible to new audiences, Hedar has led the musical production of the Magic Flute (2016), Marriage of Figaro (2017), Rusalka (2020), and La Traviata (2021), each on the site of the former Stalin monument in Prague. In 2019, Hedar earned a fellowship at the prestigious Bayreuth festival. Since then he has taught at the Jan Deyl Conservatory in Prague.