Concert & Conversations at the Piano with Katelyn Bouska
We are delighted to present the upcoming concerts: “A Deeper Perspective: special program for the Year of Czech Music exploring new contexts of Dvořák and Smetana, the pillars of Czech music” & “České skladatelky: exploring the path of women composers in Czech music” with renowned Czech-American composer Katelyn Bouska on July 19 & 20.
For her first concert on Friday at 6:30 p.m., Katelyn will dive deeper into the histories and works of famous Czech composers— Dvořák and Smetana have long been hailed as the founders of the rich tradition of Czech music that the world enjoys to this day. But how did they come to be? What were their influences and environment? What is this rich history they draw upon in their writing? This program aims to widen the space around each composer, offering not just a new perspective but inviting a wider context for Czech Music as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of Bedřich Smetana’s birth.
The concert on Saturday, starting at noon, will be a commented concert— with both performance and presentation, Katelyn will explore the Czech women composers who contributed to the sounds and aesthetics of what Czech music has become. The program flows into the present with works by newly-rediscovered Slavá Vorlová and recently-deceased Ivana Loudová. The music of this evening celebrates these composers and adds to the fullness of the rich legacy of Czech music.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
With interpretations described as “full of life, flexibility, gripping rhythms and a richness of dynamic shadings” (Milan Bátor, Czech Radio) and a skill at engaging audiences in the musical dialogue, Katelyn Bouska is a frequent solo and collaborative musician. Her unique programming combining rarely-heard Czech and American music with compositions written specifically for her by rising composers has found an audience throughout America and on the international concert stage. Katelyn is currently based in Philadelphia where she serves on the Music Studies Faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music.