Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša wins two 'classical music Oscars' for opera and concerto of the year
The winners of this year’s Gramophone awards, perhaps the most prestigious in classical music, include the Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša. Currently the chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony, Hrůša won in the two categories of opera and concerto.
Launched in 1977, the annual Gramophone awards are widely considered to be the world’s most prestigious awards for the classical music recording industry. They are awarded by panels of industry experts and critics for the monthly Gramophone magazine. This year, Jakub Hrůša, a native of Brno, features twice on the list of winners.
Hrůša has won first for his recording of the opera Káťa Kabanová, composed by Leoš Janáček and first performed in 1921 in Brno. Set in a small Russian town, the opera tells the tragic story of a young woman and her relationships in an oppressive, traditional society. The new award-winning rendition was performed by the Vienna State Opera Chorus, with American soprano Corinne Winters in the title role. The Gramophone jury praised the recording, saying “Hrůša is wonderful in this work, superbly judging its mixture of lyricism and tension”.
The second award is for best concerto, a work of classical music that features a soloist musician accompanied by an orchestra. Jakub Hrůša won for his recording of Benjamin Britten’s Violin Concerto, performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and starring the German violinist Isabelle Faust.
Hrůša has been the chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony since 2016, and has extended his tenure there until 2026. Founded in 1946 by German exiles from Czech lands, Hrůša was the sixth chief conductor in its history and the first Czech to hold the position. His career is an international one, since he also holds the post of chief guest conductor of Czech Philharmonic and will become Music Director at London’s Royal Opera House in 2025. Following his appointment to the role, Hrůša said:
“I have been privileged to work on two wonderful Royal Opera House productions as a guest-conductor … I am thrilled to accept the position of Music Director, and I feel immensely excited about the future collaboration. London is not just a place I have loved living and working in but will now be precious to me as my true artistic home in the field of opera.”
Hrůša is not the only representative of Czech music on the list of winners; the Czech Philharmonic won in the category of Orchestra of the Year. The title was awarded on account of recent stellar performances of Smetana’s Má vlast and Dvořák’s Symphonies 7-9. Given the Czech origin of the music and the orchestra’s Prague home of the Rudolfinum, journalist Edward Seckerson commented that “there is, of course, a very real sense of ownership when the Czech Philharmonic play these pieces”. While Jakub Hrůša is heading for London, the English conductor Sir Simon Rattle this year became the principal guest conductor for the Czech Philharmonic.
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