A Czech orchestra at the top of its game: Prague Philharmonia performs at Carnegie Hall

The Prague Philharmonia performed at Carnegie Hall, one of the world’s most prestigious concert venues, marking its return to the United States after several years. Conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, the concert offered not only a showcase of European repertoire but also a moment of direct encounter with American audiences, whose openness and diversity Villaume sees as central to the U.S. concert experience.

For any European orchestra, a concert in the United States carries a particular weight — and a performance at Carnegie Hall more so than anywhere else. When the Prague Philharmonia stepped onto its storied stage on Monday night, January 26, the evening was shaped as much by the hall and its audience as by the music itself.

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Carnegie Hall|Photo: The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

“Carnegie Hall is one of those places where you feel the pressure of history immediately,” says Emmanuel Villaume who has conducted there many times in an interview with Czech Radio. Yet the experience, he adds, is anything but intimidating. “The acoustics and the sense of greatness actually pull you up. You want to give your best — not because you’re afraid, but because the space and the audience expect it, and so do you.”

The Carnegie Hall programme itself reflected that balance between tradition and fresh perspective. Alongside Beethoven, Mozart and Mendelssohn, the Prague Philharmonia appeared with two acclaimed soloists — violinist Blake Pouliot and pianist Andrew von Oeyen — but the symbolic core of the evening lay in the choice of Czech repertoire. Rather than opting for Symphony No. 9 in E minor, long considered a default choice for Czech orchestras touring the United States, the ensemble performed Symphony No. 8 in G major by Antonín Dvořák — a work Villaume has described as joyfully poetic and ideally suited to the orchestra’s sound, offering American audiences a less predictable but deeply expressive view of Dvořák’s music.

Emmanuel Villaume|Photo: Prague Philharmonia

Villaume’s relationship with American audiences is long-standing. Alongside his work in Europe, he is also music director of the Dallas Opera, and he believes that performing across the United States offers a uniquely varied experience. “There are big differences from city to city and from hall to hall,” he says. “Just as the audience in Prague is different from the audience in Brno, the same applies across America.”

What unites U.S. audiences, in his view, is a certain openness. “American listeners are generally very enthusiastic,” Villaume explains. “They come without strong preconceptions about how a piece should sound.” Unlike some European concertgoers, he says, they are unlikely to be offended if a tempo or interpretation deviates from tradition.

That does not mean, however, that American audiences are less informed. “It’s a misconception,” Villaume insists. “The spectrum is simply broader.” Alongside newcomers to classical music, American concert halls — especially Carnegie Hall — attract listeners with deep knowledge and refined ears. “You have experts at the highest level,” he says, comparing the Carnegie Hall audience to those in Berlin or Prague’s Rudolfinum. “It’s a very discerning audience — one that responds with the brain, the heart, and the soul.”

The Prague Philharmonia’s return to the United States comes roughly eight years after its last appearance there, a period during which both the orchestra and its chief conductor have evolved. Villaume believes their artistic partnership has grown deeper and more intuitive. “We understand each other better than ever,” he says. “And this orchestra has a special quality: when the pressure is high, it goes to another level.”

Touring itself plays a crucial role in that development. Performing the same repertoire in different halls and acoustics, and for different audiences, continually reshapes how musicians listen and respond. “Even if you play the same programme, the reactions change from city to city,” Villaume notes. “That’s what makes tours so interesting.”

Photo: Petra Hajská, Pražské jaro

The U.S. concert landscape has also changed in recent years, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic. Villaume observes that audiences’ habits shifted — but not necessarily for the worse. “For a time, being together in a hall was impossible,” he says. “Now that it’s back, people seem to value it even more.” He points to strong ticket sales on the current tour as evidence that listeners are returning to concert halls with renewed interest.

Beyond the immediate musical encounter, Villaume sees international tours as part of a broader cultural mission. Music, he reflects, may have “no practical purpose,” but it remains one of the most direct ways of communication across borders. “Through music, you can speak from people to people, from culture to culture,” he says — a role he embraces openly.