Two Orchestral Premieres with Komorní filharmonie Pardubice

John Franek bowing after the premiere of "Vier Abschiede" with Komorní filharmonie Pardubice

In the Autumn of 2024 I had the incredible privilege and pleasure of receiving two premiere performances of my music in the same contemporary music concert. Conducted by Igor Karpilovskij and Patrik Kako respectively, my pieces Vier Abschiede and Seven Listenings for Orchestra were performed by the Komorní filharmonie Pardubice in Sál Martinů located in Prague, Czech Republic.

Program Notes:

Vier Abschiede was conceived from meditation on the variety of scenarios in which moments of change through loss occur within the human condition. Sudden displacement, long-anticipated farewells and inevitable yet painful moments of acquiescence which come with the human condition are direct sources of inspiration for the work.

Each movement is conceptualized around individuals who have influenced my life and who’s sudden departures from life or location have redefined my appreciation for life and the concept of home. The dedications are as follows:

I. Für die Taube (for the dove) - for Thom Palumbo

II.Für der Bauer (for the farmer) - for Stephen and Diane.

III. Für der Sonne des Falken (for the son of the hawk) - for Scott Hawkinson

IV. Für jeden Januar (for every january) - for Walter Genuario

Listen to the premiere here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_qfQTAu-jA

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What do we remember after listening to a piece of music? Seven Listenings for Orchestra is a set of miniatures, each of which are predicated on the raw quality of selected sound combinations. Each miniature is an invitation for audience members to engage in a focused listening and evaluate their impressions and memories of the individual works and the full set as a whole.

Listen to the premiere here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4OmGTvHFos

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John Franek with Conductor Patrik Kako