In the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House in Prague – a historic venue where the first joint Czechoslovak Republic was established 106 years ago – representatives from both of our countries gathered to commemorate this significant milestone in our shared history.
The ceremonial concert was organized by the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Institute in Prague, with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic, the National Bank of Slovakia, Czechoslovak Group, and Dovolenka na Slovensku – dobrý nápad (Holidays in Slovakia – A Good Idea). The exclusive media partner of the event was the weekly magazine Slovenka.
“I am delighted that we have managed to host the second edition of such a prestigious evening in the magnificent setting of the Municipal House in Prague. This venue symbolizes our mutual ties. Czech-Slovak relations require continuous cultivation, especially since the younger generation, after thirty years of independence for both nations, no longer feels nostalgia for the shared state. It is our responsibility to ensure that this unique relationship endures,” said Ingrid Brocková, ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Prague.
Ingrid Brocková
Ľubica Krénová
During the concert, performed by the Slovak Philharmonic, works by composers who were either born in or had connections to Bratislava were featured. “We selected Ĺubica Čekovská as a contemporary composer, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Ernst von Dohnányi, and Eugen Suchoň. Of course, since we are in the Smetana Hall, we included an aria from the opera Libuše by Bedřich Smetana, performed by the outstanding Slovak soprano Mária Porubčinová, who works with the Czech National Theatre,” explained Marián Turner, director of the Slovak Philharmonic.
As director of the Slovak Institute in Prague Ľubica Krénová added, this event followed the success of last year‘s jubilee and featured a program strongly emphasizing Czecho-Slovak cultural cooperation.
“I am pleased that we managed to create such an emotionally powerful evening, thereby strengthening our good relations between the Czech and Slovak Republics.”
Kateřina Žbirková with STAR Production publishing house owner Mária Reháková.
Czech Ambassador to Slovakia Rudolf Jindrák.
