Edvard Hagerup Grieg (1843–1907): From Holberg’s Time, suite Op. 40

Prelude. Allegro vivace
Sarabande. Andante
Gavotte. Allegretto
Air. Andante religioso
Rigaudon. Allegro con brio

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): Concerto for violin and string orchestra in E major

Allegro
Adagio
Allegro assai

interval

Béla Bartók (1881–1945): Romanian Folk Dances

Joc cu bâtă (Allegro moderato) 

Brâul (Allegro)

Pê-loc (Andante)

Buciumeana (Moderato)

Poargă românească (Allegro)

Mărunţel (Allegro)

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904): Serenade for string orchestra in E major, Op. 22
Moderato 
Menuetto. Allegro noc moto
Scherzo. Vivace
Larghetto
Finale. Allegro vivace

Amin Ghafari was born in Tehran. He is considered to be one of the most prominent Iranian violinist of his generation. He was playing to critical acclaim major concerts with Tehran Symphony orchestra performing the A. Khachaturian and with Pasargad orchestra P. I. Tchaikovsky concerto which he also recorded. He also performed with other orchestras in sold out major concert halls all over Iran. He finished the post graduated studies in the university of Iran. He won 1st prize of international ‘Fajr Competition’ and also 1st prize in the youth competion in Iran. He performed concerts at the Allegro Vivo Academy in Austria 2016 and Kronberg in Germany 2017 where he also attended masterclasses with Prof.Bijan Khadem Misagh, Prof. Boris Kushnir and his mentor Prof.Igor Petrusevski who has the biggest influence on his playing. He has been the common head manager of Pasargad music institute in Iran since 2017. In 2017, he published a book named ‘The Best Ways To Practise Khachatrian Concerto’. He frequently appeared on major television and radio shows in Iran where he is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exiting artist. The majority of his concerts he performs classical repertoire as well as some major cross over concerts with popular repertoire. He plays to high level Santoor, which is a traditional iranian instrument. During 2018-2019 season he will be performing frequently all over Europe with major orchestras.

Nikol Kraft is studying conducting at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno under Jan Zbavitel. At present she has a scholarship at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, where she was admitted into the class of renowned professor Mark Stringer. She was involved as second conductor in the preparation of Orff´s operas Der Mond and Die Kluge at the National Theatre in Prague (2016). At the Janáček Opera in Brno she participated as assistant conductor in the staging of the operas Tosca (2015), Her Stepdaughter (2015) and in the staging of the original premiere of Ivo Medek’s and Markéta Dvořáková’s opera Alice in Bed (2014).  She conducted Don Giovanni in a JAMU Chamber Opera production in 2013 and she staged Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (arrangement by Jonathan Dove), of which she conducted eight performances and two of these were part of the International Opera and Music Festival Janáček Brno 2014. The performance was very positively reviewed by the critics of the magazine Opernwelt. She has cooperated with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (studio recording of Tchaikovsky’s symphonic ballad Voyevoda), Brno Philharmonic Orchestra (including Dvořák´s Symphony No. 8 and a selection from Prokofiev’s suites for the ballet Romeo and Juliet), Moravian Philharmonic Ochestra Olomouc (including Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9), National Theatre orchestra, Janáček Opera orchestra and others. During her internship in Vienna she conducted the Pro-Arte Orchester Wien, which interpreted works by Webern, Lutosławski, Adams, Mahler (Symphony No. 4), Beethoven, Mozart and others. She participated in conducting classes led by Tomáš Netopil and Zsolt Nagy. She was awarded a Bayreuther Festspiele scholarship in 2014. 

The Suk Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1974, that is in the year of the 100th anniversary of Josef Suk’s birth (1874–1935), and so the name of the famous composer is still alive and connected with the name of the orchestra. Until 2000, its artistic leader was the composer’s grandson, violinist Josef Suk. He then handed over the leadership to Martin Kos, the current concertmaster of the orchestra. Suk’s Chamber Orchestra consists of musicians who dedicate themselves to chamber music in the long-term; a number of them are also active in other chamber ensembles such as trios, quartets and sextets. In its traditional format, the orchestra plays without a conductor. Its rich repertoire includes works from all style periods – from baroque to contemporary production. The Suk Chamber Orchestra has recorded more than 30 CDs in the Czech Republic and many others for foreign recording companies. The last album, released in 2014, is a CD with a selection of the orchestra’s recordings from the last few years titled “Sukův komorní orchestr live” (“Suk Chamber Orchestra Live”). In 2017 the Suk Chamber Orchestra was nominated for the Classic Prague Award in the orchestral performance category for its interpretation of Zdeněk Lukáš’s Double concerto for violin, contrabass and string orchestra.