THE PHILHARMONIA OCTET

The PhilHarmonia Octet was founded by two brilliant, internationally acclaimed Czech musicians – the oboist Vilém Veverka and the bassoonist Václav Vonášek. They aimed to form an ensemble made up of the finest contemporary Czech instrumentalists that would duly blend the domestic performance tradition with modern European styles and trends. The octet’s players are outstanding soloists, laureates of prestigious international competitions and members of globally renowned orchestras, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, WDR Köln, Czech Philharmonic, etc.

To mark its 10th anniversary, the PhilHarmonia Octet has made a new album (SU 4214–2), presenting three different facets of the wind octet across two centuries. We talked to Vilém Veverka and Václav Vonášek.

How would you assess the ensemble’s decade-long existence?
Václav Vonášek: Given that the members have been engaged in various orchestras and pursued numerous other solo and chamber activities, I deem it a success that since its establishment the ensemble’s line-up has virtually remained the same.
Vilém Veverka: I agree with Václav. It is not simple to keep together eight individualities, whereby most of us also have devoted to solo projects. Ten years ago, we were young and restless (which we still are today), possessing romantic ideals (which have been slowly dwindling). I think it is good that the only difficulty we have to overcome is choosing a concert that would mean for us more than other performances. In my opinion, we have succeeded in carrying into effect our primary intention – to elevate the wind octet to the level of the traditional chamber ensembles, string quartets, and to show the audience that it is feasible.

How will you be celebrating your anniversary?
Václav Vonášek: I’d be hard pressed indeed to imagine a better anniversary present than the release of our CD, which we have recorded for Supraphon.

How did you select the repertoire for your new album?
Václav Vonášek: Mozart’s Serenades, of which we have chosen the darker, weightier one, in C minor, constitute the basis of the repertoire of every similarly focused ensemble, so we have had to reach for them. Beethoven’s Octet is an early work, yet many of its passages already reveal the composer’s genius and sense for wind instrumentation, with the compact sound coming across as almost symphonic. And Klein’s Diver­timento, notwithstanding the clouds gathering above him when he was writing it, is a witty and highly diversified piece. It is simply the kind of music that precludes boring the performers or the listeners for a single moment.
Vilém Veverka: The album should be attractive not only for connoisseurs but also for those who may not have previously encountered the power of the wind octet.

PhilHarmonia Octet, Prague
The PhilHarmonia Octet was formed in 2007 by Vilém Veverka and Václav Vonášek with the aim of getting together the best Czech instrumentalists of their generation (who in many respects had influenced each other back during their studies at the Academy of Performing Arts) and correlate the domestic performance tradition with modern European styles and trends. Their objective is to enrich the Czech musical scene, extend the current repertoire, and elevate the performance standard. The PhilHarmonia Octet is made up of superlative musicians, laureates of major international competitions, graduates of prestigious foreign schools, and members of renowned Czech and international orchestras. All of them have pursued careers as soloists. The title combines two words: “philharmonic”, from the Greek, meaning “love of harmony”; and “Harmonie”, a German word designating an ensemble of wind instruments, particularly during the Classical era. The PhilHarmonia Octet repertoire encompasses music of various epochs and styles, ranging from the second half of the 18th century to the beginning of the third millennium. The ensemble is much sought after in the Czech Republic, and has also gained international recognition.

PhilHarmonia Octet are:
VILÉM VEVERKA and MONIKA BOUŠKOVÁ oboes; IRVIN VENYŠ and KAREL DOHNAL clarinets; ONDŘEJ BRABEC and PŘEMYSL VOJTA horns; VÁCLAV VONÁŠEK and MARTIN PETRÁK bassoons

For further details please visit:
www.bohemianartists.cz