Moon & Kačo / Brahms

Violinist Boha Moon's Festival Krumlov concert features Brahms' concerto and the premiere of compositions by a Czech composer. Pianist and composer Tomáš Kačo will take on the solo part in the premiere of his work The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart, written for the Prague Philharmonia orchestra.

The music of this evening will connect styles, worlds, and personalities of the contemporary music scene. The evening will open with Johannes Brahms' famous Violin Concerto in D major, which will test the technical and expressive maturity of each performer. This renowned concerto will be performed by South Korean violinist Boha Moon, acclaimed for her brilliant artistry. The second part of the evening will feature the world premiere of Tomáš Kačo's Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart, inspired by the work of Jan Amos Komenský. The work was created in 2022 on a commission from Jiří and Radana Walda as part of the project Art for Freedom and is dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the publication of Jan Amos Komenský’s famous work The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart. Kačo combines classical music with jazz and improvisation and will perform in Krumlov not only as a composer but also as a soloist. His new composition, written especially for violinist Boha Moon and commissioned by the festival, will also be performed. The Prague Philharmonia, conducted by the young and successful conductor Jiří Habart, will lend shape and brilliance to the musical event.

This concert is part of the Second Festival Weekend, which includes three following concerts:

- - - Moon & Kačo / Brahms, 24.7. 19:30, Riding Hall Český Krumlov
    - Gershwin: Porgy a Bess, 25.7. 20:30, Brewery garden Český Krumlov
    - Labyrinth of the World and Paradise of the Heart with Marek Eben, 26.7. 18:00, Church of Corpus Christi and the Grieving Virgin Mary

The festival package includes top-category tickets with a 20% discount and access to special offers from festival partners. Available until the end of 2025 or while supplies last.

Artists

Boha Moon - violin

Tomáš Kačo - piano

Jiří Habart - conductor

Prague Philharmonia

Program

Johannes Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, op. 77

Tomáš Kačo: Composition commissioned by Festival Krumlov for Boha Moon (world premiere)

----intermission----

Tomáš Kačo: Labyrint světa a ráj srdce (The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart) (world premiere)

Jiří Habart

Conductor Jiří Habart is one of the most talented members of the young Czech generation. In 2023, he won 5th place and three special prizes at the Zoltán Kodály Conducting Competition in Debrecen and became a finalist in the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition in London. He is also a recipient of the Bayreuther Festspiele 2014 scholarship. From 2019 to 2025, he served as conductor of the opera ensemble of the Moravian-Silesian National Theatre. He studied violin and then conducting at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts under Jakub Klecker and Tomáš Hanus; he also took courses with T. Netopil and Z. Nagy. He has collaborated with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie, Sinfonia Varsovia, Slovak Philharmonic, and Janáček Philharmonic. He made his debut at the Prague Spring, Leoš Janáček, and Allegretto Žilina festivals. In the 2025/2026 season, he will make his debut at the Hungarian State Opera, Welsh National Opera, and Dohnányi Orchestra.

Tomáš Kačo

Tomáš Kačo, pianist, composer, and arranger, is a prominent figure on the music scene. In his solo recitals, he combines improvisation with a fusion of classical music, jazz, and Romani traditions, creating a style described by critics as sui generis. He composes for orchestras, choirs, and film, and is valued for his ability to reinterpret established musical concepts. In 2021, he composed Fantasy Open Air on commission from the Czech Philharmonic. For the launch of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, he composed the orchestral piece Stronger than Yesterday, which was performed at the Rudolfinum and BOZAR in Brussels. In 2023, he received the Silver Medal of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic. After studying at the Janáček Conservatory, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and Berklee College of Music, he now lives in Los Angeles, where he strives to be an inspiration to Romani children. He has released the albums My Home (2018), Live from Prague (2023), and My Songbook (2024), on which he presents his own variations on songs from his childhood.

Boha Moon

Boha Moon has been studying at the Curtis Institute of Music with Ida Kavafian since 2023. She previously studied with Pierre Amoyal, Josef Špaček, Nam-yun Kim, and Anat Malkin Almani. She is a laureate of the Eumak Chunchu, Ewha & Kyunghyang, Singapore Violin Festival, Ishikawa Music Award, Euroasia Competition, and Kocian Competition. She also won 2nd prize at the Leonid Kogan Competition (2020), 5th prize at the Menuhin Competition (2021), 2nd prize at the Zhuhai Mozart Competition (2022), and the highest award at the Sendai Competition 2025. In 2021, she made her debut as a “Young Soloist” in Switzerland, and in 2023, she performed as “Young Artist of the Year” with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Dvořák Hall at the Rudolfinum, Lotte Concert Hall, and Sumida Triphony Hall. In December, she will release her debut album and perform at the Sendai winner’s recital in Tokyo. She plays a Stradivarius “Engleman” violin (1709), on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.

Prague Philharmonia

Prague Philharmonia was founded in 1994 on the initiative of the world-famous conductor Jiří Bělohlávek under the original name of the Prague Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. In the 30 years of its existence, the orchestra has earned recognition throughout the music world thanks to its international tours, but also thanks to its internationally acclaimed albums and recordings. Prague Philharmonia is praised for its unique sound, but also for its repertoire, which is mainly focused on the works of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Jakub Hrůša, Julian Rachlin, Martha Argerich, Jefim Bronfman, András Schiff, Gil Shaham, Isabelle Faust, Emmanuel Pahud, Luciano Pavarotti, Diana Damrau, Plácido Domingo, Gautier Capuçon, Maxim Vengerov, Mischa Maisky, Juan Diego Flórez, Jonas Kaufmann and many others have performed with the orchestra.

The Prague Philharmonia performs with the long-term support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.