Jakub Hrůša in conversation with Matthew Hunter (19 min.)

One year after his successful debut, conductor Jakub Hrůša returned to the Berliner Philharmoniker in December 2019. At the time of his debut, Hrůša’s programme exclusively featured works from his Czech homeland. However, on this occasion, he also included compositions from the French and Hungarian repertoire. In addition, the Philharmoniker performed Miloslav Kabeláč’s passacaglia Mysterium času (Mystery of Time) for the first time. In this interval feature with violist and orchestra member Matthew Hunter, the conductor explains why he chose this impressive meditation on the essence of musical time. Moreover, Hrůša tells how he reconciles his duties as chief conductor of the Bamberger Symphoniker with his activities as a guest conductor all over the world, and what role Czech music plays in his wide-ranging repertoire.