Fundraising dinner in support of Jiří Bělohlávek’s legacy raised CZK 630,000

25 February, 2026

Večeře se uskutečnila 23. února v prostorách Buddha-Bar Prague v předvečer nedožitých narozenin Jiřího Bělohlávka – významné osobnosti české hudební scény, jejíž odkaz je neoddělitelně spojen s Českou filharmonií a podporou mladých hudebních talentů.

The dinner was hosted on 23 February at the Buddha-Bar Prague on the eve of the anniversary of Jiří Bělohlávek’s birthday. The legacy of this prominent figure of the Czech music scene has been inextricably linked to the Czech Philharmonic and support of young musical talents.

The evening included not only an exceptional gastronomic experience, but also a performance by two leading Czech instrumentalists of the young generation and grant recipients from the Jiří Bělohlávek Donor-Advised Fund: cellist Vilém Vlček, winner of the Jiří Bělohlávek Prize, and violinist Milan Al‑Ashab. The event became also an opportunity to meet other donors and classical music enthusiasts.

The generosity of present guests helped raise CZK 330,000. The Czech Philharmonic Foundation matched the donation with another CZK 300,000. The Fund thus raised CZK 630,000 in total, to be used in support of the emerging generation of exceptionally talented musicians and projects aimed at young performers.

Projects supported from the Jiří Bělohlávek Donor-Advised Fund in 2025 include, among others, the recordings of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s transcriptions for piano performed by Marek Kozák, and of the complete works for cello and piano by Bohuslav Martinů performed by Vilém Vlček, which won the prestigious Gramophone Recording of the Month award (listen to a teaser here: https://youtu.be/o90-dGyGZsQ).

More support went also to further education and professional growth of young talents. Jan Sedláček thus could take part in masterclasses with conductor Leonid Grin, while another contribution helped two young musicians pursue their master studies: Karolína Žáková at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon and Michael Foršt at the Hochschule Lucerne. The Fund also engaged in bringing a reconstructed violin concerto by Váša Příhoda to stage, and supported interpretation courses in Litomyšl, attended by more than 160 young musicians.

Thank you for helping us develop the talents of the next generation of musicians.