©Photo: Ilona Sochorová

©Photo: Petra Hajska

©Photo: Ilona Sochorová

©Photo: Petra Hajska

Jiří Rožeň

Conductor

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“Still, the real star of the evening was in the pit…Jiří Rožeň is a major emerging talent who was born in Prague but has spent most of his career abroad, conducting orchestras throughout Europe and developing a particular expertise in modern opera.”
Bachtrack, June 2022

Artistic Curator: Opera Nova, National Theatre Prague

Jiří Rožeň is quickly becoming known for his thoughtful programming and knowledge of a broad range of repertoire. As passionate and knowledgeable advocate of Czech music, he is expanding audiences with his unique interpretations of well-known works and those of lesser-known contemporary composers, including Bohuslav Martinů, Josef Suk, Viktor Kalabis and Miloslav Kabeláč.

In the 2023/24 season Rožeň makes his house debut with Bergen National Opera for a new production of Janáček’s Katya Kabanova and returns to Gothenburg Opera for a gala concert on the occasion of the bicentenary of Smetana’s birth which follows the success of Bartered Bride there last season. Elsewhere, in the Nordics he returns to Finland to make his orchestral debut with Jyväskylä Sinfonia. Early next year he will conduct Scottish Chamber Orchestra in New Year’s concerts with and will make returns to the Slovak Philharmonic, Filharmonie Hradec Králové and Slovak Sinfonietta.

Rožeň continues to develop his relationship with Prague State Opera where he returns this season to conduct the Czech premiere of Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre and to curate the Opera Nova festival, of which he is Artistic Director, further cementing his reputation as one of the leading conductors of avant-garde opera. For the house in previous seasons, he has conducted Flammen, Seven Deadly Sins, Erwartung and Rusalka and in summer 2022, he premiered Nono’s Prometeo in the Czech Republic, continuing his close working relationship with the Ostrava Centre for New Music.

Martinů: Symphony No.6 ‘Fantasies Symphoniques © Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall

Last season he made important debuts with orchestras in North America joining Seattle Symphony, Utah Symphony and Naples Philharmonic. Elsewhere, highlights in previous seasons have included successful debuts with Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharomnic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Aalborg Symphony, Hallé, Orchestre National de Metz MDR Leipzig, Bochumer Symphoniker and Orquesta Sinfónica de las Islas Baleares. In Belgium, he has conducted many of the major orchestras, including Orchestre national de Belgique, Brussels Philharmonic, Flanders and Antwerp Symphony orchestras as well as Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège.

Soloist collaborations in previous seasons have included renowned soloists such as Nobuyuki Tsuji, Randall Goosby, Alban Gerhardt, Lukáš Vondráček, Esther Yoo, Kian Soltani, Josef Špaček, Francesca Dego, Arabella Steinbacher, Jan Mráček, Pavel Šporcl, Kirill Gerstein, Vadim Gluzman and Lawrence Brownlee.

Born in Prague in 1991, Rožeň studied conducting at conservatoires and universities in Prague, Salzburg, Hamburg, Zürich and Glasgow where he was Leverhulme Conducting Fellow. He was successful in Salzburg and London as the Finalist of both the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award and the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition. Formerly Assistant Conductor at the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Jiří worked alongside Donald Runnicles and Thomas Dausgaard and assisted them at the BBC Proms and the Edinburgh International Festival. His mentors have included Garry Walker, Dennis Russell Davies, Ulrich Windfuhr and Johannes Schlaefli. Other important influences include Bernard Haitink, David Zinman and Peter Eötvös in masterclasses with orchestras such as the Concertgebouworkest, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.

HarrisonParrott represents Jiří Rožeň for worldwide general management.

Gallery

Jiří Rožeň Petra Hajská / Czech Philharmonic

Dvořák: Overture for Carnival © Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall

Rachmaninov: Concerto for Piano No.2 ft.Nobuyuki Tsujii © Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall

Wilhelm Stenhammar: Excelsior!, op. 13. © Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra

Jiří Rožeň conducts Viktor Kalabis's Concerto for Harpsichord and String Orchestra © Koncerty Českého rozhlasu

Jiří Rožeň: Dvořák- Othello Overture, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra © Česká televize

“Throughout, Rožeň — a rare left-handed conductor — led the orchestra in warm, thoughtfully shaped support. While he generally favored a big and bold sound, he also brought out the work’s lyricism, especially in the slow movement. His transition from the first to the second movement was particularly magical.”

Utah Arts Review, March 2023

“Rožeň is a fantastically energetic and passionate conductor whose relationship with the orchestra and the repertoire makes it clear that the program is very special to him.”

Front Row Reviewers, March 2023

‘Prague born Rožeň prospered conducting the Hallé in a sterling performance of Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, energised with this work by a fellow Czech…Under Rožeň the players excelled, with successful emphasis on the striking contrasts of this glorious score, evoking dark depths of anguish to unwavering rebelliousness to warm and brightly lit pastoral landscapes.’

(Michael Cookson, Seen and Heard, March 2022)

“Still, the real star of the evening was in the pit. Just 30, Jiří Rožeň is a major emerging talent who was born in Prague but has spent most of his career abroad, conducting orchestras throughout Europe and developing a particular expertise in modern opera. He drove Todsünden with expert pacing, smart support for the singers and dance rhythms that crackled with energy. Erwartung was even better. Working with an orchestra and instrumentation reduced by pandemic restrictions, Rožeň spun out a sophisticated atonal score, striking in its clarity and precision.”

(4*, Frank Kuznik, Bachtrack, November 2021)

“Yesterday’s concert provided further evidence that his superlative reviews [….] are totally justified. Rožeň has energy, a pleasant youthful aura, and a very clear and logical vision for interpretation. Thanks to this, the concert was nothing short of magical.”

Opera Plus, February 2018

“A spark of mutual admiration and respect [with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra] was obvious!”

(Opera Plus, November 2017)

“One should also highlight the great shape of the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra who delivered one of their best ever performances under Jiří Rožeň.”

(Opera Plus, May 2017)

“This was an example of how a debut [at Prague Spring Festival] should be done. The concert culminated with the Symphony No.4 by Kabeláč executed with absolute assurance”

(Harmonie, May 2016)

“Rising star of conducting dealt with the challenging task [Prague Spring Festival Debut] professionally and with joy.”

(Opera Plus, May 2016)