Search - Smetana, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, Mund :: Ma Vlast

Bed?ich Smetana (1824-1884) was the first composer to create a Czech form of classical music. His symphonic cycle Mà Vlast (My Fatherland) is considered a monument to the composer's homeland unequalled in music history. In the seclusion forced upon him by deafness and financial difficulties, Smetana created a splendid apotheosis of his native country. The six pieces are based on short programmatic descriptions of nature, folk art, history, and the myths of the Czech people. The most famous is the second tone poem, Vltava, better known under its German title of Die Moldau.Following his graduation from the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz in 1961, Uwe Mund was immediately engaged as conductor of the Vienna Boy's Choir. Two years later, Herbert von Karajan chose him to be solo voice coach at the Vienna State Opera. In 1998 he took over as chief conductor of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra (KSO) in Japan. The Kyoto Symphony Orchestra (KSO) was founded in 1956 as a municipal orchestra under the direct management of the Kyoto city government. It is the fourth oldest orchestra, and the only one managed by a public authority in Japan. Today, the KSO is on of the most admired orchestras in Japan.