Concert by students of the MenArt Scholarship Academy

Radek Baborák, chief conductor of the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, is one of the most prominent personalities on the world music scene. In more than 35 years of international performances as a solo horn player and conductor, he has earned an exceptional reputation with the most important orchestras and festivals. With his extensive experience as a horn player, Baborák brings a unique perspective and expertise to his conducting career. His conducting style is known for its precision, musicality and deep understanding of the pieces he performs. He is able to interpret and convey the emotions and nuances of the music, creating captivating and memorable concert experiences that are appreciated by critics and music-loving audiences alike. His repertoire ranges from works by the masters of Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th century music to works by living composers whose works he has premiered.

As a soloist he has appeared with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics and many other top orchestras under conductors such as James Lewine, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Roger Norrington, Jiří Bělohlávek, Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Barenboim and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

In 2011 he expanded his musical career to include conducting. His mentor is Maestro Seiji Ozawa, whom he assists with the Mito Chamber Orchestra, which he regularly conducts.
He founded and artistically directs the Czech Sinfonietta Orchestra, which performs at renowned festivals in the Czech Republic such as Prague Spring, Dvořák’s Prague, Smetana Litomyšl and others. He has achieved extraordinary success at these festivals, accompanying soloists such as Marta Argerich, Jefim Bronfmann, Sergej Nakarjakov, Ricardo Galliano and Guy Braunstein.
As a conductor he has worked with the Mozarteum Salzburg, the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Thuringian Philharmonic, the Tokyo Philharmonic, the New Japan Symphony Orchestra, the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, the SOČR, the FOK, the Prague Philharmonic and others.

Since 2016 he has been the artistic director of the Prague Chamber Soloists.
He is intensively involved in chamber music, especially with the Baborak Ensemble, which is regularly invited to Mozartwoche Salzburg, Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin and on tour in Europe and Japan. For his ensemble he creates unique versions of works by composers such as J.S. Bach and Astor Piazzolla.

His musical partners in the more than 100 music festivals he has participated in include legends such as Daniel Barenboim, Marta Argerich, Heinrich Schif, Janine Jansen, Francoise Leleux, Emanuel Pahud, Ian Bostridge, Julian Rachlin and others.
As a solo horn player he has performed with the Czech Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic.
He is a laureate of the most prestigious competitions in Geneva, Markneukirchen and ARD Munich.
He has dozens of award-winning recordings for EMI, Sony Classic, Suprafon, Octavia Records, Animal Music and Hänsler Classic.

As an associate professor he has taught at the Fondazione Arturo Toscanini in Bologna, Escuela Reina Sophia in Madrid, Hamu Prague and TOHO University in Tokyo. He is currently a visiting professor at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin and a mentor at the MenArt Education Academy.
During the pandemic he initiated fundraisers for independent artists and subsequently supported Ukrainian musicians. Hundreds of colleagues supported these activities.

Radek Baborák is a guest conductor of the Yamagata Symphony Orchestra, a permanent soloist of the Brandenburg State Orchestra and in 2024 will make his conducting debut with the Slovak Philharmonic Bratislava, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra in London and the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Lviv.

MenART is an annual scholarship program for children and students gifted in the arts and their teachers. It enables them to work closely with mentors – prominent personalities of the Czech art scene – for one school year. MenART is implemented in the fields of music (classical and non-genre restricted sections), art, literature and drama and dance.

The programme is accredited by the Ministry of Education in the DVPP system.

MenART was created to help students passionate about the arts who want to explore their field in more depth, or are considering pursuing it professionally, and their teachers along the way.