Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK

Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK is the official orchestra of the City of Prague. It was founded in 1934. The acronym FOK symbolizes the original focus of the orchestra (Film - Opera - Concert). The orchestra recorded music for most Czech films of the 1930s. Among the first were Heroic Captain Corkoran, Girl in Blue, Hey Rup !, The World belongs to us, School of Life, Three Eggs in Glass, Christian…

The orchestra resides and performs in the attractive area of ​​the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House, which is one of the most famous Art Nouveau buildings in Prague. Every season, the orchestra plays in Prague fifty concerts and goes abroad to guest. FOK also offers chamber concerts in the Church of Sts. Simon and Jude, piano recitals in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum, a series of chamber concerts Paintings and Music in the Convent of St. Agnes or Word and Music in the Viola Theater.

Within a very short time Dr. Smetáček managed to build the orchestra into a large symphonic ensemble, challenging the standards of its strong domestic competition. In 1942 he became the orchestra’s chief conductor and he stood as its head for a full thirty years. During the period of his leadership the orchestra achieved a high performance standard and international renown.

In 1952, the City of Prague granted the FOK Orchestra status as the representative orchestra of the city. The traditional acronym “FOK” was retained, and the new title of the orchestra became Symphony Orchestra of the Capital City of Prague – FOK. In 1957 the orchestra departed on its first foreign tour – to Poland, Italy, Austria, and Germany – and thus inaugurated its regular and intensive engagement on the international scene.

After Smetáček’s departure from the post of chief conductor, artistic leadership was taken over in succession by Ladislav Slovák (1972–1976), Jindřich Rohan (1976–1977), and then Jiří Bělohlávek (1977–1989), whose work marked an important stage from the standpoint of the ensemble’s intensive artistic development. After Bělohlávek came Petr Altrichter (1990–1992), Martin Turnovský (1992–1995), and Gaetano Delogu (1995–1998). Other important Czech conductors who have worked with the orchestra for an extensive time include Václav Neumann, Zdeněk Košler, and Vladimír Válek. From March 2001 to the end of the 2005/2006 concert season, the Chief Conductor and Music Director of the orchestra was Serge Baudo. Since the 2006/2007 concert season, Jiří Kout has held the the position of Chief Conductor, whilst Serge Baudo is the honorary Conductor. In 2015/2016–2019/2020 Pietari Inkinen was Chief Conductor. Tomáš Brauner assumed the role of Chief Conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra in September 2020.

Over the course of the orchestra’s history many of the world´s most important conductors have appeared with the FOK as guest conductors, as well as a wide range of soloists. The orchestra has performed in nearly every country in Europe, repeatedly in Japan and the USA, and has also visited South America, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Korea, Turkey, Israel and Oman.

Another testimony to the orchestra’s work is its extensive catalogue of phonograph, radio, and television recordings including both Czech and worldwide repertoire. Most of the commercial recordings have been made for the Supraphon label, but the orchestra’s name also appears on recordings for BMG, Conifer, Philips, Erato, Universal, Harmonia Mundi (Praga), Victor, Koch International, Panton and Music Vars.

The founder of the Prague Symphony Orchestra is the capital city of Prague.

Tomáš Brauner - chief conductor

Chief Conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra from 2020/2021

From 2013–2018 he was Chief Conductor of the Plzeň Philharmonic, and since 2014 he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra in Prague. From 2018 he has been Chief Conductor of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic.

Vstupenky na oblíbené koncerty orchestru FOK v Rudolfínu, Obecním domě... 

Využijte možnosti zakoupit si vstupenky na akce Symf. orchestr hl. m. Prahy FOK online na portálu Colosseumticket a nenechte si tak ujít ta nejlepší místa v sálu. Program koncertů FOKu si můžete filtrovat také podle konkrétních míst a sálů - Smetanově síni v Obecním domě, Kostel sv. Šimona a Judy, Anežský klášter - Sv. František a Rudolfinum - Dvořákova síň, Divadlo Viola.