This documentary about violin virtuoso Josef Špaček has been in the making for the past two years. It captures not only his appearances at the Rudolfinum concert hall in Prague or the Smetana festival in Litomyšl but also follows him as he tours the United States with a string of concerts, or to Berlin where he performed on the Berlin Philharmonic’s home stage, accompanied by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of world-class conductor Manfred Honeck.
Over the course of two years, the makers of the documentary were able to take a peek behind the scenes of his professional life and explore his private life and family background. We thus encounter Josef Špaček as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher, but also as a doting father. The documentary’s protagonist studied at prestigious U.S. music schools under Ida Kavafian, Jamie Lared, and violin grandmaster Itzhak Perlman.
Following his studies in the United States, Josef Špaček returned to the Czech Republic to become the youngest concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic in the orchestra’s history. He spent nine concert seasons as their first-chair violinist. After nine years with the Czech Philharmonic, Josef Špaček embarked on a soloist’s career, though he still entertains a close artistic relationship with the ensemble. In recent years, he has appeared on concert stages all around the globe.
On the example of Josef Špaček, the documentary explores the thorny issue of what proportions of innate talent, elbow grease, and sheer luck may be needed to go all the way from Modřany, an unremarkable urban district of Prague, to Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and other world metropolises and become an internationally respected authority in one’s field...
After making a reservation on the Golden Prague website, you will receive instructions via email regarding ticket pickup. Admission is free of charge.