Liverpool Philharmonic conductor Libor Pešek dies at 89

PRAGUE (AP) — Libor Pešek, a Czech classical music conductor best-known for main the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for a decade, has died. He was 89.

Pešek died on Sunday, mentioned Jan Hasenöhrl, the director of the Czech Nationwide Symphony Orchestra the place Pešek was a chief conductor until 2019.

Pešek labored with a number of orchestras at dwelling and overseas. He was an awesome supporter of music from Czech composers, above all Josef Dvořák’s pupil and son-in-law Josef Suk. His recordings and live shows with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic contributed to creating Suk’s music identified worldwide.

“It occurred primarily as a result of the time was proper for presenting unknown items in Britain, even Czech items, and in addition it was nonetheless a proper time to make some recordings,” he as soon as mentioned in an interview for Czech public radio.

Pešek was principal conductor in Liverpool in 1987–97, changing into conductor laureate thereafter. Underneath his cost, the northern English orchstra was dubbed “the very best Czech Orchestra this facet of Prague.”

He was made Knight Commander of the British Empire throughout Queen Elizabeth II’s go to to Prague in 1996.

Born June 22, 1933, in Prague, Pešek studied conducting, piano, cello and trombone at Prague’s Academy of Music and Arts earlier than embarking on a global conducting profession that lasted greater than 50 years.

He led a number of orchestras within the Netherlands in the course of the Seventies and headed the Slovak Philharmonic and was conductor in residence of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra within the Nineteen Eighties. Later he was principal visitor conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra.