Orchestr Národního divadla

The National Theater Orchestra is the oldest orchestra in the Czech Republic. Its roots go back to the period of the Provisional Theater (1862-1883), when Karel Komzák's band became the orchestra of the Provisional Theater (Royal State Czech Theater in Prague) in 1865. The formation of the orchestra was influenced by the first band members Jan Nepomuk Mayr, followed by Bedřich Smetana and Adolf Čech. The world-famous composer Antonín Dvořák also worked as a violist in the orchestra of the Provisional Theater, and the harpist was Karel Kovařovic, composer and director of the National Theater Opera in the years 1900–1920. Due to the needs of the larger building of the National Theatre, which was finally opened on November 18, 1883, the orchestra was expanded by the then director of the National Theater František Adolf Šubert to include additional players. Prominent personalities at the head of the orchestra were the chiefs of the opera and conductors Karel Kavařovic, Otakar Ostrčil, Václav Talich, Jaroslav Vogel, Otakar Jeremiaš, Zdeněk Chalabala, Jaroslav Krombholc, František Vajnar and Zdeněk Košler. Richard Strauss, Karl Böhm, Charles Mackerras, Bohumil Gregor, Jiří Kout, Jiří Bělohlávek, John Fiore, Tomáš Hanus, Tomáš Netopil and Jakub Hrůša from the youngest generation of Czech conductors also collaborated with the orchestra.