Tenor Petr Nekoranec in Recital

The gala concert was the opening event of the Year of Czech Music abroad. It featured songs by Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček and Bohuslav Martinů, offering a special performance of Janáček's extraordinary cycle “The Diary of One Who Disappeared.” Introductory remarks by Michael Beckerman.

Who Gets to be Called Czech?

Czech music is extraordinarily rich and varied, many would agree. But who actually gets to be called Czech? Professor Michael Beckerman hosted a panel discussion about how to conceive of questions of Czech nationality/ethnicity in music from the early Renaissance to the 20th century. Invited panelists included scholars and musicians Erika Supria Honisch, David Hoose, and Carl C. Bettendorf.

Moravian Heartache & Microtones: Music of Janáček, Hába, and Bettendorf

From DAHA’s archive: Composer Carl Bettendorf and the Momenta Quartet presented a virtual program of string quartets focusing on two great Czech modernists, Leoš Janáček and Alois Hába, plus a contemporary work by Bettendorf. Microtonal music and Moravian musical heritage were parallel themes in the pathbreaking concert.

Original performance: February 28th, 2019. Momenta Quartet: Emilie-Anne Gendron & Alex Shiozaki, violins; Stephanie Griffin, viola; Michael Haas, cello. Composer: Carl C. Bettendorf

Watch the recording of this event on our YouTube Channel!

Would Antonín Dvořák Have Wanted the Music of African American Composers Programmed Instead of the “New World” Symphony?

On January 18th, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, DAHA presented a virtual panel discussion with Marcus Pyle, NYU/Davidson University, Douglas Shadle, Vanderbilt University, and Michael Beckerman, New York University. This broad exploration of musical and cultural issues raised pressing contemporary questions.

Czech Holiday Party

DAHA’s virtual holiday program, introduced by Professor Michael Beckerman of NYU, included two popular events from DAHA’s archive. Viewers first enjoyed a film about the American premiere of Georgius Zrunek's tri-lingual Christmas Mass of 1766 featuring the Czech early music group Ritornello and NYU collegiate choristers as they prepared the delightful Zrunek work for concert in 2010.