about besharmonie

Less slanted talking now also for adults

The present students’ choir originated under the name BESHARMONIE in the autumn of 2000 by Jaroslav Heyrovský Grammar School. It is comprised of about 50 singers, most of which are current or former students of J. Heyrovský Grammar School or the G. S. Nad Kavalírkou, a school which the choir represents and whose building it uses for weekly rehearsals. The choir performs in concerts several dozen times a year and it meets for at least three week-end and one seven-day intensive rehearsing, which takes place during the summer holidays.

Besharmonie has experienced and gained a lot in its short existence. It regularly cooperates with foreign choirs from Germany and Switzerland and with Czech student and professional orchestras. In the years 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2013 the choir earned a Gold Award at the nationwide show of high school choirs, GYMNASIA CANTANT. In 2001 it was given a prize at the International Choir Festival of Musical Romanticism in Vlachovo Březí, in 2005 the same contest brought a JUNIOR Award for the best students’ choir and the conductor also received a prize for exemplary leadership and work with the choir. In 2006, the choir even became the absolute winner of the festival!
In the years 2006 and 2007, Besharmonie was given Silver Awards at the international contest YOUNG PRAGUE. It also won a Silver Award the following year at CANTI VERIS, an international festival focused on contemporary music.

The choir’s repertoire is immensely varied – ranging from 16^th century renaissance music, spirituals, folk songs from all over the world, to modern “classical” music of the end of the 20^th century and popular music. The choirmaster and conductor has always been Libor Sládek, teacher of music at Grammar School Nad Kavalírkou. The choir’s “deputy conductor” is Vítek Náměstek.

Besharmonie has recorded 3 CDs so far, the last of which, Na cestě, was released in spring 2009.

The choir goes on tour nearly every year (Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, England, Spain) and cooperates with other students’ choirs and orchestras from both Bohemia and Moravia. The spring of 2009 was marked by a very successful concert tour to the USA and in the autumn of 2013 Besharmonie visited France and Switzerland again.