“No matter how small a nation may be, it will not die if it has its art. An artist must love his homeland.” These words of Antonín Dvořák, the distinguished pioneer of the Czech National Symphony, became a guiding principle for his life and work. The composer’s spirited Slavonic Dances, chamber music, symphonies and other works are packed with elements of Czech folklore. In his Seventh symphony out of nine, the composer remained faithful to his words. Musicologist Adeodatas Tauragis wrote: “This symphony is not only of large scope, but its music is also characterised by strong emotions, a pathetic narrative tone, and more often than not, simply Beethovenian drama: sometimes it is called the Tragic Symphony, sometimes the Great Symphony. The work does not have a specific program, but its musical images are not abstract: there is a connection with Dvořák’s previously composed Hussite Overture, and several of the Symphony’s themes coincide with those of the overture, which makes it possible to grasp the Symphony’s images more clearly. Here the composer speaks of his homeland’s past, its dramatic struggle, interweaving it with his own experiences and musical soundscapes.”

The Czech music patriarch’s symphonic score is performed by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Keri-Lynn Wilson, a Canadian conductor and founder of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra. She has conducted in opera houses around the world.