Within the Chamber Series and Dvořák Collection, the members of the Sedláček Quartet will introduce themselves as discoverers of neglected or forgotten treasures. While it might seem that in the works of Antonín Dvořák there is little left to discover, the String Quartet No. 6 in A Minor proves the contrary. In it, the composer attempted to create a monolithic work built upon a single idée fixe, but he later revised the quartet, dividing it into four movements. Eventually he destroyed some parts of the score, and the work was not premiered until 1990, in the form reconstructed by the Dvořák specialist Jarmil Burghauser. In the context of Dvořák’s quartets, the work is a noteworthy curiosity, and essential for a complete Dvořák Collection, while also keeping with the artistic profile of the Sedláček Quartet. The ensemble’s concert will also remind us that the famous Czech conductor Rafael Kubelík was also a composer. Their programme will begin with his String Quartet No. 6. Thereafter, the Sedláček Quartet will give the world premiere of the String Quartet No. 4 by Martin Wiesner.

The origins of the Sedlacek Quartet date back to 2007, at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (AMU), following the tradition of the original Sedlacek Quartet in Pilsen (1974–1994), as a family musical ensemble. They continued to develop under the tutelage of many reputable music teachers, such as Jiří Panocha, during their chamber music studies at the AMU. Later, they also took several masterclasses led by members of several renowned string quartets, such as the Keller Quartet, the Artis Quartet Wien, the Tel Aviv Quartet, and the Alban Berg Quartet.

The Sedlacek Quartet has appeared at renowned festivals both in the Czech Republic and abroad, including the isa – International Summer Academy, the International Music Festival Young Prague, the Ludwig von Beethoven Festival Teplice, the Pablo Casals Festival in Prades, and others. The ensemble is the winner of the Czech Chamber Music Society Award (2016), and also won prizes in the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition in Katowice and the Bohuslav Martinů Music Competition in Prague, both in 2014. They later claimed 3rd prize in the Leoš Janáček and Johannes Brahms International Music Competition.

However, the hallmark of the Sedlacek Quartet is their focus on music which is not a part of any standard chamber music repertoire. This especially includes Czech works (along with other international composers) that were either never published, or rarely performed, so in this way the ensemble makes many unknown compositions come to life. They have already made recordings of K. Slavický, S. Hořínka, B. Martinů, and J. Teml with the support of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation. With oboist Lukáš Pavlíček, they have also recorded music by F. A. Míča, W. A. Mozart, and A. Dvořák. In 2017, they recorded the complete string quartet works by V. J. Veit (1806-1864). In 2019, they followed with a CD of three of Rafael Kubelík’s (1914-1996) string quartets, which they self-published. Their most recent impressive recording project was the completion of all the string quartets by K. B. Jirák (1891-1972), this time for Czech Radio.

From 2022 to 2024, the ensemble is taking part in the performing of Antonín Dvořák's complete string quartets at the Dvořák Prague Festival.

source: Sedlacek Quartet

The Convent of St. Agnes in the 'Na Františku' neighbourhood of Prague's Old Town is considered the first Gothic structure not only in Prague but in all of Bohemia. It was founded by King Wenceslas I in 1233–34 at the instigation of his sister, the Přemyslid princess Agnes of Bohemia, for the Order of Saint Clare which Agnes introduced into Bohemia and of which she was the first abbess. The convent was preceded by a hospital. The 'Poor Clares' originated as an offshoot of the Order of St. Francis of Assisi, and the convent was at one time known as the Prague Assisi. Agnes was an outstanding figure in religious life of the thirteenth century. Besides this Clarist convent she also founded the only Czech religious order – the Hospital Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star. She was canonized in 1989.