PRAGUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA was founded in 1934 by the conductor and organizer of musical events Rudolf Pekárek.
Along with the repertoire of a regular symphony orchestra, the Prague Symphony Orchestra´s pursuits, during the first years of its existence, included the promotion and performance of film and operatic music. That accounts for part of its Czech title, FOK, which stands for the words Film - Opera - Koncert. The Orchestra´s artistic development and interpretative style were influenced and shaped to a large extent by two conductors, each of whom led the Prague Symphony Orchestra for a long period of time. They were Václav Smetáček, Chief Conductor in 1942 - 1972, and Jiří Bělohlávek, Chief Conductor in 1977 - 1989. Besides Smetáček and Bělohlávek, there were also other distinguished conductors bringing their personal stamp to the Prague Symphony Orchestra: Chief Conductors Ladislav Slovák, Petr Altrichter, Martin Turnovský, and Gaetano Delogu, assisted by conductors Václav Neumann, Zdeněk Košler, and Vladimír Válek, who all collaborated with the Orchestra over long periods of time. From the 2006/2007 concert season on, Jiří Kout has been holding the position of Chief Conductor of the Orchestra. Serge Baudo is the Conductor Laureate, Petr Altrichter is Guest Conductor and Libor Pešek is the Principal Guest Conductor. Each season, the Prague Symphony Orchestra undertakes major tours to share its music with audiences around the world, and performs at renowned international music.
