Bratislava City Choir 

The Bratislava Chamber Choir was formed in 1971 from former members of various university choirs. Eight years later it took the name of the Bratislava City Choir, in recognition of its unique position in the cultural life of the Slovakian capital, with its long musical traditions. The choir has enjoyed the services of conductors of great distinction during the twenty years it has been in existence and since 1977 has been under the direction of Ladislav Holasek, the chorus master of the Slovak National Opera. The choir has a busy schedule at home, performing regularly at the annual Bratislava Music Festival and with the major orchestras of Slovakia. Abroad the choir has taken part in a number of international competitions throughout Europe, from Llangollen to Greece, winning many awards.

Capella Istropolitana 

The Capella Istropolitana was founded in 1983 by members of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, at first as a chamber orchestra and then as an orchestra large enough to tackle the standard classical repertoire. Based in Bratislava, its name drawn from the ancient name still preserved in the Academia Istropolitana, the orchestra works in the recording studio and undertakes frequent tours throughout Europe. Recordings by the orchestra on the Naxos label include The Best of Baroque Music, Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, fifteen each of Mozart’s and Haydn’s symphonies as well as works by Handel, Vivaldi and Telemann.

Jaroslav Kr(e)chek 

The Czech conductor and composer Jaroslav Kr(e)chek was born in southern Bohemia in 1939 and studied composition and conducting at the Prague Conservatory .In 1962 he moved to Pilsen as a conductor and radio producer and in 1967 returned to Prague to work as a recording supervisor for Supraphon. In the capital he founded the Chorea Bohemica ensemble and in 1975 the chamber orchestra Musica Bohemica. In Czechoslovakia he is well known for his arrangements of Bohemian folk music, while his electro-acoustic opera Raab was awarded first prize at the International Composer’s Competition in Geneva. He is the artistic leader of Capella Istropolitana.