Radek Baborák ranks among the most outstanding figures on the international music scene. He performs as a soloist with leading world orchestras and collaborates with top conductors and musicians. As a guest he regularly appears at prestigious festivals and his concerts have been recorded and broadcast by numerous radio and television stations. His vast discography includes prized recordings released by leading publishers of classical music. Expert critics and listeners appreciate his elegant and spontaneous style, his melodious tone, and his virtuoso technique, which allows him to overcome the limits of the horn, and broaden and enrich the horn repertory. He is the only performer who regularly appears in recitals with piano, harp, organ, orchestra and string quartet.

As a soloist he has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Daniel Barenboim and Simon Rattle, and with the Munich Philharmonic under James Levine. He regularly gives concerts with Seiji Ozawa. Chamber music forms an essential part of Baborák"s musical life. He is the artistic leader and conductor of the Czech Sinfonietta, Prague Chamber Soloists, Czech Horn Ensemble, Afflatus Quintet, and Baborák Ensemble. After eight seasons as principal horn with the Berlin Philharmonic, Baborák decided to leave the orchestra in order to focus on a solo career, as well as teaching and conducting.

Born in 1976, he started playing the horn at the age of eight, taught by Prof. Karel Křenek. This was followed by the Prague Conservatoire with Prof. Bedřich Tylšar. He is the winner of competitions in Geneva, Markneukirchen, and the ARD Munich. Baborák teaches at the Academy of Music in Prague. The instrument he is currently playing is "Dietmar DÜRK - D3".

Radek Baborák turned seriously to conducting in 2010. Having spent fifteen years as the principal horn in several orchestras, namely the Berliner Philharmoniker, Munich Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphonic and Czech Philharmonic, he left behind the secure life of an orchestral member and set off on a journey as a horn soloist, chamber music player, teacher and conductor. In a completely natural way he is continuing the tradition of the soloists and conductors who wish to realise their musical dreams and visions not only through an instrument at which they excel but, enriched by their experiences of orchestral and chamber music, focus their talents towards the interpretation of symphonic compositions as conductors. Maestro Daniel Barenboim is an example of such a conductor, and for Baborák a model figure, inspiration and mentor. Baborák"s conducting debut came during a European tour with the Mito Chamber Orchestra (MCO) in 2008, when he was asked by members of the orchestra to step in for the indisposed maestro Seiji Ozawa. Since this initial, pivotal moment, Radek Baborák has conducted a number of orchestras, including the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, State Philharmonic Brno, Prague Philharmonia PKF, the National Theatre Orchestra, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie Koblenz, Hyogo PAC Orchestra, Mito Chamber Orchestra, Gunma Symphony Orchestra, TOHO University Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic. He has collaborated with the prominent soloists: Yefim Bronfman, Saleem Abboud Ashkhar, Marie-Piere Langlamet, Dalibor Karvay, Jana Boušková and Janne Saksala.

As a conductor/soloist he has taken part in the festivals: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Prague Spring and Smetana Litomyšl; in a cycle of concerts in Gasteig in Munich, conducted in the Auditorium Reina Sofia, Prinzregent Theatre Munich and in the Berlin Philharmonie, where he conducted das Sinfonie Orchester Berlin. He is the founder and leader of the Czech Sinfonietta, which is the resident orchestra of the Smetana Litomyšl festival, artistic leader of the Czech Horn Chorus, the Baborák Ensemble and Prague Chamber Soloists.

He just named Principal Guest Conductor of Yamagata Symphony Orchestra beginning in April 2018. Baborák first participated in the PMF in 2013 as a member of PMF EUROPE faculty, and played multiple roles, including conducting ensembles, appearing as soloist with PMF Orchestra and teaching young musicians. This is his second appearance at PMF.

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