František Macek - NOSPR

After having studied organ at the Conservatory in Kroměříž (Czech Republic), Frantisek Macek went on studying conducting both at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Music (KMH) in Stockholm.

He fine-tuned his conducting technique and musical understanding during masterclasses with maestros Daniele Gatti, David Zinman, Bernard Haitink and Yuri Simonov. This led him to conduct orchestras such as Orchestra Giovanile Italiana, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Lucerne Festival Strings and Moscow Philharmonic. He was a Fellow at the 2016 Aspen Conducting Academy where he studied with Robert Spano and Patrick Summers.

In addition to the orchestras cited above, Frantisek Macek has been working with numerous orchestras, including among others: Norrköping Symfoniorkester, Aspen Festival Orchestra, PKF-Prague Philharmonia, Nederlands Symfonieorkest, Orchestre national de Lille, Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie, Gävle Symfoniorkester, NorrlandsOperans Symfoniorkester, Västarås Sinfonietta, Dalasinfoniettan, George Enescu Philharmonic, Savaria Symphony Orchestra, Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra, Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, North Czech Philharmonic, Pilsen Philharmonic, North Bohemia Theatre Orchestra, Academic Chamber Orchestra of Prague, and KMH Sinfonietta.

A strong advocate of modern music, Frantisek Macek studied with conducting composers B Tommy Andersson and Péter Eötvös. Together with contemporary music ensembles Norrbotten NEO and KammarensembleN-KeN, he premiered a number of new compositions. With regards to contemporary opera, he conducted the first performance of Stalo se Slovo by Fila in Prague and Aquilegia by Lindsten, which was premiered in Stockholm at the ljudOljud festival in April 2017. 

Finally, Frantisek Macek has developed a deep interest and outstanding knowledge of opera. In 2016, he cooperated with NorrlandsOperan Umeå conducting the new production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. In spring 2017, he conducted Mozart’s Così fan tutte in Stockholm and in autumn made his debut with Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide in the Antonín Dvořák National Theatre. Beforehand, he collaborated with the North Bohemia Theatre where he led Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. Other opera performances include Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Far Musica, and Die Entführung aus dem Serail from Mozart in Aspen Wheeler Opera.

In 2018, Frantisek Macek debuted with the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK. He will assist to Tomáš Netopil for a production of Janáček’s Jenůfa at the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.