Semyon Bicskov and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra

The Russian-born conductor Semyon Bichkov, who has led the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra for five years, has a wide repertoire spanning four centuries, is equally at home in the world of opera and symphonic literature, and holds an honorary doctorate from the Royal Academy of Music. The Prague ensemble's Bartók Spring concert will feature two of the 20th century's defining dance compositions.

The evening's soloist, Korean-born, Berlin-based pianist Seong-Jin Cho, burst onto the international music scene in 2015 when he won first prize at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw and soon signed an exclusive contract with Germany's leading record label. His philosophical and poetic, confident and tender, dynamic and precise playing has been praised by critics for its natural sense of balance, and in recent years he has been a partner of some of the most famous orchestras and conductors. The world-renowned organist and composer Thierry Escaich, who is also well known in Hungary, will perform his piano piece in Prague two weeks before the concert in Budapest.