Belfiato Quintet

Belfiato Quintet was founded in 2005. The ensemble studied at the Prague Conservatory in the class of Ondrej Roskovec (Czech Philharmonic, Afflatus Quintet) and subsequently at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Prof. Stepan Koutnik. Belfiato also studied with Prof. Gottfried Pokorny (Universität für Musik und Darstellende Künst Wien).

Members of the Belfiato Quintet play in leading Czech symphonic orchestras, such as the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, PKF-Prague Philharmonia, and Czech National Theatre. They have won prizes in numerous international competitions, among them the ARD Munich, Prague Spring Competition and Concertino Praga.

The ensemble were awarded prizes at international competitions, such as the “Antonin Rejcha prize” at the International Festival in Semmering, Austria. At the 6th International Woodwind Quintet Competition “Henri Tomasi”, held in Marseille in 2011, the Belfiato Quintet won 3rd prize and the prize for the best interpretation of Henri Tomasi`s compo­sition.

Belfiato Quintet performs live regularly in the Czech Republic (chamber music cyles of the Czech Philharmonic, Prague Symphony Orchestra or PKF – Prague Philharmonia) as well as abroad – lately on concert seasons such as the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier or Czech Embassies in London and Tokyo. In 2014 Belfiato was invited to perform on the Prague Spring Festival with a programme by Czech composers as Rejcha, Haas, Foerster and Janáček. In 2018 the ensemble made its debut in the great Dvořák hall in Prague, a concert highly acclaimed in the czech press. With the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Pardubice Belfiato presented Concerto grosso for wind quintet and strings by Czech composer J. Pelikán.

In June 2017 Belfiato Quintet released its debut CD Foerster/ Haas/ Janáček, Music for Wind Instruments on the Czech label Supraphon. The second, very successful CD Antonín Rejcha: Wind Quintets followed in 2019. For the performance of Rejcha´s music on this CD, Belfiato was awarded the 2019 Classic Prague Award, category „Chamber music performance“. The latest album „ELEMENTS“ (featuring music by Nielsen, Hindemith, Barber, Tomasi, Pärt) was released in 2023. Belfiato collaborated on many other recordings, among others the Prague Philharmonic Choir CD Stravinskij/ Janáček/ Bartók: Village Stories (Supraphon 2023).

For its achievements in the 2021 season Belfiato was awarded the Czech Chamber Music Association prize. This comprised a recital in the Dvořák hall, which programme comprised aside from the latest CD music also a premiere of Bedřich Smetana String Quartet No. 1 „From my life“, commisioned by Belfiato and arr. by K. Chudý. In 2022 the ensemble appeared again in the PKF – Prague Philharmonia chamber music season. On this occasion Belfiato offered Leoš Janáček`s „The Diary of One Who Dissapeared“ (arr. by J. Pelikán) and performed with renowned Czech tenor Petr Nekoranec. Belfiato Quintet continues its international career and focuses substancially on Czech music. Among the next projects is the performance of Karel Husa: Serenade for Wind Quintet and Chamber Orchestra with the PKF – Prague Philharmonia.

www.belfiato.cz