Czech Republic folk orchestra giving Texas performances

A folk orchestra from the Czech Republic plans to tour Texas, thanks to the University of North Texas endowment

The Petr Micka Cimbalom Orchestra, a Moravian folk orchestra from the Czech Republic, will tour Texas in October, giving a series of performances made possible by a $500,000 University of North Texas endowment that supports sharing Czech music and culture throughout the state.

Czech National Television will film the tour for a documentary about the orchestra and UNT's endowment, known as the Czech Educational Foundation of Texas (CEFT) Frank J. and Hermine Hurta Kostohryz Residency in Czech Music and Culture. The tour starts Oct. 6 at UNT.

"As we continue to emphasize the importance of international participation in the world of music through exchanges and special projects, it is very gratifying to learn that the film crew from Czech National Television wishes to come here and film the cimbalom orchestra performing and interacting in Texas," said Dr. James Scott, dean of the UNT College of Music. "It demonstrates that these partnerships and cultural sharing are important to everyone in every part of the world."

The Petr Micka Cimbalom Orchestra consists of Petr and Ales Mic¡ka on violin, Martin Drlik on clarinet, Pavel Valíc¡ek on cimbalom, Frantis¡ek Sup on viola, and David R¡ic¡ica on bass.

The film crew members involved in the project are Br¡etislav Rychlík, director; Monika Rychlíková, producer; Petr Koblovsky´, cameraman; and Vladimír Chrastil, sound engineer. Rychlik has previously directed such documentaries as "Jeden rok (One Year)," and "Salve Moravia."

In addition to the six musicians and the four-person camera crew, former UNT exchange student Vilem Spílka will accompany the group as tour manager and translator. Spílka is co-owner of 24-7 Promotion s.r.o., the largest music booking agency in the Czech Republic.The CEFT Frank J. and Hermine Hurta Kostohryz Residency in Czech Music and Culture - a $500,000 endowment - supports an annual residency in which musicians, artists and educators from the Czech Republic visit UNT to perform, teach and conduct research in Czech music and culture. The residency also allows for the traditions of Czech music and culture to be shared with students and communities with Czech centers of population in Texas.

The orchestra arrives on the UNT campus on Oct. 5, with its first performance scheduled for 8 p.m. the following day in Winspear Hall of the Murchison Performing Arts Center on the UNT campus.

The endowment began with a lead gift of more than $200,000 from Francis Kostohryz in memory of his parents, the Rev. Frank J. Kostohryz, who served as a minister to largely Czech populations at the Unity of the Brethren Church in Texas, and Hermine Hurta Kostohryz, an organist and religious instructor.

The orchestra's performance within the El Campo area includes:

-7 p.m. Oct. 10 (Wednesday)

Czech Cultural Center, Houston Museum, Library, Prague Hall, Brno Gallery, Wenceslas Chapel, 4920 San Jacinto at Wichita in the museum district

Admission: $15

-7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 (Saturday), "Muziky Muziky" Amphitheater, La Grange

Fayette County Fairgrounds, Highway 77 North

Admission: $5