Thu, 19. 11. 2026, 19:00 hrs.

M4 Tomáš Kačo | Music Without Borders

Venue: Zlín Congress Centre  |  Organizer: Filharmonie Bohuslava Martinů, o.p.s.  | 

In November the Congress Centre welcomes the pianist, composer, arranger and vocalist Tomáš Kačo, one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Czech music, whose artistic career is a remarkable story of determination and talent which took him from his first musical experiments on an old piano in the apartment of a large Roma family in Nový Jičín to the keyboard of a concert Steinway at New York's Carnegie Hall. But there was more to this than just luck: it took consistent work, creative curiosity and courage to cross stylistic and social boundaries which for many would be an insurmountable obstacle.

Critics describe Kačo's music as one of a kind, his distinctive style an organic fusion of classical tradition, jazz inspiration and elements of Romani music, stamping his own clearly recognisable mark, but not closing off the dialogue with music of the past. His work also references the greats of European music such as Beethoven, whose anniversary we commemorate this season and to whom Kačo refers with respect and creative invention.

The first half of the evening features Tomáš Kačo's own original music and distinctive performing style, followed in the second half by Oscar-winning film music from the classic Hollywood era – another weighty chapter in 20th century music history. We start with The Adventures of Robin Hood, whose music by Brno native Erich Wolfgang Korngold won an Oscar from the American Academy of Motion Pictures in 1938. This is followed by the suite from the music of Ben-Hur by Miklós Rózsa, also an Oscar winner in 1959.

This evening's performance thus commemorates the golden era of Hollywood movie-making through the personae of outstanding artists whose work has bridged the boundaries between European tradition and America, making a name for themselves "across the pond".