Jakub Hrůša, is a Czech conductor. He is the son of the architect Petr Hrůša. Jakub is described by Gramophone as “on the verge of greatness”.
Biography
Hrůša studied piano and trombone, and developed an interest in conducting, during his gymnasium years in Brno. Later he studied conducting at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where his teachers included Jiří Bělohlávek, Radomil Eliška and Leoš Svárovský. In 2000 he participated in the Prague Spring International Music Festival conducting competition. In 2003, he was a prizewinner in the International Competition of Young Conductors Lovro von Matačić in Zagreb, Croatia. At his 2004 graduation concert in the Rudolfinum, he conducted Josef Suk's Asrael Symphony with the Prague Radio Symphony. He has researched for a dissertation the work of contemporary Czech composers. From 2002 to 2005, Hrůša was Associate Conductor with the Czech Philharmonic. From 2005 to 2006, he was an associate conductor with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. In April 2006, he signed a six-CD recording contract with Supraphon, where the first three CDs were with the Prague Philharmonia. From 2005 to 2008, Hrůša was principal guest conductor of the Prague Philharmonia. He was the orchestra's chief conductor from 2008 to 2015. From 2005 to 2006, he was the Chief Conductor of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlín. He became principal guest conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra as of the 2015-2016 season. In February 2009, Hrůša was named the music director of Glyndebourne on Tour, effective January 2010. In September 2011, he was named the next music director of the Royal Danish Opera and of the Royal Danish Orchestra, effective September 2013. However, in January 2012, in the wake of the resignation of Keith Warner from the artistic directorship of the Royal Danish Opera following proposed budget cuts, Hrůša announced that he would not take the music directorship of Royal Danish Opera, in solidarity with Warner's action. In September 2015, after 5 appearances as a guest conductor, Hrůša was named the next chief conductor of the Bamberg Symphony, effective from the 2016-2017 season, with an initial contract of 4 seasons. In March 2017, the Philharmonia Orchestra announced the appointment of Hrůša as one of its two new principal guest conductors, effective with the 2017-2018 season. In June 2018, the Bamberg Symphony announced the extension of Hrůša's contract as its chief conductor through the 2025-2026 season. Hrůša and his wife Klára Hrůšová have two children.
