Vladislav V. Šak and his Philharmonic
| Pages | 126–156 |
|---|---|
| DOI | 10.37520/muscz.2025.005 |
| Keywords | Vladislav Vladislavovič Šak, Artists’ Club in Prague, Orchestra of the Artists’ Club, Presto, Šak Philharmonic, Lucerna, Sofia Philharmonic, Liepājas Filharmonija in Latvia, Prague Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonic Orchestra |
| Citation | ŠUSTÍKOVÁ, Věra. Vladislav V. Šak and his Philharmonic. Musicalia. Journal of the Czech Museum of Music / Časopis Českého muzea hudby . Prague: National Museum, 2025, 17(1-2), 126–156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37520/muscz.2025.005. ISSN 1803-7828 (Print), 2533-5634 (Online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/musicalia-journal-of-the-czech-museum-of-music-casopis-ceskeho-muzea-hudby/17-1-2/vladislav-v-sak-and-his-philharmonic |
Vladislav Vladislavovič Šak (1894–1977) was a pianist, conductor, composer, and musical entrepreneur. He was behind the founding of the Umělecký klub (Artists’ Club) and was its first chairman. In 1919 he established the limited company Presto, a concert and theatrical agency with publishing and printing services. He published the magazines Hudba, Národní obzor, and Svět umělců and the newspaper Den, and he was the author of scholarly articles and polemical pamphlets. From 1919 to 1921, he was the owner of a philharmonic orchestra that bore his name and was capable of competing artistically with the Czech Philharmonic. He made guest conducting appearances with various orchestras in Germany, and from 1926 to 1929 he was the chief conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic. In 1939, he conducted the orchestra of the Liepājas Filharmonija in Latvia. From 1933 to 1935, he tried to revive the Orchestra of the Artists’ Club under the name of the Prague Philharmonic. He attempted its revival two more times under the name of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in 1941–43 and again in 1945–48. In 2000, the National Museum – Czech Museum of Music purchased his estate, which makes an exceptionally valuable contribution to our picture of Czech musical life in the first half of the 20th century.