Slovak Philharmonic

The Slovak Philharmonic originated in 1949 with the establishment of the Slovak Philharmonic, which was given a permanent home at the Reduta building in the early 1950s. It was expanded to incorporate the Slovak Philharmonic Choir in 1957 and the Slovak Chamber Orchestra in 1960.

After World War II three of Slovakia’s most important musical figures - Eugen Suchoň, composer of the Slovak national opera Krútňava (‘The Whirlpool’), Ján Cikker, pedagogue and co-founder of modern Slovak music, and composer and conductor Alexander Moyzes - constructed a 12-paragraph declaration voicing the general consensus that a state-supported Philharmonic was needed to educate the public and stimulate the creation of new works. The Slovak Philharmonic was established on 27 October 1949 and was found a permanent home at the Reduta in the early 1950s. Since that time it has offered the wider public a rich concert life and performances by artists and ensembles from all over the world.