Sponsored by the Czech Center
The world premiere of Jan Zábrana’s poems set to music by award-winning composer and pianist Martin Brunner. He will accompany Markéta Foukalová, currently lead singer for the band Lanugo and formerly part of Hudba Praha and Jasná Páka. In addition to Zábrana’s poetry, they will perform songs from the repertoire of Havel’s beloved Hudba Praha arranged for piano and voice to mark the anniversary of Václav Havel’s death. In the second half of the evening, the pair will present songs from their album Svou chvíli, for which Markéta appeared in the wider Anděl Awards nominations as Female Artist of the Year.
Performed in Czech and English
Followed by a discussion with Chris Harwood about Zábrana.
Martin Brunner is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. In his authorial projects, he collaborates with the most prominent figures of the Czech jazz scene. He is one of the prominent progressive composers of his generation, having released five original albums under his own name. He composes music for the award-winning big band Concept Art Orchestra and classical chamber ensembles. He was approached by the Hradec Králové Philharmonic to write a piano concerto for the 800th anniversary of the founding of the city. The soloist at the premiere was pianist Slávka Vernerová. As a sideman, he occasionally collaborates with a number of figures of the Czech music scene across genres.
Markéta Foukalová is a singer with overlaps in musical and lyrical creation. She often moves on the border of genres from pop, jazz to electronics or contemporary classical music. She is sought after by leading musical personalities and ensembles, such as legendary guitarist Michal Pavlíček, Michal Prokop, favourite Havel’s band - Jasná Páka and Hudba Praha and many others. Her home band Lanugo, with which she is preparing her fifth album, is worth noting. She teaches singing at the conservatory and leads the successful children's choir Beznot.
ABOUT THE 2025 REHEARSAL FOR TRUTH INTERNATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL
Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival, honoring Václav Havel, is a showcase of contemporary European theater organized each year in New York City. Conceived in 2017 as a shared endeavor of the Václav Havel Center (VHC) and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA), the festival honors the legacy of Czech playwright, dissident and political thinker Vaclav Havel.
Each edition of Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival addresses current sociopolitical trends in Central and Eastern Europe, offering New York audiences a unique opportunity to witness the region’s theatrical zeitgeist.
The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.