Mirka Pokorná – Chačaturjan: Šavlový tanec (CD)

Armenian composer Aram Ilyich Khachaturian was born into a bookbinder’s family. In his youth he played the French horn in the school orchestra and taught himself to play the piano. At the age of 18 he moved to Moscow. Although he had no professional training, he was a great talent and was admitted to the Gnessin Music School, where he began studying the cello. Khachaturian’s successful career represents the fulfillment of the fundamental Soviet artistic policy. Mirka Pokorná studied under renowned teachers Prof. Vilém Kurze and his daughter Ilona Štěpánová at the Faculty of Music of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Jiří Bělohlávek was chief conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the Capital City of Prague FOK and the Czech Philharmonic. He currently leads the Prague Chamber Philharmonia.