In the year 2002 devastating floods afflicted the Czech Republic and large parts of central Europe. Unfourtunately, the beautiful and historic Monastery of Saint Agnes of Bohemia in Prague did not escape this devestation. Among the losses suffered by this incredible complex, which was established in 1231, and is perhaps the first gothic building in Bohemia, was their concert grand piano.
Because of this loss, the monastery's concert hall, a wonderfully atmospheric venue for musical events, has been underutilized. EPTA Czech Republic has dedicated itself to reinvigorating the profile of Saint Agnes as a center for cultural events. As we are piano teachers, we feel the loss of the piano particualrly strongly and are convinced that its replacement with a quality concert grand will go a long way to restoring cultural life to this captivating place.
Beyond simply making the monastery a more attractive option for pianists, chamber music ensembles, and other performers considering performance venues, a new concert piano would offer several other advantages. The acoustics of this gothic structure are excellent and the hall would be an attractive choice for recordings as well as live performances. The presence of a high-quality instrument would also increase the profile of Saint Agnes as a venue for hosting other events of all types, be they cultural, spiritual, social, or commercial.
Of course, a superior instrument is quite expensive and the process of raising money will be long. EPTA will be undertaking continuing efforts to obtain funds from individuals, businesses, and governmental and non-governmental organizations to this end. Additionally, EPTA will present a number of concerts and cultural events, the proceeds of which will go to the funding of the instrument. The first of these is already planned. EPTA Vice-president Jitka Fowler Frankova will be playing a concert at Saint Agnes Monastery to start the fund-raising drive. More information about this event can be found on our events page.
If you are interested in supporting this project, please visit our contact page and communicate with one of our officers.
Contributions can be sent to this account: 4200237537/6800. For contributions from outside the Czech Republic: IBAN CZ7268000000004200237537, BIC (SWIFT): VBOECZ2X.