The president awarded conductor Jakub Hrůša the Medal of Merit

Jakub Hrůša currently serves as Chief Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony and, beginning in September 2025, will also assume the role of Music Director of the Royal Opera House in London. In the autumn of 2028, he is set to become Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic, where he presently holds the position of Principal Guest Conductor. He performs regularly with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berlin, Vienna, and New York Philharmonics.

“I am deeply honored to receive the Medal of Merit from President Petr Pavel. It represents a beautiful recognition of my devoted work for music – and especially for Czech music, which I profoundly love, cherish, and strive to share and promote everywhere. It is also a great commitment for me to continue doing so ever more effectively in the future – whether at the helm of the Czech Philharmonic, or in Germany, the United Kingdom, and around the world,” said Jakub Hrůša after receiving the award.

Jakub Hrůša’s musical career is strongly associated with the Czech repertoire. Alongside his interpretations of the international symphonic canon, he regularly presents works by Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bedřich Smetana, Josef Suk, and other Czech composers on major stages around the world. His artistry and charisma contribute significantly to strengthening the prestige of the Czech musical tradition internationally. On 4 November 2025, he will conduct the premiere of Janáček’s opera The Makropulos Case at the Royal Opera House in London – the first production of this work in the company’s history.

Awards and Honours

Jakub Hrůša is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary titles. His recording projects – whether with the Czech Philharmonic, the Bamberg Symphony, or the Vienna Philharmonic – have also enjoyed great success, ranging from live television broadcasts to CD and DVD releases.

• Jakub Hrůša also serves as President of the International Martinů Circle.
• In 2015, he became the first recipient of the Sir Charles Mackerras Prize.
• In the Czech Republic, he won the Anděl Award twice, in 2019 and 2020, for his CD recordings.
• In 2020, he received two BBC Music Magazine Awards—for recordings of Martinů and Dvořák piano concertos, and for the DVD of the opera Vanessa.
• That same year, he was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category for the album Bohemian Tales.
• He received the Antonín Dvořák Prize from the Academy of Classical Music in 2020, and together with the Bamberg Symphony was awarded the Bavarian State Music Prize.
• In 2023, he was named an Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music in London, received the Opus Klassik 2023 Award for Conductor of the Year for his recording of Rott’s Symphony No. 1 in E major, Mahler’s Blumine, and Bruckner’s Symphonic Prelude (also recognized with the International Classical Music Award), and was awarded the Bavarian Culture Prize.
• In 2024, he won both of his Gramophone Award nominations: in the Opera category for the recording of Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová, and in the Concerto category for an album of Britten’s works.
• In the same year, he received the Silver Medal of the President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.
• On November 17, 2024, he was also presented with the Karel Kramář Medal by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala for his outstanding artistic achievements and for promoting the good name of the Czech Republic abroad.

Source: Opera PLUS, author: Kateřina Motlová
https://operaplus.cz/prezident-udelil-dirigentovi-jakubu-hrusovi-medaili-za-zasluhy/