The Delegation of the European Union to the United States
 
Prague Spring Music Festival:  

Witness of Central European History

Tuesday, April 10, 2018  

6:00pm - 8:00pm 
 

Delegation of the European Union to the United States

2175 K Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
(Entrance on 22nd Street) 

Conversations in Culture will feature the history of the Prague Spring Music Festival, founded shortly after the WWII. Festival Director Roman Bělor will speak about the relationship between music and politics, especially "normalization," the dark period following the Soviet occupation. Bělor would also address how music was used and misused by the communist regime.

This event is hosted in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic.

Roman Bělor was born into a musical family in Prague in 1958. He studied economy and management at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Following his graduation in 1982, Bělor worked in the techno-economic sector. In 1990, he became the Orchestra Manager of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and served as its Director from 1992-2001. He has been the Director of the Prague Spring Festival since 2001, and has been Vice Chairman of the Czech Association of Music Festivals since 2002. The French Minister of Culture awarded Bělor the Chevalier and Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1995 and 2001, respectively. As a member of various teams and panels, he was instrumental in developing the recent recognition of Prague as a European cultural center. Bělor is also a member of the Council of the UNESCO International Fund for Promotion of Culture, a member of the Club for Old Prague (Klub Za starou Prahu), and an associated member of the Prague Mánes Fine Arts Society.