Conductor Jakub Hrůša, one of the most prominent figures of today’s international musical life, has today received the state honor of the Medal of Merit in the field of Arts from the hands of the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. The ceremonial presentation took place on October 28, 2025, in the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle on the occasion of the national holiday marking the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state.
Jakub Hrůša currently serves as Chief Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony, and from September 2025 he also holds the position of Music Director of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. In autumn 2028 he will become Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Czech Philharmonic, where he is now Principal Guest Conductor. He regularly appears with the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic.
“I deeply value the highest honor of the Medal of Merit bestowed upon me by President Petr Pavel. It represents for me a beautiful recognition of my lifelong dedication to music – and especially to Czech music, which I profoundly love, cherish, and seek to share everywhere – as well as a great commitment to continue doing so with ever more strength and effectiveness in the future, whether at the helm of the Czech Philharmonic, in Germany, in the United Kingdom, or across the globe,” said Jakub Hrůša upon receiving the award.
Jakub Hrůša’s musical career has been profoundly linked with Czech repertoire. Alongside major interpretations of the world repertoire, he regularly presents works by Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bedřich Smetana, Josef Suk, and others on the world’s most important stages. His artistry and charisma significantly contribute to strengthening the prestige of Czech musical tradition internationally. On November 4, he will conduct the premiere of Janáček’s opera The Makropulos Affair at the Royal Opera House in London – the very first staging of this work in the history of the house.
Previous Awards and Honorary Titles
Jakub Hrůša has received numerous awards and honorary distinctions. His recording projects with the Czech Philharmonic, the Bamberg Symphony, and the Vienna Philharmonic – ranging from live television broadcasts to CD and DVD recordings – have also been highly acclaimed.
- In 2015, he became the first recipient of the Sir Charles Mackerras Prize.
- In the Czech Republic, he received the Anděl Award twice (2019 and 2020) for CD recordings.
- In 2020, he won two BBC Music Magazine Awards – for a CD of piano concertos by Martinů and Dvořák, and for a DVD recording of Barber’s opera Vanessa.
- The same year, he was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Classical Instrumental Solo for the album Bohemian Tales.
- In 2020, he was awarded the Antonín Dvořák Prize by the Academy of Classical Music. Together with the Bamberg Symphony, he also received the Bavarian State Prize for Music.
- In 2023, he was named Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music in London, received the 2023 Opus Klassik 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 honored with the International Classical Music Award), and was presented with the Bavarian Culture Prize.
- In 2024, he won both of his Gramophone Award nominations: the Opera category for a recording of Janáček’s Káťa Kabanová and the Concerto category for an album of Britten’s works.
- In 2024, he was also awarded the Silver Medal of the President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic in Prague.
- On November 17, 2024, Jakub Hrůša was further honored with the Karel Kramář Medal by Prime Minister Petr Fiala for outstanding artistic achievements and for promoting the reputation of the Czech Republic abroad.
- Jakub Hrůša also serves as President of the International Martinů Circle.
