Renowned Czech guitarist and composer Lukáš Sommer is holding a musical tour of the country starting tonight with a concert at the National Museum of Natural History.
According to the the Czech Embassy in Manila, Sommer is one of the leading young musicians in Europe, “displaying an innovative style of classical guitar combined with the philosophy of yoga and meditation.”
After the National Museum concert in which he would perform at least 11 of his compositions, Sommer will join the “Euro-Pinoy Concert organized jointly by the Czech Embassy and the European Union Delegation, at The Ruins, Poblacion, Makati City on May 7.
Other performances: May 8 at the Palm Grove Rockwell Center Makati; and May 10 at the Room Gallery in Puerto Galera.
In Mindoro, Sommer will open the exhibition, “Merge,” of various Filipino artists (Anna Lumpas, Chressa Yee, Elisa Certeza, Janet Balecer, Japs Avelino, Pritz Samillano, Rodel Perez, Wilfredo Rufon and Zheann Caganan) and glass sculptures of Czech artists Jirí Pacinek.
Aside from these performances, Sommer will also be conducting master classes at the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Music and at the International School of Manila on May 6 and May 8 respectively.
Lukás Sommer studied guitar and composition in the Czech Republic under the mentorship of prominent Czech professors and musicians such as Professor Veroslav Neumann, Professor Ivan Kurz, and Professor Vilma Manová. Apart from composing music, Sommer is also a sought-after arranger of popular music in the film soundtracks of Ondrej Soukup, Michael Kocáb, Oh Yoon Suna, and Johnny Mayer, and has worked with variety of Czech and international agencies. —CONTRIBUTED