Prague, Feb 16 (CTK) – Renowned Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena, 42, has established an endowment fund in support of elementary art schools (ZUS) in the Czech Republic, she and the fund’s co-patron, Czech Philharmonic director David Marecek, told media on Tuesday.
The goal of the fund is to protect, support and promote the system of art education as provided by the ZUS school network.
The fund’s mission and plans will be presented at a donor gala event in the Rudolfinum concert hall in Prague on February 26. It will be preceded by a concert, Marecek said.
“After the first step of staging the donor event…, the next concrete step will be the Open ZUS campaign presenting the projects of all ZUS schools. It should take place every year. In addition, I plan to give annual gala concerts, donate my royalties to the endowment and thereby boost its further activities,” Kozena said.
The main tasks of the new endowment are to make the ZUS system more visible and as close to the public as possible, and also to present it as a place for uncovering, developing and supporting child talents.
Moreover, it is to support ZUS schools in organising their respective own projects and communicating with children’s parents and with the public.
A total of 488 elementary art schools (ZUS) with 247,000 students operate in the 10.5-million Czech Republic.
Out of the four artistic branches on offer, music classes are attended by 65 percent of the students, dance classes by 11 percent and fine art classes by 20 percent.
“The ZUS schools form the roots of our cultural education, our love of art. In the world context, they are a unique educational system that must be cherished, developed and supported,” Kozena said.
The ceremonial presentation of the endowment fund in the donor evening of February 26 will be preceded by Kozena’s concert in the Rudolfinum Hall, where she will be accompanied by the Cetra Barockorchester Basel led by Andrea Marcon. The programme will highlight the contrast between baroque and contemporary music.
Kozena and Marcon, as well as the evening’s moderator Marek Eben, will give up their royalties for the benefit of the new endowment.
Born in Brno, Kozena started her career of an artist in a ZUS school in the Moravian capital. Now she ranks among the world’s top opera singers.
