interview by Albert Pechmann
The Lednice-Valtice Music Festival will welcome on October 18, 2025, a violinist hailed as one of the most remarkable talents of his generation. Joshua Brown, still at the beginning of his international career, will make his Czech debut, bringing with him Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D major. The symbolic connection between the composer’s Brno roots and Brown’s American perspective will conclude the festival, featuring the Slovak Philharmonic under the baton of Tomáš Brauner.
This year you are coming to the Lednice–Valtice Music Festival. What are you most looking forward to about performing here?
It will be a great honour to visit and perform in the Czech Republic for the first time! I always enjoy meeting audiences from different countries and learning about their unique views and appreciation of music.
The festival is known for its unique historical venues in South Moravia. How does the atmosphere of such spaces influence your performance?
It can be very inspiring to perform in a space with storied history. I look forward to exploring the venues of the festival and to soaking up their unique atmosphere!
Could you tell us a bit about the program you will be presenting at the festival and what makes it special for you?
I will be playing the Korngold concerto for the first time! I couldn’t imagine a more special location in which to play this piece. Korngold was born in what is now Brno, quite nearby to the festival’s location. He lived in America for some time and had a great impact in our culture as one of the leading film score composers in Hollywood. He wrote this concerto in America, and I will now have the honor of completing the circle and sharing it with the people of the Czech Republic as an American.
You have already achieved significant success at a young age. How has your artistic journey shaped your approach to music today?
I always try to approach music from a perspective of deep appreciation and respect rather than thinking of it in terms of business, success or failure. At the same time, I feel very lucky to be able to make a living doing what I love and take the responsibility of carrying this music forward very seriously. It is important to me that I give all that I can in an emotional sense for every performance.
Do you have a personal connection to Czech music or composers, and will we hear something of that kind in your festival program?
Aside from Korngold’s special connection to the Czech Republic that I mentioned earlier, there are many Czech composers to whose music I feel connected. Dvorak in particular is one of my very favourite composers.
Every performance is unique. Do you have any personal rituals or routines before going on stage?
I like to sometimes take a short nap about an hour before the performance – making sure to set an alarm! Otherwise, I don’t do anything very special. The excitement of being backstage and knowing that I will soon be performing always puts me in the right headspace.
Looking ahead, are there any dream projects, collaborations, or repertoire you hope to explore in the near future?
Speaking of Dvorak, I am greatly looking forward to performing his violin concerto for the first time in a few concerts early next year!
Thank you for the interview.
