Let yourself be surrounded by Czech culture in the new concert hall

What does The Secret Gallery offer visitors?

The Secret Gallery is a place of peace and relaxation. When visitors come here from the busy Karlova Street, they feel the local atmosphere, relax and enjoy cultural time surrounded by art. I was living in England for 8 years and I played Czech music there. The people came to me and were interested in Czech culture. I was often asked what place to visit in Prague, where to listen to Czech classics. There are enough places where concerts of world greats are held in Prague, but regular events with Czech music? After returning to Prague, I decided to create such a place myself.

What does the idea of "Everything Czech" mean?

"Everything Czech" is a cultural program during which we will introduce visitors to Czech music in the form of a relaxing, visual and auditory experience for 2.5 hours. We serve wine from the Valtice school here, so that visitors can experience the best of our entire homeland. During the break of the concert, we serve Czech delicacies, cheeses from Czech organic farms and salami, which go well with the selection of wine. The music program itself includes easy listening compositions, we start with Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák and end the program with Josef Suk, it is a presentation of the chronological development of music in the 19th century.

How long did it take to find a suitable space and what did it have to meet?

It took 3 months to find this space. I was particularly looking forward to the view of this property, I was intuitively attracted to the place. I hoped that it was described in your ad believably, I was worried that it would be too small, because sometimes photos of real estate agencies distort it. However, the space corresponded exactly to reality. I was looking for a place with an intimate character. I wanted the visitors to have an intense experience here, so that the music could literally come closer to them. The most important parameter was the acoustics, how the musical instruments plays. I wanted the place to have a special atmosphere, I like the combination of the old building and the interesting arched glass ceiling, it creates a combination of old and new and it perfectly reflects my concept. The humidity level in the building was also important to me, because there are musical instruments, so it is important that the house is in order. Of course, accessibility was also a very important consideration.

Where was the idea of The Secret Gallery born? How did the name come about?

Originally, I was only looking for a place with an intimate atmosphere for concerts. However, when I discovered this particular space in the heart of the Old Town, the place itself inspired me to think of "Everything Czech". After years in England, I know how tourists think about what they want on their travels. Everything connected here at once and a concept was created that fits perfectly here. One of the historical purposes of this building was once a gallery, it really is an ideal place to present fine art, with beautiful natural daylight. This is where the idea for the name "The Secret Gallery" comes from.

How did you find out about Engel & Völkers? How was working with Katarína Pokrupová for you?

I rate the cooperation absolutely excellent. I found the ad on the Internet, so I contacted Mrs. Pokrupová for the first time. I liked the space immediately, we completed a second tour together, during which I tested the acoustics by playing the violin. I hesitated between two places, here the acoustics clearly prevailed. Mrs. Pokrupová had a very personal approach to me, she looked at the situation from the same point of view as me, she helped me weigh the pros and cons. The second offer was less of a risk for me, and even though it was from a competing real estate agency, Mrs. Pokrupová understood me and was very impartial, thanks to which I did not feel under pressure. In the end, I decided on this place in Karlova Street, because the main idea of the whole plan is music, so the acoustics won and I decided to risk it.

How do you choose the artists who exhibit their works here?

All paintings are by the same painter, Mrs. Martina Venglorzová. I was looking for an artist who tries to express emotions with his work that fit here, works that are not exhibited elsewhere. In the future, I would like to partially rotate the expositions here.

How often is there a music program? Do you personally or other artists perform here?

"Everything Czech" music program takes place here on average twice a week. My violin playing is accompanied by pianist Mrs. Linda Juránková, sometimes she is represented by Mrs. Markéta Sinkulová. Both pianists are accompanists at the music conservatory and I met them thanks to mutual acquaintances, we immediately got along. The "Everything Czech" program is for foreigners, we plan to include a program for the Czech audience once or twice a month.

Do you have future plans or ideas for how the space could be developed further?

We are preparing a program called "Romance by Candlelights". As the name suggests, everything will take place only by candlelight, we will play well-known classic tunes such as Romeo and Juliet, in the second half of the program the tunes of Walt Disney movies. Visitors can look forward to a romantic menu accompanied by good wine.

We would like to keep our doors open for music students to have a place to rehearse. It is close to all music schools and faculties. We have a nice piano here, they could meet here, create and share experiences.