About me

Miloš Orson Štědroň is among the most prominent Czech composers, especially in the field of musical theatre, often writing both the music and the libretto for his works. He is the recipient of many awards. His compositions have been commissioned by the Czech Philharmonic, PKF – Prague Philharmonia, Berg Orchestra, Kühn Mixed Choir, the National Theatre and Czech Radio. His unique poetics rely on sudden changes and contrasts, which he wields with great dramatic instinct. Orson lives and works in Prague. He teaches composition at the Prague Conservatory.

Musical theatre works

Orson’s opera The Human Tragicomedy to his own libretto, inspired by Ladislav Klíma, was performed at the Estates Theatre in Prague in March 2003. His successful Cabaret Ivan Blatný (nominated for the 2007 Alfréd Radok Award for Music 2007) ran at the Comedy Theatre in Prague from 2007–2009. In 2008, he created a musical based on Emil Zola's The Ladies’ Paradise (DISK Theatre 2008, in Hungarian A nö Vágya, Pesti Színház/Budapest 2009). From 2010 to 2014, his work straddling the boundary between play and opera Lamento/From dancing into dust and into dance again (The Day and Night of Mother Teresa) was performed at the Roxy/NoD in Prague. The work, which sees the main role of Mother Teresa cast for countertenor, was nominated for the 2010 Alfréd Radok Award. Orson’s successful musical theatre production about architects, The Gočár Theatre, was performed in Prague (Comedy Theatre, Theatre on the Balustrade) from 2012 to 2015, and won its creator the 2012 Alfréd Radok Award for Best Music and the 2012/13 Theatre News Award for achievement in the category of musical theatre. Orson’s subsequent musical theatre piece Velvet Havel (Theatre on the Balustrade 2014–2021) totally dominated the 2014 Theatre Critics Awards, winning in five categories (Best Czech Play, Best Music, Best Production, Best Male Actor, and Best Female Actor). In December 2017, Orson’s opera Don Hrabal, based on his own libretto, was staged at the National Theatre in Prague on the New Stage with Roman Janál in the lead role. In 2022, Czech Radio staged Orson's original tribute to Jaroslav Ježek – a radio play with the music entitled Ježek in the Cage.

Incidental music

Since 1994, Orson has regularly composed music for theatre commissions – he has written incidental music for the National Theatre in Prague, Goose on a String Theatre in Brno, Studio Dialog, A Studio Rubín, Mladá Boleslav Municipal Theatre, Comedy Theatre, DISK Theatre, Municipal Theatre in Zlín, Roxy/NoD, Theatre on the Balustrade, Klicpera’s Theatre in Hradec Králové, Municipal Theatre Pardubice, etc. In most "incidental" music, Orson tries to give music a fundamental role that goes beyond the traditional definition and understanding of music in the context of theatrical productions, e.g. by setting complete dialogues or stage notes to music (e.g. What Happened When Nora Left Her Husband by Elfriede Jelinek on the New Stage of the National Theatre). He often requires live music on stage and "compels" the actors to sing. In some performances, music and musicians have become part of the scene and the plot (e.g. Mikve at the National Theatre or Czech Novel at the Vinohrady Theatre).

Concert music

Orson has been composing concert music continuously, creating dozens of works for a wide variety of forces. He has collaborated with a plethora of Czech performers and ensembles that have premiered and performed his works: the Czech Philharmonic, PKF - Prague Philharmonia, Berg Orchestra, Kühn Mixed Choir, Czech Radio, Bohemia Saxophone Quartet, Tomáš Netopil, etc. His works have been performed at festivals, orchestra subscription concerts, chamber concerts and recitals. A recording of his composition PASEJAMÁ for male vocal quartet won an award in the international radio recording competition Rostrum Tribune Paris 2006. His composition Spells was recorded in 2019 by the Kühn Mixed Choir for their anniversary CD. In 2019, the PKF – Prague Philharmonia performed a concert devoted to Orson's compositions. In 2023, the Czech Philharmonic performed Bimetal, Orson's concerto for two trombones and orchestra.