NEWS

20. June 2009

24. April 2009
Bohemian Spring - May 1st Party

The Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association and the Czech Center invite you to a party with live music, dancing, exhibits, film screenings, czech specialties and drinks. Dance into the late evening with music performed by the Sajkedelik Sraml Band.Part of the Bohemian Spring event is the opening of the exhibition by Veronika Lukasova on the 3rd floor of the BBLA. Her large scale panorama project Occurances offers a surrealistic look at America, Czech, British, Columbian and Libyan landscapes. For more information on Veronika Lukasova and her work, please visit www.veronikalukasova.com Reservations and more info: www.czechcenter.comFree Admission read more

24. April 2009
DAHA Concert (Bedrich Smetana's 'Ma Vlast') - APRIL 30th 8pm

The Aaron Copland School of Music Orchestra under the direction of Maurice Peress presents a rare performance of Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast (My Country). Smetana, the 'father of Czech music', set out to create a body of works that celebrated the natural landscapes, history, native language as well as the folk legends of Bohemia and Moravia and the people's struggle for independence. In 1874, just as he was becoming deaf, Smetana began work on what would become a monumental cycle of six symphonic poems: Vysehrad, Vltava, Sarka, Z ceskych luhu a haju (From Bohemian Fields and Grooves), Tabor and Blanik. Heard as a whole for the first time in 1882, Ma Vlast was immediately acclaimed by the native musical public as representative of Czech National style. Smetana dedicated the cycle to the city of Prague where maestro Peress had the honor of conducting the work with the Brno Orchestra.Reserve tickets atevents@dvoraknyc.orgFor each event, pay at door $20 general admission/ $10 students, seniors and members of the C... read more

Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association, Inc.

The Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association was established on March 10th, 1891.

Over the years it has supported a whole range of Czech associations in America. In 1896 the Czech National Building was constructed and was, for many decades, the center of Czech culture in the USA. In the second half of the twentieth century thanks to the change in the lifestyle of the inhabitants, life surrounding the National Building in New York started to decline. Over time the Czech National Building, and with it the BBLA, cut back on their activities until in the 1960s it practically ceased to exist. Since 1995 the slow process of renovation has been underway, the last phase of which was completed on October 28th 2008. During the reconstruction a number of cultural events have been organized in the parts of the building already renovated. Now that the Grand Opening is behind us, the BNH now fully services as the office of the General Consulate, office, gallery space and cinema of the Czech Center, and above all a home to the BBLA.

Please see the link below for photographs of the interior spaces of the Bohemian National Hall.

http://picasaweb.google.com/BNHNewYork

Logo BBLA - Bohemian National Hall