“It was played phenomenally (Ligeti Le Grand Macabre) last night by Jiří Rožeň and the Prague State Opera Orchestra, opening the Opera Nova Festival.”
BACHTRACK, DAVID KARLIN, JUNE 2024
“Jiří Rožeň and the Staatsorchester make it sparkle and shine and take back the moments of reflection and inwardness impressively. Music (Pictures at an Exhibition) that draws pictures and yet remains music in the best sense of the word, becomes a highlight of the concert season.”
STADT WIESBADEN, APRIL 2024
“Rožeň is a proven specialist in contemporary music. His gripping Art, coupled with precision, inspires lively, phrased, expressive music-making full of energy.”
STADT WIESBADEN, APRIL 2024
“Throughout, Rožeň — a rare left-handed conductor — led the orchestra in warm, thoughtfully shaped support. While he generally favored a big and bold sound, he also brought out the work’s lyricism, especially in the slow movement. His transition from the first to the second movement was particularly magical.”
UTAH ARTS REVIEW, MARCH 2023
“Rožeň is a fantastically energetic and passionate conductor whose relationship with the orchestra and the repertoire makes it clear that the program is very special to him.”
FRONT ROW REVIEWERS, MARCH 2023
‘Prague born Rožeň prospered conducting the Hallé in a sterling performance of Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, energised with this work by a fellow Czech…Under Rožeň the players excelled, with successful emphasis on the striking contrasts of this glorious score, evoking dark depths of anguish to unwavering rebelliousness to warm and brightly lit pastoral landscapes.’
MICHAEL COOKSON, SEEN AND HEARD, MARCH 2023
Der junge Dirigent Jiří Rožeň hebt das Orchester auf internationales Niveau...
ORPHEUS-MAGAZIN.DE, STEPHAN KNIES, NOVEMBER 2022
„Rožeň handled the dizzying changes with precision and balance, segueing seamlessly from soothing harp and glockenspiel passages to full orchestral tumult. He was even more impressive in the long musical interludes that separate most of the scenes, weaving impressionistic textures to set the tone and mood.“
BACHTRACK, FRANK KUZNIK, JUNE 2022
“What struck me the most was the musical interpretation of the multi-layered score and the performance of the lead role, Don Juan. Jiří Rožeň (born in 1991) once again assured me—following his work on the one-act operas by Weill and Schönberg in Prague, as well as his guest appearance with the Slovak Philharmonic in February this year—that he is an exceptionally talented young conductor who analyses the score to its very core.”
OPERASLOVAKIA.SK, PAVEL UNGER, JUNE 2022
“The young conductor Jiří Rožeň has truly immersed himself in the work. Schulhoff's music sounds vibrant and colourful, just as the composer would have wished...."
HARMONIE, OLGA JANÁČKOVÁ, NOVEMBER 2022
“Conductor Jiří Rožeň interprets the score with sensitivity and a keen sense of tonal colour, as well as the dynamic and structural complexity of the work. His musical direction is undoubtedly a significant asset to the production of Flammen.”
NOVINKY.CZ, RADMILA HRDINOVÁ, JUNE 2022
“Still, the real star of the evening was in the pit. Just 30, Jiří Rožeň is a major emerging talent who was born in Prague but has spent most of his career abroad, conducting orchestras throughout Europe and developing a particular expertise in modern opera. He drove Todsünden with expert pacing, smart support for the singers and dance rhythms that crackled with energy. Erwartung was even better. Working with an orchestra and instrumentation reduced by pandemic restrictions, Rožeň spun out a sophisticated atonal score, striking in its clarity and precision.”
FRANK KUZNIK, BACHTRACK, NOVEMBER 2021