“I wanted to write music that children would fall in love with. Music that is intended for the very young but is neither silly nor simplistic and loses nothing of its artistic quality. Music that gently connects the world of children with the world of contemporary modern music. I dare say I succeeded!” Štěpánka Balcarová
In December 2025 trumpeter and composer Štěpánka Balcarová releases her new album O ztracené vodě (About the Lost Water). This exceptional project brings together several musical and theatrical worlds: opera and jazz, a hybrid orchestra of classical and jazz musicians, three solo singers and a children’s choir with young soloists.
The children’s opera O ztracené vodě was originally created as a staged theatre piece. It premiered in 2023 in Broumov, where its creation was initiated by the Broumov Education and Culture Centre with the support of the National Recovery Plan. After a series of successful performances, including at the Aréna and Struny dětem festivals, the composer decided to record the project and release it as an album. The narration is by Matěj Forman, who was also behind the direction and visual form of the original production.
Music: Štěpánka Balcarová
Libretto: Zdeněk Havlíček
Narrator: Matěj Forman
Rosnička the Tree Frog: Andrea Šulcová
The Old Wise Owl: Barbora Mochowá
The Stag: Martin Růža
The Pig: Vít Křišťan
Musicians: Štěpánka Balcarová (trumpet, ocarina), Marcel Bárta (clarinet, bass clarinet), Robert Fischmann (flutes), Vít Křišťan (piano), Jiří Slavík (double bass), Kamil Slezák (drums), Pavel Bořkovec Quartet
Choir: Amicitia Children’s Choir, Broumov Music School
