The Czech Republic marked the expansion of cultural relations with Korea by opening a new music conservatory in southern Seoul on Wednesday.

The Czech Embassy in Korea marked expanding cultural ties in the field of music during an opening ceremony for the Korean branch of the country’s Brno Conservatory in the Yeoksam-dong neighborhood of Seoul.

“We are a cultural country and it is important that we establish the first branch of the Brno Conservatory in Korea. It will be an important tool for expanding and deepening cultural cooperation between the Czech Republic and Korea, and that will help bridge the gap for future cooperation,” said Pavel Manasek, the conservatory’s new director.

Czech Deputy Head of Mission Jana Chaloupkova, who recently arrived in Korea, was on hand at the new conservatory’s opening ceremony.

Milos Sklenka, head of the Czech Embassy’s economic and commercial mission, also attended.

“Korean students do not have to fly to Europe now to get a taste of European culture and music,” he said.

The renowned Czech conservatory founded by composer, folklorist and teacher Leos Janacek in 1919 is a household name in Europe. Janacek is credited with contributing to the development of a national Czech style of music that is imbued with elements of native Moravian folk traditions.

Moravia is a region in the eastern part of the Czech Republic nestled in the Carpathian Mountains, described as a place where Western and Eastern European musical traditions met. Janacek was influenced by another famous Czech composer who also utilized his nation’s folk heritage, Antonin Dvorak.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)