Under the name of Cesky nonet – a word play on Cesky kvartet (Czech Quartet) therefore bringing the expectation of exceptionally high artistic performance standards – the musicians played for the first time in a public concert in the court of the National House in Prague-Zizkov on 17 January 1924. They performed the Beethoven Septuor Op. 20, the Foerster Wind Quintet and the Spohr Nonet Op. 31.

The formation of a new ensemble did not escape the notice of the critics: ’The young artists’ success was a joy. We wish them to confirm their great intentions. Then they will be able to show the results of their work even abroad as a permanent ensemble of such setting is a very rare one.’ (Národní politika, 1 February 1924)

The wish came true very soon when the young musicians were invited to Lithuania in order to put the Prague pedagogical method into practice there. At that time, Lithuania was undergoing a national revival. The director of the newly founded Lithuanian State Conservatory Simkus sought out these Czech musicians due to the broad international reputation of Czech musicianship. The artists became the founders of a new Lithuanian musical life and brought up the first Lithuanian home grown generations of music pedagogues.

In Lithuania, in addition to their duties at the conservatory, the artists organized concerts as well. They founded a student orchestra, they themselves gave concerts as a nonet, and played as soloists in other chamber ensembles. However, this great work caused internal problems for the Czech Nonet. Some members had contracts abroad – in Egypt, Switzerland, Norway, and Sweden. The ensemble was on the verge of disbanding. Among the three members who came back to Czechoslovakia on 30 July 1928, there was only one person who believed in the further existence of the Czech Nonet: Emil Leichner, the first violinist.