Josef Špaček (violinist)
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Josef Špaček | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 1986 (age 34–35) Třebíč, Czechoslovakia |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | violinist, concert master |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | since 1992 |
Josef Špaček (born October 17, 1986) is a Czech solo violinist and until 2019/20 season a concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic orchestra. He performs on the ca. 1732 “LeBrun; Bouthillard” Guarneri del Gesù violin, generously on loan from Ingles & Hayday.
Early life and education[]
Špaček was born in 1986 in Třebíč, Czech Republic, to a family with musical tradition. His father, Josef Špaček Sr., is a prominent cellist with the Czech Philharmonic and his siblings have also studied music. Špaček started playing violin at the age of three and three years later started taking violin lessons in US and Czech schools including the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School and the Prague Conservatory. Among his teachers have been Itzhak Perlman, Václav Hudeček, Ida Kavafian, Jaime Laredo and Shmuel Ashkenasi.[1]
Professional career[]
Špaček finished his master's degree at the Juilliard School in 2011 and had received an offer to serve as the concert master of the Czech Philharmonic already in late 2010. He took up the job in 2011 and works both in the orchestra and as a solo violinist. In 2012, he was one of the finalists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition and is a laureate of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand, 2009), Carl Nielsen International Music Competition (Denmark, 2008) and others. He is represented by Goldscheider Artists and Nymus Artists.
Concerts and recordings[]
He has performed and recorded with prominent conductors and pianists. His debut recording of Eugène Ysaÿe's sonatas came out in 2006. In 2010, he recorded Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst's work with Naxos and in 2013, his first Supraphon label recording was made with the works of Sergei Prokofiev, Bedřich Smetana and Leoš Janáček.
Špaček has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic orchestra, Prague Philharmonia, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Czech Chamber Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic, Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, the Russian Chamber Philharmonic and other orchestras. Among conductors he has worked with have been Jiří Bělohlávek, Christoph Eschenbach, Manfred Honeck, James DePreist, Asher Fisch, Roy Goodman, Jakub Hrůša, Eliahu Inbal and Rossen Milanov.
Špaček performed at a recital at the Prague Spring International Music Festival in 2013.[1]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Velinger, Jan (5 March 2013). "Violin virtuoso Josef Špaček". Czech Radio. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
External links[]
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| General | |
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| Other | |
- 1986 births
- Living people
- Czech classical violinists
- Male classical violinists
- Curtis Institute of Music alumni
- 21st-century classical violinists
- 21st-century male musicians