Concertmaster of the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, Vít Mužík, and pianist Lucie Kaucká, will perform a recital of contemporary and classical works by composers Lionel Sainsbury, Willem van Twillert, Eugène Ysaÿe, Antonín Dvořák, and Bedřich Smetana.
Event produced by PARMA Recordings and the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. Location: Reduta Concert Hall, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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About
Czech violinist and producer Vít Muzík (b. 1972) is one of the most multifaceted musicians working on the contemporary classical music scene. His abilities both as a performer on the concert stage and in the recording booth have led to appearances on more than 60 recordings in the Navona and Ravello catalogs, making him one of PARMA Recordings’ most frequent collaborators.
Muzík studied under Prof. Ladislav Gorula at the Janacek Conservatory of Ostrava in his native Czech Republic, and his pursuit of advanced studies on the violin later brought him to Mannes College at The New School for Music in New York NY, the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati OH, and the Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria under Sándor Végh. Since 2004, Muzík has served primarily as the Concertmaster for the world-renowned Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, frequently working also as a producer for recording sessions held at Reduta Hall in the ensemble’s home base in the historic city of Olomouc.
As a performer, his talents both as a chamber musician and as a soloist on the violin have brought him to concert stages across Europe and North America.
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The pianist Lucie Kaucká was born on March 31, 1978 in Kraslice near Karlovy Vary, where she began studying music at the age of seven. She continued her piano studies at the Conservatory of Teplice and the Conservatory of Pardubice with Martin Hröel. After graduation from Pardubice she concentrated on the study of musicology at the Palacky University in Olomouc and finished successfully there in 2003.
Kaucká was active as a pianist under the direction of the late Professor Jirí Skovajsa and has performed in many international masterclasses. She is the director of the piano department at the international Czech Music Camp for Youth during the summer.
She has performed as a soloist, accompanist, and as a member of several chamber ensembles in the Czech Republic and abroad. She has participated in recordings with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra and with the chamber orchestra Camerata Moravia since 2004. Lucie recorded many compositions for solo piano, as well as for various chamber ensembles for PARMA Recordings over the past 10 years.
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Lionel Sainsbury (b.1958) is increasingly recognized as one of Britain’s leading present-day composers. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music with Patric Standford, winning prizes as both composer and pianist. At the age of 21 he was awarded a Mendelssohn Scholarship, which enabled him to discuss his music with Edmund Rubbra and John McCabe, and in Paris with Henri Dutilleux. Since then his music has been performed and broadcast worldwide.
His catalogue to date includes a Cello Concerto, a symphonic poem Time of the Comet, Allegro Risoluto for strings, a substantial body of piano music, and works for clarinet, guitar, and two pianos. The Soliloquy on SLICES is one of several violin works, including a Sonata, a large-scale Concerto, and an evocative piece for violin and piano entitled Mirage.
Sainsbury’s Violin Concerto, recorded by Dutton-Epoch with Lorraine McAslan and the BBC Concert Orchestra under Barry Wordsworth, has attracted widespread acclaim: “genuinely inspired: this is quite magnificent music” (International Record Review); “unabashedly romantic no lover of the English violin literature can afford to be without it.” (Fanfare). Lorraine McAslan was also the soloist for the public premiere of the concerto at the 2002 Worcester (UK) Three Choirs Festival, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Adrian Lucas.
Sainsbury’s Two Nocturnes for strings, performed by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia under Gavin Sutherland for Naxos English String Miniatures 6, have been described as lovely miniatures, unmistakably English in character damask, dark and marmoreal developing a Mahlerian heat often piercingly emotional” (MusicWeb International).
Amongst soloists who have played his work are pianists Mark Bebbington, Jeremy Filsell and Jack Gibbons, violinists Tasmin Little and Rupert Luck, guitarist Craig Ogden, and clarinetist Anna Hashimoto. Raphael Wallfisch recorded Sainsbury’s Cello Concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Martin Yates in 2011. Also active as a performer, Sainsbury has recorded a CD of his own piano music, from which his Cuban Fantasy was given its premiere broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
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Willem Van Twillert (The Netherlands, b. 1952) studied the organ and piano at the Regional Music School in Amersfoort with Henk Seldenthuis. Starting in 1970, he studied the organ, improvisation, and composition at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam with Piet Kee and piano with Willem Brons. In 1975 he commenced a 3-year course of orchestral conducting studies with the Dutch orchestra conductor Anton Kersjes. In 1979, he obtained a diploma for Church Music and Performing Musician Cum Laude, with a teaching-endorsement for improvisation. A scholarship afforded him the opportunity to specialize in historic music between 1978 and 1981, including studies with Gustav Leonhardt (organ). In 1976, van Twillert was the first Dutch organist to reach the final of the ‘Grand Prix de Chartres’ in France.
Van Twillert is known internationally for his recordings of little-known organ music. In 1979, van Twillert was appointed organist for the Johanneskerk in Amersfoort. From 1976 until 2003, van Twillert was the owner-director of a private music school in Bunschoten, and he taught organ at the municipal academy of music in Zwolle between 1980 and 1988. In 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2014, he was invited to act as a jury member for the amateur organ competition of the Trust ‘Groningen Orgelland.’ Van Twillert has composed many psalm and choral arrangements. In Germany, his Toccata‚ ‘Thine be the Glory’ in the Romantic Style, was published by Dr. J. Butz. Since 2006 he has also been creating compositions for orchestras and various ensembles including choirs, while studying composition with Henk Alkema. In 2005, van Twillert won the second prize and the audience prize at the ‘Hinsz Composition Competition 2005’ at the Bovenkerk in Kampen, with his ‘Toccata a la Chaconne’ for the Organ.
During the Polish International Composers Competition in Mikołów in 2007, van Twillert won an honorary award with his ‘Sequence for Choir and Organ.’ In 2008, he won the PRIX GASTON LITAIZE for the organ composition PAR LE TEMPS at the Concours de Composition 2008 de la Fondation pour la Musique Comminges, France.
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