She is one of the foremost Czech soloists. Her impressive repertoire ranges from classical coloratura parts to contemporary music production. In 1986 she graduated from the Prague Academy of Performing Arts, where she studied singing.
In 1992 she became a soloist of the State Opera in Prague and one year later of the National Theatre in Prague. Her repertoire contains more than 20 coloratura and soubrette parts (Gilda, Susanne, Little Vixen, Blonde, Karolina, Rosina, Violetta etc.).
Zdena Kloubová has appeared on opera stages abroad, e.g. in Denmark, Belgium, Russia, Japan, Israel, Jordan, USA etc. She gives performances with Czech symphony and chamber ensembles (FOK, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Czech Philharmony, Virtuosi di Praga etc.) and regularly participates in Ancient Music Festivals in Germany.
She also gives song recitals and in 1985 she was the finalist in the Schumann International Singers Competition in Zwickau. She has recorded numerous CDs
Vratislav Kríz, born on July 17, 1957 in Pelhrimov, Czech Republic, graduated from the Prague Conservatory in 1981. He has participated successfully in various contest, including the Antonín Dvorák Contest where he won awards in both the domestic and international categories.
The first theatre engagement Vratislav Kríz held was with the State Opera in Ústí nad Labem where he performed for four years (1983-1987). During this time he also was awarded Second Prize in the Mozart Contest in Prague.
In 1987, Vratislav Kríz became a soloist of the National Theatre Opera in Prague where he is a celebrated star. In addition to his work with the National Theatre Opera in Prague, Vratislav Kríz performs in concerts in the Czech Republic and abroad. He has been invited by BRT (Belgium Radio and Television) to Brussels and Antverpen and by the BBC to perform Biblical songs in Cardiff.
He also participated in Opera Festival ENNA in Denmark where he presented Czech opera and songs. With the National Theatre in Prague he performed at the opera festival in Wiesbaden, Germany and in Thessaloniki, Greece. He has been invited for a concert tour in Switzerland and Germany and also to perform concerts in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
He is one of the best Czech violinists of the present day. He first studied at the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Musical Arts as a student of Prof. Frantisek Pospísil and Václav Snítil, then completed his education at master course led by Nathan Milstein and Gidon Kremer.
Svencený´s concert tours have covered every continent. He regularly performs as a soloist with Czech and world orchestras, as well as at international festivals (Prague Springs, Palermo, Bilbao, Gewandhaus Leipzig etc.). He has been invited as a teacher not only to many European countries, but also to USA, South America, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
So far he has recorded 26 CDs with the works of Czech and world composers. He was the first Czech violinist to record for Sony Classical World Series. In 1996 he was awarded the prize of Masaryk Academy of Arts.
Svecený is not only a well-known populariser of violin music, whose radio and television projects attract large audiences, but he is also recognised as an expert in violin construction.
In 1985 he graduated from the Prague Conservatory (concentration in piano and composition) and in 1990 from the School of Music of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague (concentration in composition).
Work: Besides compositions of so-called "classical music" (Metamorphoses of Symphony Orchestra, Concerto for Flute and Strings) he has to his credit almost seventy musical scores for films, television dramas and for the theatre.
Recently he has been working closely with the National Theatre in Prague ballet troupe - he has created the musical parts for ballets called the Young Mr. Friedmann, Psycho, Tschaikovsky, Coppélia, Isadora Duncan and for the dance comedy "Some like it ..."
As an instrumentalist he was active for five years in the Radio Prague Big Band and later became a founding member of several jazz ensembles (Hot Line, Jazzpress), which has reaped and still reaps success at club and festival stages at home and abroad. He took part in the recording of several dozen record albums as a pianist, arranger as well as producer.
He has been working together with Jaroslav Svecený since 1997 and found in each another ideal partners for successful concerts, where various musical genres meet and interact and where the established concepts about musical stereotypes have been demolished.
The band was established in 1920. During their many years of performing they have collected various awards for example the golden medal at the cup of Bari, Italy in 1960, the cup of Aleppo in 1976 and in the same year the certificate of Reward from President Ford during the 200 Years of Independence Festival.
The orchestra is well-known all over the world. Apart from numerous performances world wide (England, USA, Italy, Spain, France, Germany Switzerland, Yemen, Iran etc.) they reached millions of people via Television during the burial ceremony of His Late Majesty King Hussein in February 1999.
The Jordanian Armed Forces Band performs during important foreign visits. A large number of the Armed Forces Band studied in Austria at the Vienna Music Conservatory. They perform international classical music pieces, martial music and Arabic folk music.
The chamber orchestra Virtuosi Pragenses was founded by the eminent Czech violin virtuoso and conductor Libor Hlavácek in 1970:
The members of this renowned musical body are eminent Prague musicians. The revues appreciate their sense of music, the cultivated sound and precise performance of the compositions.
Besides the rich domestic concert activity (including taking part in the Prague Spring Festival) the orchestra Virtuosi Pragenses has performed on the significant foreign platforms such as Wiener Festwochen.
The Musical Festival in Dubrovnik, Festtage Passau etc.. It has recorded the great number of radio and TV recordings of the high artistic quality and it co-operates with Czech record companies.
This chamber orchestra has all outstanding works from baroque to the 20th century music in its repertory and co-operates with renowned domestic and foreign soloists.
(suggested travel program) - (history of the event)
