Czechlist

1) Solo musicians
Violin:
Vaclav Dvorak is to be highly recommended as soloist or pedagogue.
Martin Kos was also a recent leader of the Czech Nonet; he is currently leader of the SUK Chamber Orchestra and does much solo work.
Ivana Tomaskova , currently a lecturer at Melba Conservatory in Melbourne, Australia, has won many international prizes and has wide experience of solo work and chamber music playing.
Jana Vonaskova Novakova, the violinist of the Smetana Trio, also forms a duet with her husband, bassoonist Vaclav Vonasek and with her brother, pianist Petr Novak.
Viola:
Jitka Hosprova is known for her beauty, but make no mistake, this is no substitute for outstanding viola playing!
Cello:
Martin Skampa (one of the celebrated Skampa family), has given over 1000 recitals, both as soloist and in cello/piano duos, in 18 European countries.
Jan Palenicek, soloist and cellist of the Smetana Trio and the son of the celebrated pianist. He is also a notable teacher and has a large discography.
Organ:
Jaroslav Tuma, is an organist of enormous experience who has given concerts all over Europe, in the USA, Japan and Singapore, and won international prizes for improvisation.

Katerina Chrobokova (also an expert on the harpsichord) has started a most promising international career.

Harpsichord:
Monika Knoblochova has studied with many notable musicians, including Ton Koopman, and has emerged a fine player with a particularly extensive repertoire.
Pianists:
Petr Jirikovsky’s name crops up constantly as soloist, chamber musician (see also under “Trios” ) and accompanist.
Jiri Pazour is a professor of improvisation on the piano at the Prague Conservatoire and can improvise on anything in any style, from Bach to pop.
Jitka Cechova, well known as both soloist and chamber musician, has made a large number of CDs and will shortly complete recording of the entire works of Smetana for piano. She is also the pianist of the Smetana Trio.
Stepan Kos is a key member of the MLADOTA Ensemble (see para 2) but also a soloist and chamber music player of great versatility.

Tomas Spurny is a chamber musician and accompanist for international singers; his programmes concentrate on 19th-century composers from the German-Bohemian area. He also revives works and collates many of the manuscripts.  
Oboe:
Jana Brozkova is member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and of In modo camerale; she also does much solo work.
Clarinet:
Ludmila Peterkova is one of the outstanding wind players of her generation.
Harp:
Katerina Englichova - all-round excellence!
2) Chamber ensembles and orchestras
Duos:
The Duo Bialas-Bialasova are a father-and-daughter team, offering piano 4-hands or piano duet, with a very large repertoire of modern works as well as standard works. The Duo Vlachova-Ericsson is also somewhat unusual, representing a husband-and-wife team of violinist and cellist; both are probably better known as members of the Vlach Quartet. This duo has an impressive number of works specially written for it.
The Czech/Brazilian duo of Jaroslav Sonsky (violin) and Patricia Bretas (piano) was founded in 2001; it has since given a large number of concerts on the S.American and European continents.

Duo Veverka/Englichová. The combination of oboe and harp is unusual; both players are virtuosi soloists but their ensemble playing is also excellent.
Trios:
The Czech String Trio plays with style and verve; their broad repertoire includes less-known classics, works by Bohemian composers and contemporary music . The Martinu Piano Trio (ex Academia) , with pianist Petr Jirikovsky, is an up-and-coming trio of conventional composition but sparkling performance!
The Smetana Piano Trio can now be considered a world-class ensemble.
The Bergerettes Trio is a young piano trio which is definitely to be watched in the future.
The Trio BOHEMIA LUXEMBOURG, recently founded, is the first permanent chamber ensemble combining Luxembourg and Czech musicians: Luxembourg flautist Carlo Jans, harpist Katerina Englichova (on this page) and Jitka Hosprova, viola (ditto).
The AD (Antonin Dvorak) Trio, recently formed, features two section leaders of the Prague Symphony Orchestra plus star pianist Martin Kasik.

The second permanent Czech/Luxembourgish ensemble, the piano trio ALEA, is composed of more youthful players.
Quartets:
Prague is the world capital of the string quartet!
Visit the Martinu, well-established at international level, well liked wherever they go, with an impressive discography (including two 5-star ratings); Apollon can switch with ease from classical music to jazz in the same concert; Kapralova, is probably one of the best all-female quartets in the world.
The Zemlinsky Quartet (formerly the Penguin Quartet) is an up-and-coming ensemble whose members devote themselves to quartet playing only, which is unusual for youthful players. They already have a Diapason d’or to their credit.
The Czech Philharmonic Quartet consists of Pavel Eret (violin virtuoso) and three members of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra but, though supported to a limited extent by the Czech Phil, it works quite independently of the orchestra. The EVE Quartet is a youthful all-female string quartet which shows great promise.

Wind instruments are superbly represented by In modo camerale - oboe, clarinet, bassoon and piano.
The Prague Guitar Quartet is one of the few guitar quartets which can rival the leading ensembles from the famous “guitar countries”.
Quintets:
The Prague Spirit Quintet, consisting of string quartet + db, represents the lighter muse. Evergreens, jazz and pop, most of it arranged in masterly fashion, flow from this ensemble!
Larger chamber ensembles
The MLADOTA Ensemble, consisting basically of string quintet + piano but adaptable, has had a meteoric career since its inception in 2003.
Orchestras
The Czech Chamber Orchestra has its origins in the celebrated Talich Orchestra – and draws many of its players from the Czech Philharmonic.
The Prague Chamber Orchestra (PKO) is usually so called but this omits an important part of the title: "Without conductor". Top-class chamber orchestra which plays with or without winds but usually with a conductor-leader.

The chamber orchestra Camerata Moravia from Olomouc rivals the best Prague orchestras.
Other chamber ensembles
The members of the wind octet Czech Wind Harmony (2 each of oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns) are all soloists in their own right.
Amateur orchestras:
The Prague amateur orchestra KOA (Chamber orchestra "Akademie") is of good standard and very active.
3) Choirs and singers
ME has friendly relations with several professional solo singers and amateur choirs in the Czech Republic; please ask for further information.
Hana Jonasova, soprano has great experience in operatic and oratorio singing as does Karolina Berkova (mezzo)..
Eva Garajova, a full-blooded mezzo from Bratislava, has sung opera and a wide variety of other vocal music with many of the best(Mackerras, Carreras).
Another highly recommended mezzo is Karla Bytnarová.
4) CDs and Music publishers
Though the great age of the Czech CD has passed, you will still find excellent value for money at ArcoDiva.
Instrumental and voice sheet music of all kinds, Czech and foreign publishers: Talacko Music, Rybna 29, Prague 1
5) Concert agents
Representing one or more Czech musicians in:
Germany:
M-Impresariat
Czech Republic:
ArcoDiva (see under 4).
TRIART Management
Jahoda Arts Management
Jan Nykryn

6) Music courses
For music courses in the Czech Republic, please see the AGENDA page on this site.
Playing with the Professionals (PLAYWIP) is a new kind of course in which top professionals sit in the same ensemble as the amateurs - for a whole week in some cases. Early music courses will be found on the Modigaudio site (see next section).