BARTÓK AND GERSHWIN – POLES OF THEIR TIME (?)
They lived a considerable part of their lives at the same time, yet quite differently. One was born in Europe, in the politically obsolete Austro-Hungarian Empire, the other was born in the time of industrialization in the thriving United States of America. What effect did these conditions have on their life’s work, their diversity and the direction they pioneered through their music? And what did they have in common (if anything)? After all, it was enough if Gershwin only lived a few years longer, and he could have met Bartók in the New World!
Interesting moments from the life and works of these two artists who through their music made their nations famous throughout the music world, will be brought to you not only in a piano recital but also a talk and projections presented by a distinctive personality of the youngest generation of Czech pianists, Jan Vojtek.
Jan Vojtek (b. 1995), native of Brno, inherited the musical talent after his mother, who has significantly contributed to the development of his musical talent. He sat down to the piano for the first time at the age of five. Distinctive flair and feeling for music was then recognized and developed by Jana Nováková at the František Jílek Art School in Brno. Under her leadership, he became a three times winner of the Amadeus International Competition in Brno (2002–2004), overall winner of the Prague Junior Note in Prague (2003) and the overall winner and holder of the Gradus ad Parnassum Grand Prix in Kaunas, Lithuania (2004).
Since 2005 he studied with prof. Jiří Doležel of Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts. He has won international competitions in Košice and in Ústí nad Labem (2007). He gained vast experience through official participation in the Gina Bachauer international competition in Salt Lake City, USA (2008). He performed with the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moravian Philharmonic in Olomouc and also the Kaunas Symphony Orchestra in Lithuania. He spent the “Mozartian” tour of Japan with the orchestra of the National Theatre in Brno.
Hungarian roots of his father became an advantage for studying at the Béla Bartók Conservatory and Music Gymnasium in Budapest (from 2009). In 2011 he again achieved absolute victory in the international competition in Kaunas, Lithuania and became the absolute winner of the Hungarian secondary music schools National Competition. In 2012 he won the Young Piano of the Prague Conservatory international competition and for the first time participated in Tel-Hai international master classes in Israel, where he received the Marina Bondarenko award for the best graduate of the course. He also visited Israel in 2013. Jan Vojtek currently studies piano at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. Besides music he loves airplanes and is interested in transport aviation since childhood. Insight and lightness coupled with impressive technique are some of the essential attributes of his piano playing.
The concert takes place on Monday, 14 December 2015 at 19.30.
The recital will include, among others, the following pieces:
Béla Bartók:
− Selection of Hungarian folk songs
− Suite op. 14
− Romanian National Dances
George Gershwin:
− A selection from his Songbook
− 3 Preludes
− Rhapsody in Blue
TICKET RESERVATIONS AND SALE:
Tickets will be on sale from 16 November, 2015 at info@tugendhat.eu or by phone at 515 511 015/017.
Ticket price is CZK 300.
The capacity is limited to 50 people.
Stiletto heels are not permitted in the interior of the villa.
You can download the poster here.
photo Dagmar Černoušková 
photo Dagmar Černoušková 
photo Petr Dvořák 
photo Petr Dvořák