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.

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2013)

Josef Špaček
Background information
Born	1986 (age 35–36) Třebíč, Czechoslovakia
Genres	Classical
Occupation(s)	violinist, concert master
Instrument(s)	Violin
Years active	since 1992

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 worked both in the orchestra and as a solo violinist. In 2020 he left his concertmaster position in order to focus exclusively on his solo career. 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.

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 works of Sergei Prokofiev, Bedřich Smetana and Leoš Janáček. In 2015 Supraphon released his recording of concertos by Antonin Dvořák Leoš Janáček and the Fantasy of Suk, with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Jiří Bělohlávek.

References

External links

• Official website
• Profile on Nymus Artists

На других языках

[ru] Шпачек, Йозеф