Sojka Quartett
Sojka Quartett was formed in 1992 when the students Martin Kos, Martin Kaplan, Petr Žežulka and Vladislava Ptáková from the Academy of Music in Prague met repeatedly while performing "Images" by young composer Jitka Koželuhová. Violist Petr Žežulka was soon replaced by Josef Fiala, with whom the quartet had staged chamber music by Koželuhová. The quartet broke up over the tragic death of cellist.
Sojka Quartett resumed their activities in 2009 with Hana Vítková playing the cello. In Pilsen, Prague and Regensburg the quartet performed songs composed by students in the Pilsen Conservatory Class of Jiří Bezděk..
The quartet regularly performed in many places, but especially in West Bohemia, Prague and Germany. So far, among others, Sojka Quartet has performed String Quartet No.2 in D minor by czech composer Bedřich Smetana, the Piano Quintet in A major, op.81 and String Quartet in F major, op.96 "American" by composer Antonín Dvořák, Piano Quartet in A minor Op.1 by Josef Suk, Janáček's String Quartet No.1 "Inspired by Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata", Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute in an arrangement for string Quartet, Beethoven's String Quartet in C minor, op.18.No.4, Schubert's Piano Quintet in A major, "Trout" op.114 and String Quartet in D minor "Death and the Maiden" and othets.
Sojka quartett rehearsed and performed well the quartet works of contemporary Czech and German composers, with some of these songs mentioned in their premiere.
Another interesting action by Sojka Quartett is their participation in the ongoing cycle of concerts, "Fascinating World Music", which focus on the implementation of important, rarely reported quartets of the XX. century. ("Loos and second Viennese school", Czech interwar modernism), performing the cycle "Almoshof - Plzeň or Czech - German musical meeting", and the cooperation of German clarinetist Joseph Laszlo, professor at the University of Regensburg.
The members of Sojkovo Quartett live in Pilsen, which lies about 100 kilometers southwest of Prague, the Czech capitol.
Members of the SojkaQuartett
Martin Kos (violin) - studied at the Conservatory in Pilsen under Jindřiška Holotová at the Academy of Music in the class of Vladimír Rejšek. Kos was a member of the M.Nostitz Quartet from 1995 to 1998, and with this quartet completed three years of training under G.Pichler and T.Kakuska at the Hochschule für Musik und Kunst darstellende in Vienna. From 2002 - 2005 he served as first violinist of the Czech Nonet. He premiered violin pieces by contemporary composers Lukáš Hurník , Josef Marek, Jitka Koželuhová and Mark Kopytman. Since 1999 he has been concert master, art director and soloist of the Suk Chamber Orchestra in Prague and from 2007 has also acted as concert master of the Opera Orchestra Tyl Theatre in Pilsen.
Martin Kaplan (violin) - studied at the Conservatory in Pilsen under Jindřiška Holotová at the Academy of Music in the class of Ivan Štraus. He has participated in music courses in Siena, Italy in the classroom of Yuri Belkin and Uto Ughi. In the years 1998 - 2008 he was a concert master of the Opera Orchestra Theatre in Pilsen. Since 1996 he has taught at the conservatory in Pilsen. He is noted for his exceptional improvisational skills applied to folk duo performances with Josef Fiala.
Josef Fiala (viola) - studied at the Conservatory in Pilsen under Jan Motlík and the Music
Academy of Performing Arts in the class of Lubomír Malý. He has participated in music courses AMEROPA in chamber music by Vadim Mazo and Semyon Yaroshevich. Since 1987 he has taught at the Pilsen Conservatory and at the Art School in Pilsen. He also edits folk songs and interpretation of Czech folklore.
Hana Vítková (violoncello) - studied at the Prague Conservatory and František Pišinger
Academy of Performing Arts in the class of Rudolf Lojda and Miloš Sádlo. During her studies she participated in domestic and foreign competitions both solo and quartet. Today she works as concert master of the group cello opera orchestra DJKT in Pilsen and has devoted herself to teaching and performing chamber music.
Sojka Quartett was formed in 1992 when the students Martin Kos, Martin Kaplan, Petr Žežulka and Vladislava Ptáková from the Academy of Music in Prague met repeatedly while performing "Images" by young composer Jitka Koželuhová. Violist Petr Žežulka was soon replaced by Josef Fiala, with whom the quartet had staged chamber music by Koželuhová. The quartet broke up over the tragic death of cellist.
Sojka Quartett resumed their activities in 2009 with Hana Vítková playing the cello. In Pilsen, Prague and Regensburg the quartet performed songs composed by students in the Pilsen Conservatory Class of Jiří Bezděk..
The quartet regularly performed in many places, but especially in West Bohemia, Prague and Germany. So far, among others, Sojka Quartet has performed String Quartet No.2 in D minor by czech composer Bedřich Smetana, the Piano Quintet in A major, op.81 and String Quartet in F major, op.96 "American" by composer Antonín Dvořák, Piano Quartet in A minor Op.1 by Josef Suk, Janáček's String Quartet No.1 "Inspired by Tolstoy's Kreutzer Sonata", Mozart's Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute in an arrangement for string Quartet, Beethoven's String Quartet in C minor, op.18.No.4, Schubert's Piano Quintet in A major, "Trout" op.114 and String Quartet in D minor "Death and the Maiden" and othets.
Sojka quartett rehearsed and performed well the quartet works of contemporary Czech and German composers, with some of these songs mentioned in their premiere.
Another interesting action by Sojka Quartett is their participation in the ongoing cycle of concerts, "Fascinating World Music", which focus on the implementation of important, rarely reported quartets of the XX. century. ("Loos and second Viennese school", Czech interwar modernism), performing the cycle "Almoshof - Plzeň or Czech - German musical meeting", and the cooperation of German clarinetist Joseph Laszlo, professor at the University of Regensburg.
The members of Sojkovo Quartett live in Pilsen, which lies about 100 kilometers southwest of Prague, the Czech capitol.
Members of the SojkaQuartett
Martin Kos (violin) - studied at the Conservatory in Pilsen under Jindřiška Holotová at the Academy of Music in the class of Vladimír Rejšek. Kos was a member of the M.Nostitz Quartet from 1995 to 1998, and with this quartet completed three years of training under G.Pichler and T.Kakuska at the Hochschule für Musik und Kunst darstellende in Vienna. From 2002 - 2005 he served as first violinist of the Czech Nonet. He premiered violin pieces by contemporary composers Lukáš Hurník , Josef Marek, Jitka Koželuhová and Mark Kopytman. Since 1999 he has been concert master, art director and soloist of the Suk Chamber Orchestra in Prague and from 2007 has also acted as concert master of the Opera Orchestra Tyl Theatre in Pilsen.
Martin Kaplan (violin) - studied at the Conservatory in Pilsen under Jindřiška Holotová at the Academy of Music in the class of Ivan Štraus. He has participated in music courses in Siena, Italy in the classroom of Yuri Belkin and Uto Ughi. In the years 1998 - 2008 he was a concert master of the Opera Orchestra Theatre in Pilsen. Since 1996 he has taught at the conservatory in Pilsen. He is noted for his exceptional improvisational skills applied to folk duo performances with Josef Fiala.
Josef Fiala (viola) - studied at the Conservatory in Pilsen under Jan Motlík and the Music
Academy of Performing Arts in the class of Lubomír Malý. He has participated in music courses AMEROPA in chamber music by Vadim Mazo and Semyon Yaroshevich. Since 1987 he has taught at the Pilsen Conservatory and at the Art School in Pilsen. He also edits folk songs and interpretation of Czech folklore.
Hana Vítková (violoncello) - studied at the Prague Conservatory and František Pišinger
Academy of Performing Arts in the class of Rudolf Lojda and Miloš Sádlo. During her studies she participated in domestic and foreign competitions both solo and quartet. Today she works as concert master of the group cello opera orchestra DJKT in Pilsen and has devoted herself to teaching and performing chamber music.