FESTIVAL BRIKCIUS
the 9th chamber music concert series in Prague (1st - 30th November 2020)
the 9th chamber music concert series in Prague (1st - 30th November 2020)
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You are invited to the Festival Brikcius - the 9th chamber music concert series in Prague (#BACH335, #VirtualVerdiChoir #CelloAcademyPrague), that that is held under the auspices of the Councillor of the City of Prague Hana Třeštíková and organized as a part of international Daniel Pearl World Music Days.
This year the festival planned to commemorate the 335th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven, the 250th anniversary of the death of Italian baroque composer Giuseppe Tartini, the 175th anniversary of the birth of French composer Gabriel Fauré, the 140th anniversary of the birth of Swiss - American composer Ernest Bloch, the 140th anniversary of the death of French - German composer Jacques Offenbach, the 140th anniversary of the birth of Jewish composer James Simon, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Armenian composer Alexander Arutiunian and the 22nd Festival Poetry Day (the 210th anniversary of the birth of poet Karel Hynek Mácha).
The 9th annual festival will feature Czech cellist František Brikcius, cellist and poet Anna Brikciusová, composer and organist Irena Kosíková and siblings cello chamber ensemble Duo Brikcius. For further information, visit http://Festival.Brikcius.com .
Concerts are held annually in November in Prague (for example the Baroque chapel of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Praga, the Military Church of St. Jan Nepomucký, the Štefánik Observatory and the New Mill Water Tower). Because of current situation all events will be held online only.
Free admissions and a retiring collections. Booking is essential via Eventbrite http://FestivalBrikcius.eventbrite.com .
Festival features online streaming of music documentary film MAKANNA (UPDATED: Friday 6th November), complete organ performance of 18 LEIPZIG CHORALES (Thursday 12th November), poetry reading POETRY DAY & ČAS VYPRŠEL / TIME IS UP (Monday 16th November), concert recording PRAGUE - BRNO: 6 CONTEMPORARY COMPOSERS FOR SOLO CELLO with visual accompaniment from the Observatory (Thursday 19th November) and final presentation of international project MUSICAL SOLIDARITY / COVID-19 (Thursday 26th November). It includes cello online master classes CELLO ACADEMY PRAGUE (1st - 30th November) via Zoom.
Like previous projects (e.g. "eSACHERe", "MAKANNA", "Duo Brikcius - 2 Cellos Tour", "Weinberger Tour", "Festival Brikcius", ...), Festival Brikcius forms part of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days, which commemorate the legacy of Jewish journalist, musician Daniel Pearl, brutally murdered by group of terrorists for defending freedom of speech. For more details about the Festival Brikcius, visit the websites http://Festival.Brikcius.com and http://www.FaceBook.com/FestivalBrikcius .
Donations are welcome (thank you for supporting our artist in this difficult time - https://www.paypal.me/Brikcius ).
UPDATED: Friday 6th November 2020
- 8:00 p.m.
- Online introduction of music documentary film MAKANNA will take place on Friday 6th November 2020 (UPDATED) at 8 p.m., to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Jiří Weil (1900 - 1959) and the 22nd festival Poetry day. The documentary, back in Prague following a screening in Beijing (the 9th European Union Film Festival in China), Lisbon (MUVI - the International Music Film Festival in Portugal), Mexico (FIC AUTOR - Author's International Film Festival) and London (WALTHAM FOREST CELLO FEST 2019 - "London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music", from the concert performance of MAKANNA (organised in the cooperation with the Jewish Museum in Prague and held under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel) is based on the novel of the Jewish writer Jiří Weil, about the rise and fall of the 7th century false prophet with his face covered with the green veil and his eyes glowing as embers. Featuring Jan Talich, Jan Židlický, František Brikcius, Irena Kosíková and Talich Chamber Orchestra. Admission by donation (cca 5-10 EUR suggested).
- Online complete organ performance of 18 LEIPZIG CHORALES will take place on Thursday 12th November 2020 at 8 p.m., to commemorate the 335th anniversary of the birth of Johann Sebastian Bach. Don’t miss cca 100 minutes of unique music set of 18 Leipziger Choräle (BWV 651-668) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) performed by Czech organist and composer Irena Kosíková. Admission by donation (cca 10-15 EUR suggested).
Thursday 12th November 2020
- 8:00 p.m.
Monday 16th November 2020
- 8:00 p.m.
- Virtual poetry reading POETRY DAY - ČAS VYPRŠEL / TIME IS UP from Anna Brikciusová's new poetry collection, with accompanying cello music by the author, is scheduled for Monday 16th November 2020 at 8 p.m., as a part of the 22nd Festival Poetry Day and the 210th anniversary of the birth of poet Karel Hynek Mácha (1810 - 1836). We recommend to buy authors collection of poems Do bouře and/or Kolibří úsměv (limited edition - https://www.kosmas.cz/autor/53059/anna-brikciusova ). Both the event and books in Czech only. This event will feature Sarabande from the Suite No. 5 in c minor for Solo Cello (BWV 1011) by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750). In the cooperation with the Bach Festival Gers and the Festival Poetry Day. Free entry (purchase of the book/s suggested).
- Streaming of concert recording PRAGUE - BRNO: 6 CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITIONS FOR SOLO CELLO with visual accompaniment from the Observatory will take place on Thursday 19th November 2020 at 8 p.m. Czech cellist František Brikcius will present cello works by leading composers from Prague and Brno (Luboš Fišer, Petr Hejný, Jan Jirásek, Irena Kosíková, Jiří Matys and Miloš Štědroň). You will hear Fantasie and Rondo (1982) by composer Jiří Matys, Metall Sonata (1983) by cellist, artist and composer Petr Hejný, Dilema (1987) by film composer Jan Jirásek, Sonata (1987) by music and film composer Luboš Fišer, Dances of King Lear (1995) by a composer from Brno, Miloš Štědroň, and Stopy (2004) by Czech composer and organist Irena Kosíková. Live recording of the concert held under the auspices of Václav Havel was released on CD with support of the Foundation Charta 77, the Music Foundation OSA and the Czech Music Foundation. Followed by concert tour "Brikcius Cello Tour" in the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom. In the cooperation with the Štefánik Observatory. Admission by donation (cca 5 EUR suggested).
Thursday 19th November 2020
- 8:00 p.m.
Thursday 26th November 2020
- 8:00 p.m.
- Final presentation of international project MUSICAL SOLIDARITY / COVID-19 will take place on Thursday 26th November 2020 at 8 p.m. under the auspices of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Praga. The Musical Solidarity Project / Covid-19 - #VirtualVerdiChoir is created and produced by Italian-Israeli soprano Nofar Yacobi, as a respond to the global COVID-19 crisis. In global collaboration with Festival Brikcius, 55 opera houses, orchestras, cultural institutions, 16 Sign Language professionals and about 500 performers (singers, instrumentalists, conductors, soloists, orchestra players, music students and even passionate amateurs) from 65 different countries. Free entry.
- Online cello master classes CELLO ACADEMY PRAGUE (1st - 30th November 2020). For the first time Festival Brikcius is introducing online cello master classes CELLO ACADEMY PRAGUE, that will take a place in November (1st - 31st) 2020. Individual remote cello lessons are held in November online via Zoom or Skype. All ages (4 - 99), levels (Initial Grade, Grades 1 - 8) and abilities (beginner, student, advanced) are welcome. Our cello tutors are cellists and cello teachers František Brikcius and Anna Brikciusová, members of chamber music ensemble Duo Brikcius [2 Cellists - 2 Siblings]. In the cooperation with the Cello Academy of Waltham Forest Cello Fest in London. Book your online cello course now. Each course includes 6 x 50 minutes online lessons (+ cca 5 minutes for technical set up), final online presentation workshop and a certificate of completion. Limited number of accepted students.
1st - 30th November 2020
Czech cellist František Brikcius was born in Prague, into a family with a distinguished cultural background. He has been playing the cello since early childhood. Following his cello studies at the Prague Conservatoire, he completed his Master's degree at the Janáček Academy of Music (JAMU) in the Czech republic. He furthered his cello skills at the Toho Gakuen Academy in Japan and later under the guidance of legendary cellist Prof. Anna Shuttleworth (student of Pablo Casals) in the United Kingdom (Eton Cello Master Classes and the University of Leeds).
He won the 2nd prizes at the Anglo-Czech Competition in London (1999), the International String Competition London (2000) and the International String Competition Jihlava (2003). He has been awarded many scholarships and fellowships, including the Czech Music Foundation (CHF), the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Music Foundation OSA, the Socrates-Erasmus, and the Gideon Klein Foundation for the propagation of works written by Jewish Holocaust Composers.
František chose to dedicate his life to the interpretation of cello compositions written by composers of the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, giving special consideration to compositions for solo cello. His favourites are cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, Max Reger, Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Britten.
He is particularly involved in researching, studying and performing works by Czech (Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Josef Suk and Irena Kosíková), Jewish & Terezín (Gideon Klein, Erwin Schulhoff, Zikmund Schul, Jaromír Weinberger, James Simon and David Popper) and contemporary composers (Conrad Beck, Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Benjamin Britten, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber and Witold Lutoslawski), playing on a "George Kriwalski" cello made in 1904.
Together with his sister Anna Brikciusová, he is a founder member of the "Duo Brikcius". He is artistic director of Festival Brikcius - Chamber Music Concert Series in Prague, Bach Festival Gers in France and Waltham Forest Cello Fest (the 1st London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music) in London.
František works as independent film-maker as well. His first music documentary film MAKANNA (in the cooperation with the Jewish Museum in Prague and under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel) was already screened in the Czech republic, China, Mexico and Portugal. He is currently working on new music documentary film eSACHERe (2021).
As a soloist František has performed at many festivals in Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liberland, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom.
František has been teaching cello for many years. He is experienced at taking students at all levels, able to give master classes as well as support beginners. He is giving cello master classes in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and remotely online via Zoom/Skype.
Served as a jury member in various competitions including the Berliner International Music Competition in Germany, the Music and Stars Awards, the Music International Grand Prix, the Sound Espressivo Global Competition, the Palm Beach International Music Awards, the King's Peak International Music Competition and the Baku International Cinema Festival in Azerbaijan.
More information about František Brikcius and his many cello projects is available on the websites https://www.Brikcius.com , https://www.Brikcius.com/CelloTutor and https://www.Twitter.com/Brikcius .
Czech cellist Anna Brikciusová was born in Prague, into a family with a distinguished cultural background. She began to play the cello in early childhood. After her studies at the Prague Conservatory in the cello classes of Prof. Jaroslav Kulhan and Prof. Viktor Moučka, Anna graduated under the tutelage of Prof. Vladan Kočí. Tutorials with Prof. Stanislav Apolín.
She has actively participated in many international cello master classes, the French Academy (Prof. J. Bárta), the Jihlava International Master Classes (Prof. D. Sella, Prof. E. Rattay) and the International Cello Interpretation Master classes (Prof. S. Apolín). She has performed in the Czech Republic, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Currently she is also writing. Anna Brikciusová was a nominee for the Dresdner Lyrikpreis, her collection of short stories "Eutanazie" was published by H+H (edited by Jan Suk). Her poems were published at the Revolver Revue, Souvislosti, Tvar, Reflex and Protimluv. Anna's collection of poems "Kolibří úsměv" was published by Protimluv (edited by Jan Suk). In 2018 she received international residency scholarship of the Visegrad Literary Residency Programme in Bratislava. Her autumnal yearly show is part of the Festival Poetry Day and the Daniel Pearl World Music Days. Her poem "Podzimní" was chosen for the Best Czech Poems 2018 anthology (Host) and for the anthology Short poem (Protimluv, 2020). Recently her collection of poems "Do bouře" was released by Nakladatelství Bor (2020).
Anna Brikciusová plays a "Benjamin Patočka" cello made in 1913. Together with her brother František Brikcius, she is a founder member of the "Duo Brikcius". More information is available on websites http://Anna.Brikcius.com .
Czech organist and composer Irena Kosíková was born in Prague into the intellectual family of prohibited philosopher Karel Kosík and literary scientist Růžena Grebeníčková, the Herder prize laureate.
She began her organ studies with Prof. Jan Hora, together with piano lessons given by Prof. Eliška Kleinová and Prof. Arnoštka Grünfeldová. Irena Kosíková studied organ performance (Prof. Jaroslava Potměšilová) and conducting (Prof. Karel Fiala) at Ježek's Conservatory. For political reasons she was refused to further her studies. She took private composition lessons with Prof. Miroslav Raichl.
Finally after the Velvet Revolution she was accepted at the Janáček Academy of Music (JAMU) in Brno into the organ class of Prof. Alena Veselá and Prof. Kamila Klugarová. She graduated at the Academy of Music (HAMU) in Prague, under the guidance of Prof. Josef Popelka.
Irena Kosíková now gives organ concerts and intensively compose. Her works have been performed in the Czech Republic, Algeria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Sweden and in the United Kingdom. As an organist she specialises in the interpretation of organ works written by Johann Sebastian Bach: including performances of the complete Organ Toccatas, Voluntaries, Leipzig Chorales, The Art of Fugue, Organ Mass.
She is one of the six chosen composers (Jiří Matys, Petr Hejný, Jan Jirásek, Luboš Fišer, Miloš Štědroň and Irena Kosíková) of the project "Prague - Brno: 6 Contemporary Composers", held under the auspices of Václav Havel.
For the celebration of the Year of Jewish Culture - 100 Years of the Jewish Museum in Prague, she wrote orchestra composition "7 Candles" introduced, together with the work of murdered "Terezín" composers Gideon Klein (1919 - 1945) and Pavel Haas (1899 - 1944), in Prague and Terezín.
On the occasion of the 110th anniversary commemoration of the birth of Jewish writer Jiří Weil (1900 - 1959), Irena Kosíková was commissioned to create ballet "MAKANNA" for voice, cello and orchestra, it's concert performance was held under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel. Live recording is available on Supraphonline.cz and iTunes.
Music cooperation with the Talich Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, cellist Anna Brikciusová, Czech pianist Tomáš Víšek, cellist František Brikcius, siblings cello chamber ensemble Duo Brikcius, Czech Maestro Jan Talich and Russian conductor Mischa Rachlevsky.
Organ compositions in the interpretation of Irena Kosíková are published on YouTube, currently complete performance of Leipzig Chorales.
She currently resides in France. For more information about Czech composer and organist Irena Kosíková visit websites http://www.iKosik.com and http://Twitter.com/IrenaKosikova .
Duo Brikcius is a Czech chamber music ensemble created by two promising young cellists (brother and sister), Anna Brikciusová and František Brikcius. Both founding members are well acquainted with the solo cello repertoire, but decided to increase their repertoire with music written for this unusual combination (with great hidden potential) of two cellos. The main aims of Duo Brikcius are to study and perform works written for two cellos, enable the creation and performance of works that are not well known to the audience, encourage contemporary composers regardless of nationality or age), to create music for this ensemble, maintain the tradition of established composers, present Czech music culture abroad and bring to other people the joy of music.
Duo Brikcius has appeared in many festivals (for example Chotěbořské jaro, Boskovice, Baščaršijske noći, Duo Brikcius - 2 Cellos Tour, Dvořák festival, European days of Jewish culture, Století andělů a ďáblů v Pošumaví, Daniel Pearl Music Festival, Festival Culturel International de Musique Symphonique, Festival Smetanovské dny, Festival Brikcius, Festival Baroko v krvi, Bach Festival Gers) both in the Czech republic and abroad (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, etc.). More details are available on the website http://www.Brikcius.com .
"Života děj vane, či vleče mě sem i tam, leč jiskra vzpomínky zůstává mi ku svitu navzdory temnotě - - mnoho zdaru vám, Brikciusové!"
Vít Kremlička
