Jury

Introducing the jury of 60th Beethoven's Hradec in violoncello

Jiří Hanousek
the chairman of the jury

He is a graduate of the Conservatory in Ostrava, where he studied cello under PhDr. Ivana Měrka and Prof. Jan Hališka. At the same time, he studied composition with Jaromír Podešva. After graduating from the conservatory, he continued his studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under Prof. Miloš Sádlo. He demonstrated his talent and mastery, among other achievements, by earning the title of laureate of the Prague Spring International Competition.

He has had a rich concert career. As a soloist and concertmaster of the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava, he performed at concerts across Europe, the USA, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia.

He recorded Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor and, in its premiere, the Cello Concerto by American composer Ch. R. Berry with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava. For the American label Centaur, he recorded the Cello and Piano Sonatas by B. Martinů with pianist Pavel Kašpar, and for the Swiss label Tudor, the Cello Sonatas of J. B. Foerster. In co-production with Bavarian Radio, he recorded Cello and Piano Sonatas by 20th-century French composers C. Debussy, F. Poulenc, and Ch. Koechlin for the Italian label Real Sound. He also participated in the recording of chamber music by Jaromír Podešva. In his interpretation, the Czech premieres included Samuel Barber's Cello Concerto, Gérard Schurmann's *Gardens of Exile*, and Kurtág's *Three Pieces for Cello*. He has long been actively engaged in teaching at the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava and at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ostrava. He is regularly invited to serve on the juries of national and international competitions.

Michaela Fukačová

Michaela Fukačová established herself among the world’s elite in the 1990s, debuting in major cities such as London, Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin, New York, and Tokyo with leading orchestras and conductors. Her rapid rise was facilitated by a series of successes in prestigious competitions, including the Prague Spring, the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the W. Naumburg Competition in New York, and others.
A graduate of the Brno Conservatory, the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen, she further developed her extraordinary talent in London, Siena, and Los Angeles, including private studies with M. Rostropovich.
 

Although she has been living in Denmark for many years, she remains connected to the Czech cultural scene (collaborations with Josef Suk, Ivan Klánský, and her teaching activities here). In addition to the core works of the world’s cello repertoire, the artist enthusiastically takes on neglected compositions by old masters or, on the other hand, the latest premieres (Gramophone Award for her recording of Lieberson's concerto *Six Realms*).
 
She is the recipient of the Danish Critics' Award and an honorary member of the oldest Danish academy in Sorø. She plays an Italian instrument by Carlo Tononi from 1726.

Ramón Jaffé

Ramón Jaffé is an artist with a rich cultural and artistic background. He comes from Riga and studied with renowned masters such as Don Jaffé, Sandor Végh, and David Geringas. Jaffé is the recipient of many awards, and his solo career has taken him to major cities and concert halls around the world, including Berlin, Vienna, London, and St. Petersburg. He has performed with prestigious orchestras such as the RSO Vienna, Bavarian Radio, and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to classical music, Jaffé also dedicates himself to flamenco and has collaborated with prominent artists of this genre, including guitarist Pedro Bacan and jazz singer Bobby McFerrin. With his flamenco trio, he is a regular guest at prestigious festivals.
Jaffé is also a passionate chamber musician and a member of the "Mendelssohn Trio Berlin." His discography includes 28 CDs, including the first recording of B. Blacher's Cello Concerto. In 1995, he founded the Hopfgarten/Tirol Chamber Music Festival, where he serves as artistic director. For this work, he was awarded the Tyrolean Eagle Order. He is also dedicated to teaching at the Hochschule für Musik "C. M. v. Weber" in Dresden.

Eugen Prochác

A renowned Slovak cellist, educator, and conductor. He has performed as a soloist in over 40 countries and recorded several CDs for prestigious labels. He is the winner of the Premio Valentino Bucchi International Competition in Rome and the recipient of the Slovak Music Critics' Award. He teaches at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and regularly conducts masterclasses worldwide.

Prochác has collaborated with prominent artists such as Sofia Gubajdulina, Arto Noras, and Rick Wakeman, and has participated in projects with musicians from various genres, including Tribute to Freedom with Jon Anderson from the band Yes. In 2018, he founded the Czecho-Slovak Cello Quartet and toured several European countries. In 2021, he performed at festivals in Italy and France, and in 2022, in other European countries.

He is the founder of the International Festival of Beautiful Music in Banská Štiavnica and served as the main dramaturg of the festival in Al Ain and the Mozart Festival in Istanbul. He studied conducting with renowned educators and has conducted a number of prestigious orchestras.

Georg Baich

Georg Baich was born in 1958 in Graz, Austria, where he was admitted at the age of eight to the class for talented cellists of Hildgund Posch-Schwarz at the Music Academy of Graz (now KUG, Kunstuniversität Graz). After graduating in 1977, he continued his studies with Jannis Chronopoulos. In 1982, he graduated from the academy with a teaching diploma, and in 1983, he earned his concert diploma. From 1983 to 1985, he continued his cello studies at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg on a scholarship. His teacher, Emmanuil G. Fischmann, had a profound and inspiring influence on him both as a musician and a pedagogue.

Since 1989, Georg Baich has been teaching at the Vienna Music School and at MUK (Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität Wien). He is a respected teacher who fosters the development of young talents. Many of his students have become national and international competition winners, including at the International Cello Competition in Liezen, Austria, the David-Popper Competition in Hungary, the A. Prochazka Competition in Košice, the J. Mravinsky Competition in St. Petersburg, the A. Janigro Competition in Croatia, and the Whitgift International Music Competition in London, UK.

For over twenty years, he has also been leading masterclasses in various countries, such as Fire of Orpheus in Bulgaria and the Gudaca Festival in Kotor, Montenegro.

The Opening concert

The opening ceremony of the 60th International Music Competition Beethoven's Hradec will take place on Tuesday, June 10th at 6:00 PM in the concert hall of the Minorite Monastery.

Programme:

Ludwig van Beethoven: 7 Variations on the Duet "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen" for Cello and Piano in E-flat Major
Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek: Variations for Cello and Piano Op. 9 Introduzione. Larghetto. Thema con variazioni – Finale. Allegro con brio
————–
Petr Doubravský: Five Compositions for Cello and Piano Op. 7 Salon – Amoroso-tradico – Scherzino – Memory of Vítězslav Novák – Perpetuum mobile
Bohuslav Martinů: Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 3 Poco Andante. Moderato – Andante – Allegro (ma non Presto)

Performing
Eliška Novotná - piano
Jiří Hanousek - violoncello

Tickets for 250 CZK/150 CZK (discount for seniors and children up to 15 years old) will be sold before the concert. The concert is part of subscription of city Opava.

Participants of the 60th year of the competition

36 cellists from Europe and Asia have been accepted to participate in the competition, and they will meet in Opava from June 10th to 14th at the 60th annual Beethovenův Hradec International Interpretation Competition.

The List of the Participants

1. Aalto Artturi | FINSKO / FINLAND
2. Andreieva Polina | SLOVENSKO / SLOVAKIA
3 Augustyniak Zuzanna | POLSKO / POLAND
4. Bárta Josef | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
5. Bartoň Josef | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
6. Brzezicka Natalia | POLSKO / POLAND
7. Csoka Jozef | SLOVENSKO / SLOVAKIA
8. Daub Hanna | NĚMECKO / GERMANY
9. Garbiec Radosław | POLSKO / POLAND
10. Hatano Taroh | JAPONSKO / JAPAN
11. Herajn Petr | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
12. Hurníková Natalie | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
13. Chen Hanxiang | ČÍNA / CHINA
14. Ishida Sara | JAPONSKO / JAPAN
15. Jo Ho Youn | JIŽNÍ KOREA / SOUTH KOREA
16. Jung Seyeon | JIŽNÍ KOREA / SOUTH KOREA
17. Kalivodová Lucie | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
18. Kim Jisoo | JIŽNÍ KOREA / SOUTH KOREA
19. Lim Seoyeon | JIŽNÍ KOREA / SOUTH KOREA
20. Meipariani Anna | GRUZIE-NĚMECKO / GEORGIA-GERMANY
21. Midor Fryderyk | POLSKO / POLAND
22. Mikawa Keishiro | JAPONSKO / JAPAN
23. Molčanová Magdaléna | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
24. Murbach Jula | NĚMECKO / GERMANY
25. Nagyová Júlia Sofia | SLOVENSKO / SLOVAKIA
26. Nekvasilová Anna | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
27. Palecki Kajetan | POLSKO / POLAND
28. Petrov Jan | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
29. Pilz Sebastian | NĚMECKO / GERMANY
30. Plocková Štěpánka | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
31. Rufer Filip | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
32. Schubert Martin | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
33. Strnadová Naďa | ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA / CZECH REPUBLIC
34. Szymula Aniela | POLSKO / POLAND
35. Tagami Fumina | JAPONSKO / JAPAN
36. Wehrmeyer Michael | NĚMECKO / GERMANY

The application capacity is full

Thank you all for the tremendous interest in the 60th edition of the Beethovenův Hradec competition in the cello category. The competition is already at full capacity!

Remembrance of the 59th Beethoven's Hradec finals

The finals of the 59th International Interpretation Competition Beethovenův Hradec in the violin category took place on June 16, 2024, at the Church of St. Wenceslas. Watch a short video featuring performances by the three finalists: Sakura Nakagawa, Katharina Auer, and Yungi Kaneko.

Announcement of the 60th International Interpretation Competition Beethovenův Hradec in the Cello Category

The jubilee 60th edition of the International Interpretation Competition Beethovenův Hradec will focus on cello performance and will take place from June 10 to 14, 2025, in Opava.

The competition is open to performers up to the age of 30. Applications will open in the fall of 2024, and the competition is limited to 35 participants.

Complete competition conditions can be downloaded here:

Reportáž TV Polar 2024

Violinists from all over the world competed in the Beethoven's Hradec International Competition.

The 59th Beethoven's Hradec International Interpretation Competition took place in Opava. It was attended by 38 talented performers from all over the world, which is the maximum number, and this time they competed in the violin game.

Fotografie finalistů 2024

Three finalists advanced to the finals. The first to perform was Sakura Nakagawa z Japonska, která se představila s Čajkovského Koncertem D dur op. 35, za jehož provedení získala 2. místo. Po ní přišla na pódium rakouská houstistka Katharina Auer, která si pro finále vybrala Dvořákův Koncert a moll op., za něž obdržela 3. místo. Po krátké přestávce vystoupil nejmladší finalista Yungi Kaneko z Německa s Beethovenovým Koncert v D dur op. 61., kterého porota vybrala za the winner of the 59th edition of Beethoven Hradec..

Photos of the finalists were taken by Martin Kusyn.

Fotografie z finále 2024

The grand finale of the 59th Beethoven Hradec took place on Sunday, June 16, in the church of St. Vaclav's. Three finalists – Sakura Nakagawa, Katharina Auer and Yungi Kaneko – presented themselves before the jury, chaired by the concert master of the Czech Philharmonic, Jiří Vodička, each of finalists performed the selected concert accompanied by the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, conducted by Stanislav Vavřínek.

Look at the photos of Martin Kusyn, who captured the atmosphere of the concert and the international jury.

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