Pražák Quartett
Pavel Hula violin
Vlastimil Holek violin
Josef Kluson viola
Michal Kanka cello
“Here we find generous lyricism, a wealth of tone, tension and rhythm, which make the Prazák Quartet one of the greatest present-day string quartets.” Diapason
The Prazák Quartet was created when its members were studying at the Prague Conservatory (1974–78). In 1978 the ensemble won first prize at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian. Next year it won a prize at the Spring Festival in Prague. The members of the quartet then decided to devote their carrers to playing together, proceeding to work with Antonin Kohout, cellist of the Smetana Quartet at the Prague Academy and with the Vlach Quartet. They went on to perfect their skills at the University of Cincinnati under the direction of Walter Levine (1st violinist of the La Salle Quartet). They then followed in the footsteps of ensembles involved in contemproary repertoire, in particular that of the second Viennese School. Since then, members of the Prazák Quartet made their name known as performers of central European repertoire, including works by Schoenberg, Berg, Zemlinsky and Webern, combined during concert tours with string quartets by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert and works by Bohemian and Moravian composers: Dvorák, Smetana, Suk, Novák, Janácek and Schulhoff, as well as works by contemporary composers. Having signed an exclusive contract with Praga Digitals, the Quartet has become one of the most important ensembles on the international concert circuit following the example of their older American (Juilliard, LaSalle) and European (Alban Berg) colleagues. This was due mainly to the recording of the complete quartets by Schoenberg, Berg, Beethoven and Brahms, thanks to which the Quartet is known as one of the most musically unified instrumental ensembles on the music scene today.
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