Prazak Quartet
The new Prazak Quartet is the evolution of the Prazak Quartet, which has performed with great success worldwide for almost 50 years. This evolution began in 2015 when Jana Vonášková joined the quartet as first violin, bringing fresh energy to the group. Since her arrival, she has captivated audiences and critics alike with her expressive interpretations of the greatest works written for this chamber music ensemble, including the complete Beethoven quartets.
After careful consideration, the original Prazak Quartet has decided to retire at the end of the 2020-21 season and form a new ensemble under the same name, Prazak Quartet 2020. The quartet's pillars, violist and founding member Josef Klusoň and Jana Vonášková, will thus continue the tradition.
The new members, second violinist Marie Fuxová and cellist Jonáš Krejčí, possess extensive experience in chamber music and quartets, having played with the Pavel Haas Quartet, the Škampa Quartet, and the Petersen Quartet, as well as in numerous renowned orchestras and chamber ensembles. They bring their own experience and energy while remaining true to the tradition, character, and quality of the Czech Quartet.
The ensemble offers a wide-ranging repertoire from early Classical to contemporary works, as well as the renowned Czech quartet literature. Projects also include music by Czech-Jewish composers who perished during the Holocaust – Schulhoff, Ullmann, Krasa, Klein, and Haas.
The quartet's two new recordings for the Praga Digitals label (released in 2021 and 2022) include a CD of Joseph Haydn's last three quartets, which received praise from publications such as The Strad and Diapason, and a CD released in June 2022 in collaboration with pianist François Dumont to mark the 200th anniversary of César Franck's birth. In the upcoming season, which will commemorate important anniversaries of Czech composers, the quartet plans to record works by Dvořák's pupils Josef Suk and Vítězslav Novák.
After careful consideration, the original Prazak Quartet has decided to retire at the end of the 2020-21 season and form a new ensemble under the same name, Prazak Quartet 2020. The quartet's pillars, violist and founding member Josef Klusoň and Jana Vonášková, will thus continue the tradition.
The new members, second violinist Marie Fuxová and cellist Jonáš Krejčí, possess extensive experience in chamber music and quartets, having played with the Pavel Haas Quartet, the Škampa Quartet, and the Petersen Quartet, as well as in numerous renowned orchestras and chamber ensembles. They bring their own experience and energy while remaining true to the tradition, character, and quality of the Czech Quartet.
The ensemble offers a wide-ranging repertoire from early Classical to contemporary works, as well as the renowned Czech quartet literature. Projects also include music by Czech-Jewish composers who perished during the Holocaust – Schulhoff, Ullmann, Krasa, Klein, and Haas.
The quartet's two new recordings for the Praga Digitals label (released in 2021 and 2022) include a CD of Joseph Haydn's last three quartets, which received praise from publications such as The Strad and Diapason, and a CD released in June 2022 in collaboration with pianist François Dumont to mark the 200th anniversary of César Franck's birth. In the upcoming season, which will commemorate important anniversaries of Czech composers, the quartet plans to record works by Dvořák's pupils Josef Suk and Vítězslav Novák.
Niall Brown, Violoncello
After studying with Maurice Gendron, William Pleeth, Ralph Kirshbaum, Radu Aldulescu, Robert Masters, Alberto Lysy and Nadia Boulanger, Niall has established himself over the last four decades as an internationally recognized cellist, chamber musician and teacher.
As cellist of the renowned Australian String Quartet, principal cellist of the Camerata Bern and the Scottish Ensemble, Niall has toured the world, performing in some of the most prestigious concert halls and festivals, including Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, London; Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer Centre, New York; Théâtre des Champs Elysées and Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris; Konzerthaus and Philharmonie, Berlin; Sydney Recital Hall and Melbourne Concert Hall, Australia; Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Menuhin Festival, Gstaad and Semaine Internationale de Piano, Blonay, Switzerland; Sydney and Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Australia; Festival Lysy, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria; and Incontri in Terra di Siena, Italy, collaborating with artists such as Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Nikita Magaloff, Janos Starker, Bruno Giuranna, Stephen Kovacevich, Paul Coker, Melvyn Tan, Edith Fischer, and Alberto Lysy. Antonio Lysy, Prazac Quartet, Sine Nomine Quartet, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Thomas Füri and Milan Horvat.
Since 1990, Niall has performed with pianist Isabelle Trüb around the world to enthusiastic audiences. Their recordings include the complete works for cello and piano by Fauré and Schumann, the sonatas of Brahms, and collected works by Hindemith.
In 2009, Niall founded the "Automne Musical d'Ollon" in Switzerland, where Niall's passion for chamber music is expressed in the performance of great new and old masterpieces.
A dedicated educator, Niall was Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide, Australia, and at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland, as well as Professor of Chamber Music at the Conservatoire du Nord in Luxembourg. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses in Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and the United States. In 2015 and again in 2022, he was a Visiting Professor at UCLA in Los Angeles. He has also given cello and chamber music courses at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Australia, National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, and the Utrecht Conservatory of Music in the Netherlands. He also organizes the International Master Academy for Chamber Music, which takes place annually in Germany.
Niall, who lives in Luxembourg, combines the position of deputy chief cellist of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra with his numerous chamber music and teaching commitments.
As cellist of the renowned Australian String Quartet, principal cellist of the Camerata Bern and the Scottish Ensemble, Niall has toured the world, performing in some of the most prestigious concert halls and festivals, including Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, London; Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer Centre, New York; Théâtre des Champs Elysées and Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris; Konzerthaus and Philharmonie, Berlin; Sydney Recital Hall and Melbourne Concert Hall, Australia; Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Menuhin Festival, Gstaad and Semaine Internationale de Piano, Blonay, Switzerland; Sydney and Adelaide Festival of the Arts, Australia; Festival Lysy, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria; and Incontri in Terra di Siena, Italy, collaborating with artists such as Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Nikita Magaloff, Janos Starker, Bruno Giuranna, Stephen Kovacevich, Paul Coker, Melvyn Tan, Edith Fischer, and Alberto Lysy. Antonio Lysy, Prazac Quartet, Sine Nomine Quartet, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Thomas Füri and Milan Horvat.
Since 1990, Niall has performed with pianist Isabelle Trüb around the world to enthusiastic audiences. Their recordings include the complete works for cello and piano by Fauré and Schumann, the sonatas of Brahms, and collected works by Hindemith.
In 2009, Niall founded the "Automne Musical d'Ollon" in Switzerland, where Niall's passion for chamber music is expressed in the performance of great new and old masterpieces.
A dedicated educator, Niall was Professor of Cello and Chamber Music at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide, Australia, and at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland, as well as Professor of Chamber Music at the Conservatoire du Nord in Luxembourg. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses in Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and the United States. In 2015 and again in 2022, he was a Visiting Professor at UCLA in Los Angeles. He has also given cello and chamber music courses at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Australia, National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, and the Utrecht Conservatory of Music in the Netherlands. He also organizes the International Master Academy for Chamber Music, which takes place annually in Germany.
Niall, who lives in Luxembourg, combines the position of deputy chief cellist of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra with his numerous chamber music and teaching commitments.
Isabelle Trüb, Klavier
Pianist Isabelle Trüb was born into a family of musicians and discovered her passion for chamber music in all its forms at an early age. As a scholarship recipient of the Swiss foundations Goehner/Migros, she completed her musical training at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
After returning to Switzerland, she was engaged as a pianist/harpsichordist by the International Menuhin Music Academy in Gstaad/Camerata Lysy. She regularly collaborates with numerous renowned artists, including cellists Pierre Fournier and Janos Starker, violist Bruno Giuranna, and violinists Shmuel Ashkenasi and Maxim Vengerov.
The duo, which she founded with her long-time partner, cellist Niall Brown, has an extensive repertoire and has recorded, among other things, the complete works of Gabriel Fauré, Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann and Paul Hindemith.
Since teaching also plays a very important role in her career, Isabelle worked for ten years as a piano and chamber music teacher at the Ecole Sociale de Musique in Lausanne, Switzerland. From 1997 to 2006, she lived in Australia, where she worked as a teacher and piano accompanist at the University of Adelaide. She serves as an expert judge for the AMEB examinations and gives numerous chamber music concerts in Australia and Europe. Since 2006, Isabelle has lived in Luxembourg, where she initially worked as a cultural journalist before being hired by the Conservatoire de Musique de la Ville de Luxembourg, where she has been teaching piano accompaniment and working as a piano accompanist for several years.
Elisabeth Perry, Violine
The versatile British violinist Elisabeth Perry is widely known for her contributions to all facets of the musical profession. Praised for her virtuosity in the standard repertoire, she is a passionate advocate of contemporary music, a dedicated chamber musician, a committed teacher, and an internationally acclaimed concertmaster. Ms. Perry is unanimously praised for her ability to convey urgency while simultaneously highlighting the distinctive lyrical and dramatic qualities of a vast repertoire.
Ms. Perry displayed great musical talent from a young age. She had the privilege of being accepted into the first class of Yehudi Menuhin's school in 1963. At the age of 14, Perry shared the stage with Lord Menuhin in a memorable concert at the Royal Albert Hall and subsequently recorded Bach's Double Concerto with him for Teldec. Perry was a sought-after guest soloist with Britain's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Generous scholarships enabled her to continue her studies at the Juilliard School in the renowned class of Dorothy Delay and Oscar Shumsky. She made a name for herself in the United States by winning the prestigious New York Concert Artists Guild Competition and being invited to perform Bartók's Second Violin Concerto at Orchestra Hall in Chicago.
Her passion for contemporary music and commitment to expanding the violin repertoire led to numerous celebrated world premieres. Perry was the first to perform Alfred Schnittke's Quasi Una Sonata, giving its US premiere at Lincoln Center.
Her critically acclaimed recordings attest to her world premieres of works by Michael Nyman and Andrew Poppy. In 1984, her CD recording of Leon Kirschner's Duo for Violin and Piano was released in the American Heritage Series.
Ms. Perry, known for her leadership qualities in orchestral settings, was concertmaster of the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss from 1985 to 1999. Since 1991, she has been concertmaster of the Rundfunk-Kammerorchester and since 2013 also of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.
Ms. Perry displayed great musical talent from a young age. She had the privilege of being accepted into the first class of Yehudi Menuhin's school in 1963. At the age of 14, Perry shared the stage with Lord Menuhin in a memorable concert at the Royal Albert Hall and subsequently recorded Bach's Double Concerto with him for Teldec. Perry was a sought-after guest soloist with Britain's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Generous scholarships enabled her to continue her studies at the Juilliard School in the renowned class of Dorothy Delay and Oscar Shumsky. She made a name for herself in the United States by winning the prestigious New York Concert Artists Guild Competition and being invited to perform Bartók's Second Violin Concerto at Orchestra Hall in Chicago.
Her passion for contemporary music and commitment to expanding the violin repertoire led to numerous celebrated world premieres. Perry was the first to perform Alfred Schnittke's Quasi Una Sonata, giving its US premiere at Lincoln Center.
Her critically acclaimed recordings attest to her world premieres of works by Michael Nyman and Andrew Poppy. In 1984, her CD recording of Leon Kirschner's Duo for Violin and Piano was released in the American Heritage Series.
Ms. Perry, known for her leadership qualities in orchestral settings, was concertmaster of the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss from 1985 to 1999. Since 1991, she has been concertmaster of the Rundfunk-Kammerorchester and since 2013 also of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.
Richard Wolfe, Viola
Richard Wolfe was born in New York City, where he studied viola.under the direction of Aaron Shapinsky. After studies with Dorothy DeLayand Walter Levin (first violinist of the LaSalle Quartet) he moved to Israel. AsAs a member of the Israel Chamber Orchestra, he performed as an A-soloist in the ""Soldier's Tale of the Soldiers" by Stravinsky. This was also his first professional performance.as violist in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.
In 1982, Richard settled in the Netherlands and in 1984 began a 35-year Term of office as principal violist of the Netherlands Philharmonic / of the NetherlandsChamber orchestras. He often performed as a soloist with these orchestras. Among others, withConcerts by Henk Badings, Leo Smit,Mozart (Sinfonia Concertante) and Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No. 6). InIn his retirement year of 2019, a CD of the Sinfonia Concertante with violinist was released by the Tacet label.Gordan Nikolitch and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra published.
Richard was a lecturer in viola at the conservatories of Utrecht andAmsterdam and has been an enthusiastic chamber musician for half a century.In the USA he was a member of Sergiu Lucas Music in Context
and in Belgium by Roel Dieltien's Ensemble Explorations.In the Netherlands he is a member of the Rietveld Ensemble and the MonwardWife.
