Tomáš Tuláček - violin

Tomas Tulacek is a violinist of a wide – ranging interest, whose performances of the standard repertoire as well as of the twentieth-century and contemporary works have won him recognition in his native Czech Republic as well as in many other countries, including Great Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. Tomas was born into a long line of professional Prague musicians. He made his debut at the age of ten, with concerts and TV appearances in Poland, East Germany and the former Czechoslovakia. He studied with the distinguished teacher Jozef Micka. At the Prague Conservatoire, and later at the Prague Academy of Music, he was a student of Nora Grumlikova. In 1983, he was awarded a postgraduate scholarship that enabled him to study with Yfrah Neeman at the Guildhall School of Music in London. On completing his studies, he made London his home for many years, establishing himself as a performer and teacher there. He was always been keen to promote lesser known areas of the violin repertoire. In 1993 he made a CD of the twentieth-century and contemporary pieces by Gorecki, Bloch, Matthews, Foerster and Pokorny. Later Tomas recorded a second CD with the Czech pianist Vera Mullerova. He has also led the Lundonia and Lichtenstein ensembles, the Viotti Quartet and the Oxford and Zagreb chamber orchestras. He formed a duo partnership with the English pianist Julian Barber with whom he has performed classical works by Haydn, Vanhal and Hummel. He is due to give the first Israeli performances of four sonatas by Vanhal discovered at the Museum of Czech Music in Prague. There started his cooperation with the Israeli pianist Amit Dolberg, and the Israeli composers Ayal Adler, Yinam Leef, etc. Tomas naturally inclines to Israeli music and this is the reason why he with Ensemble Moscheles represents to public, besides the Czech less known composers of the 18th century, also present Israeli authors.

Angelika Pavlechová - mezzosoprano

Angelika was born in Banovce, Slovakia, into a music loving family. She started her singing lessons at Desider Kardos Conservatory of Music in Topolcany and continued later at the Catholic University in Ruzomberok, where she studied teaching methods in singing. During her time at University she received a Principal´s award for successfully representing College abroad and had collaborated with the University choir Benedictus as soloist, taking part in their foreign tours to Poland, Czech Republic, France and Hungary. In 2015 Angelika had completed her post - graduate studies at the Krakow Academy of Music as a student of Ewa Wolak and appeared to great critical acclaim in Handel´s Rodelinda and Mozart´s Marriage of Figaro as Cherubino. She had grown talented during her master courses by Evy Blahova, Jana Pastorkova, Jiri Kotouc, Mara Henzelova, Agnieszka Monasterska, Paweł Sobierajski, Iwona Sobotka, Malgorzata Walewska, Doris Yaris Cross, Ryszard Karczykowski and Piotr Kusiewicz. Upon her return to Slovakia, Angelika has been taking private singing lessons with well known teacher Vlasta Hudecova and pursued her solo career, appearing in Banska Bystrica Opera as Third lady in The magic Flute by W. A. Mozart and becoming a member of Ensemble Moscheles, specializing in performing music by Jewish romantic composers as well as Israeli contemporary music. She performed at the Prague International Music Festival, Classical .., where she performed as a soloist at the orchestral concert of Dvořák's Mass in D major, Op. 86, in collaboration with the Prague Philharmonic. She introduced herself to the Czech audience with the cycle Das Lied von der Erde for 13 string instruments by G. Mahler in collaboration with Indian conductor Debashish Chaudhuri. She also participated in the summer opera festival of young JIOM in Jerusalem, where she represented Slovakia in the opera gala evening on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Czechoslovak Republic and 70 years since the establishment of the state of Israel.

Ada Slivanská - violin

Ada Slivanská is a graduate of Prague´s Conservatoire where she studied violin and composition, and of the Charles University School of Liberal Art where she read musicology. Even during her studies she established a chamber ensemble named Quartetto con flauto with which she has cut four compact disc and has appeared on many domestic and foreign stages (Spain, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Italy, USA, and Japan). Following her graduation and a one year stint with the Central Bohemia Symphonic Orchestra at Poděbrady she joined the Czech Radio Symphonic Orchestra with which she remained until 1999 and several years she was member of Praque´s State Opera Orchestra. Since 1989 she has also been pursuing managerial and production activities. This is why at present – apart from performing as solo and chamber orchestra player, she was associate pedagogue and adviser conductor of the International Madrid´s Boccherini Festival 2005, Moz-artissimo 2006 and 2007 “ ChamberArt” and is also manager of several soloist and chamber ensembles. Ada Slivanská is executive director of the Ameropa International Music Festival and Chamber Courses and the co-organizer of the The Prague Horn International Music Festival, Podblanický hudební podzim in which she also participates as performer. 2007-2012 she was artistic director of “Terezin International Music Centre” (TIMUC) in Czech Republic. Thanks to her wide range organizational experience she distinctly contributed to the forming of the Camerata filharmonica Bohemia chamber orchestra and presently she works as orchestra manager since its founding in 2002.

Alena Hučková - piano

Alena was born in Bratislava in 1988. At the age of six, she started to attend E. Suchoň Elementary School of Music (class of Alena Klattová). In that time, the famous pianist Eva Fischerová-Martvoňová, who raised several generations of successful pianists, took her under her wing. Thanks to her, Alena’s talent has been greatly developed, which was proved by many national and international prizes, as well as her debut with Brno Philharmonic at the age of thirteen. As a soloist, she later performed with the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of National Theatre Brno. Her piano studies continued at Conservatory of Bratislava under the guidance of Peter Pažický. Their cooperation, which lasts to this day, brought other successes in different competitions and imprints in her soft and colorful tone. Next steps led to Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno where she took piano lessons from Jan Jiraský and piano pedagogy lessons from Alena Vlasáková. During her studies and after them she attended over a dozen of masterclasses of amazing pianists, eg: Matti Raekallio, Alexander Strukov, Eduardus Halim, etc. Alena graduated her studies in 2014, however she’s been accompanying and teaching since 2005. For two seasons she has worked as a ballet accompanist at the Slovak National Theatre, where until this day she remains as a member of the orchestra. At the same time she works at Jozef Kresánek Elementary School of Music as a piano teacher and accompanist of string and wind instruments and a choir. Nowadays she also works as an external accompanist at the Department of Singing at the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts, Bratislava. She is a resident accompanist of the International Masterclass Camerata Comorra. Not only she works with youth of different age categories, but is also demanded by professional established musicians. As a cooperative pianist she performed in trios and duos with violin, viola, cello, double-bass, clarinet, flute, oboe and vibraphone. Together with a pianist Vladimír Šranko they formed a piano duo. Picked by a contemporary Slovak composers Evgeni Iršai, Marek Piaček, Viliam Gräffinger, Róbert Kraus to premiere their new pieces. She performed at the festivals Nitra Musical Autumn, Bojnice Culture Summer, Sunday Matinees in the City Gallery of Bratislava, etc. Alena’s musical range is even wider, that is clear from her performance with French chanson repertoire at the various theatre festivals.

Henrik Szőcs - piano

Henrik Szőcs belongs to the youngest generation of Hungarian pianists with extensive experience in chamber music. He first studied piano playing at the Hermann László Conservatory of Music in Székesfehérvár, continuing later at the Liszt Academy of Music where his teachers were Jenő Jandó and Balázs Kecskés. After graduating from the Liszt Academy Henrik was offered the opportunity to study further in Basel, Switzerland. His teachers there were Claudio Martínez Mehner and Jan Schultsz. Henrik was also very successful in competitions receiving 1st prize and special prize respectively at Béla Bartók competitions in Vienna and Szeged. In addition to to his concert career he also works as sought after piano teacher at Hermann László Conservatory of Music in Székesfehérvár.

Shaked Shachar – piano

Shaked is an Israeli pianist and composer whose works are based on diverse styles and influences – classical, jazz, arabic, latin, and various film soundtracks. Despite his young age, his passion and talent drove him to perform many concerts in Israel, both as an accompanist and as a soloist. Shaked was introduced to Ensemble Moscheles during their visit to Israel, where they performed together to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia. Shaked was born in Haifa, Israel. At the age of 9, he began his piano studies as a student of Anna Raitburg at the Rubin Conservatory in Haifa. Throughout his years in the conservatory, Shaked participated in several national piano competitions and even studied a second instrument – the clarinet. As a pianist, Shaked performed with the conservatory’s orchestra in Keshet Eilon Music Center, and was awarded the third prize in the Young Pianist Competition in 2014. In 2015, Shaked began his military service in the intelligence corps of the IDF. During his service, Shaked contributed to the security of the state of Israel and its people, including many classified operations. Due to this, Shaked had to balance his duty of protecting the country and his passion for music. He managed to maintain his talent and even compose music during his military service. His piano piece “Midnight Journey” that he wrote during his last year in the army, represents some of the feelings and events that he went through during his years in the army. As part of his agenda to bring music everywhere he goes, Shaked has also played in official military ceremonies and contributed to the community by performing for battered women, holocaust survivors, and youth with special needs. In March 2018, Shaked finished his military service. As a new period begins in his life, he is enthusiastic and passionate to perform and compose music to share with the audience the joy he finds in music.

Uri Brener – piano

Uri Brener was born 1974 in Moscow and has been playing the piano since the age of four. His first composition attempts go back to the age of seven, his first acclaimed opuses appeared at the age of 12. After studying and performing in Russia, Germany and Holland, Uri moved to Israel, where he got his PhD cum laude in composition from the University of Bar-Ilan. Uri`s music is performed worldwide, among performers of his music are Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Metha, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra under Frédéric Chaslin, Israel Chamber Orchestra, “Tel-Aviv Soloists” orchestra, “Aviv” quartet, “Continuum” ensemble (NY, USA), New Julliard Ensemble (NY, USA), Blumina Trio (Germany), Igudesman & Joo Duo, Sergey Nakaryakov (France) and many others. Uri has written dozens of compositions in a wide variety of styles and genres, works for piano, chamber music, vocal, choral, symphonic opuses and crossover music. Among them three piano sonatas, two Piano Concertos, two Double Concertos, “Faust-Concerto”, "Symphonic Chronicles" for symphony orchestra and choir, dozens of chamber pieces, Oratorio “Shunamit“, symphonic poems and much more. Uri has won a series of prestigious awards and scholarships, among them the 2006 and 2017 Israel Prime Minister Prize for composition, an ACUM award, which he has been awarded three times (2008, 2010 and 2015) and many others. Since 2007 Uri is active as a composer in residence of the Israeli Sinfonietta Orchestra and since 2016 he is a music director of the `Mikro` Theater in Jerusalem. In 2017 Uri became the director of a oldest conservatory in Israel – “Ron Shulamit” (Jerusalem). The opening of the 2018-19 IPO season und the button of the great maestro Zubin Metha was marked by the performance of Uri` symphonic poem "The Prophet" for orchestra, choir and piano, composed at the age of 14, with a composer performing the piano solo part.
www.uribrener.com

Photo by: Eli Itkin.