Biography
Jiří Vodička, first violin with the Czech Philharmonic, soloist and chamber musician, is one of the most prominent and most sought-after Czech violinists. "Devil‘s fiddler of breath-taking speed...", wrote a critic after his concert at the festival in Tübingen, Germany. Already as a child Jiří Vodička made a name for himself by winning prizes in several competitions. He was accepted at an institute of higher education (the Institute of Art Studies at the University of Ostrava) at the age of only 14 and studied there under Prof. Zdeněk Gola. Meanwhile he achieved other successes in competitions: first prize in the competition Beethoven’s Hradec (2002), Louis Spohr Competition in Weimar, Germany (2004) and Young Concert Artist competition, which took place in Leipzig and New York (2008). Jiří Vodička regularly performs as a soloist with many leading orchestras both in the Czech Republic (the Czech Philharmonic, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, the Prague Philharmonia, the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra), and abroad (the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen). He is regularly invited to perform at leading festivals, such as the Prague Spring, Janáček’s May, the Choriner Musiksommer), in 2011 he was invited by the famous violinist Gidon Kremer to perform at his Kammermusikfest festival in Lockenhaus, Austria. As a chamber artist, Jiří Vodička performs together with the leading Czech pianists Martin Kasík, Ivan Kahánek, Ivan Klánský, and Miroslav Sekera. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Smetana Trio, with whom he has recorded two CDs, which has won the prestigious BBC Music Magazine and Diapason d’Or awards. For the same label Supraphon, he recorded his debut solo album Violino Solo (2014 ). Many of his concerts have been broadcast by Czech Television, Czech Radio, and the German ARD broadcasting company. Jiří Vodička teaches at the Prague Conservatory and at Ostrava University. He plays an Italian instrument made by Joseph Gagliano in 1767.
2016/2017