Biography
Conductor Jiří Štrunc was permanent conductor at the State Opera Prague (2006–2011), since January 2012 he has been permanent conductor at the National Theatre Opera. He studied violin at the Plzeň Conservatoire and conducting at the Academy of Music in Prague. He then made a study visit to the Guildhall School of Music in London (1993), and attended master classes with Helmuth Rilling (Prague, Stuttgart, the USA). Since the beginning of his professional career in 1995, Jiří Štrunc has dedicated himself to intensive collaboration with opera houses and symphony orchestras in the Czech Republic and abroad. Since 1997 he has held the post of conductor-in-residence at the J.K. Tyl Theatre in Plzeň, where he has conducted dozens of Czech and world operas. Jiří Štrunc has also systematically cultivated his symphonic repertoire. Since 1996 he has closely cooperated with the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, and since 2004, he has worked regularly with the Gunma Symphony Orchestra and with the Yamagata Symphony Orchestra in Japan. Jiří Štrunc has served as an instructor at the Plzeň Conservatory since 1992. In 2009–2011 he taught in the Department of Conducting at the Academy of Music in Prague. He won several awards from the 1995 Prague Spring International Music Competition (as the best Czech entrant, Gideon Klein Foundation Award, Rafael Schächter Memorial Award, and City of Prague Award).
Photo: Ilona Sochorová