![Brikcius](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Brikcius.jpg)
František Brikcius is a Czech
cellist
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 ...
.
Early life
František Brikcius was born in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. From early childhood, he began to play the
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
and later studied at the
Prague Conservatoire under Professor
Jaroslav Kulhan. He was accepted into the
Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts
The Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts ( cs, Janáčkova akademie múzických umění v Brně; abbreviation in Czech: JAMU) is a public university with an artistic focus in Brno, Czech Republic. It was established in 1947 and consi ...
(JAMU) in
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
where he studied cello with
Bedřich Havlík. He graduated from JAMU with a MgA degree, under the tutelage of Professor
Evžen Rattay, furthered his study at the
Toho Gakuen Academy in Japan. and later under the guidance of legendary cellist Professor
Anna Shuttleworth
Anna Shuttleworth (2 May 1927 – 2 March 2021[Anna Shuttleworth (2n ...](_blank)
(student of Pablo Casals) in the United Kingdom (Eton Cello Master Classes and the University of Leeds).
Career
Brikcius chose to dedicate his life to the interpretation of cello compositions written by composers from the 17th through 21st centuries, with special consideration given to the compositions for
cello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...
solo. His favourites are cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, Max Reger, Ernest Bloch and Benjamin Britten.
He is particularly involved in researching, studying and performing works by Czech (Antonín Dvořák,
Leoš Janáček
Leoš Janáček (, baptised Leo Eugen Janáček; 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic musics, including Eastern European fol ...
,
Bohuslav Martinů
Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He bec ...
, Josef Suk and
Irena Kosíková
Irena Kosíková is a Czech organist and composer.
Irena Kosíková was born in Prague the daughter of the banned philosopher Karel Kosík and the literary historian Růžena Grebeníčková. She began her organ studies with Prof. Jan Hora, tog ...
), Jewish & Terezín (
Gideon Klein
Gideon Klein (6 December 1919 – c. January 1945) was a Czechoslovakian pianist, classical music composer, educator and organizer of cultural life at Theresienstadt concentration camp.
Life
Klein was born into a Moravian Jewish family in Přer ...
, Erwin Schulhoff, Zikmund Schul,
Jaromír Weinberger
Jaromír Weinberger (8 January 1896 – August 8, 1967) was a Bohemian born Jewish subject of the Austrian Empire, who became a naturalized American composer.
Biography
Weinberger was born in Prague, Austria-Hungary, into a family of Jewish ori ...
, James Simon and David Popper) and contemporary composers (
Conrad Beck
Conrad Arthur Beck (16 June 1901, Lohn, Schaffhausen – 31 October 1989, Basel) was a Swiss composer.
Life and works
Beck was the son of a pastor. His stay in Paris between 1924 and 1933 proved crucial to his artistic development, where he ...
, Luciano Berio,
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music.
Born in Mont ...
,
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber and
Witold Lutoslawski
Witold may refer to:
*Vytautas the Great (ca. 1350–1430), ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
*Witold (given name)
Witold is a masculine Polish given name. This name derives from the Lithuanian “Vytautas” composed of two elements: “vyt ...
).
František Brikcius plays a 1904 George Kriwalski cello. With his sister Anna Brikcius, he founded the "Duo Brikcius" which tours in the Czech Republic and abroad in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
, France, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Turkey, USA and the United Kingdom.
He is artistic director of Festival Brikcius - Chamber Music Concert Series in Prague, Bach Festival Gers in France and
Waltham Forest Cello Fest
The Waltham Forest Cello Fest is a cello festival based in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, north-east London.
History
Festival was created in 2019 as a cello celebration of the communities in Waltham Forest the first ever Mayor's London ...
(the 1st London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music) in London.
František works as independent film-maker as well. His first music documentary film MAKANNA (in the cooperation with the Jewish Museum in Prague and under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel) was already screened in the Czech republic, China, Mexico and Portugal. He is currently working on new music documentary film eSACHERe (2022).
As a soloist František has performed at many festivals in Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liberland, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom.
František has been teaching cello for many years. He is experienced at taking students at all levels, able to give master classes as well as support beginners. He is giving cello master classes in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and remotely online via Zoom/Skype.
Served as a jury member in various competitions including the Berliner International Music Competition in Germany, the Music and Stars Awards, the Music International Grand Prix, the Sound Espressivo Global Competition, the Palm Beach International Music Awards, the King's Peak International Music Competition and the Baku International Cinema Festival in Azerbaijan.
Brikcius often works with the Talich chamber orchestra, Czech pianist
Tomáš Víšek
Tomáš Víšek (born 1957) is a Czech pianist.
Early life
Víšek began study of the piano at eight years of age under professor Pavel Svoboda. During the years 1972–1976, he studied at the Prague Conservatory under professor Valentina Kamen ...
, composer
Irena Kosíková
Irena Kosíková is a Czech organist and composer.
Irena Kosíková was born in Prague the daughter of the banned philosopher Karel Kosík and the literary historian Růžena Grebeníčková. She began her organ studies with Prof. Jan Hora, tog ...
and conductor
Jan Talich
file:Quatuor Talic 02291.jpg, Jan Talich
Jan Talich, Jr. (born 11 March 1967 in Prague) is Czech violinist and Conducting, conductor.
Talich studied at the Prague Conservatory and later at the Prague Academy of Music under Václav Snítil. He rec ...
. In 2004 Brikcius and Víšek organized the "Weinberger Tour," celebrating the work of composer
Jaromir Weinberger Jaromír, Jaromir, Jaroměr is a Slavic male given name.
Origin and meaning
Jaromír is a West Slavic given name composed of two stems ''jaro'' and ''mír''.
The meaning is not definite:
* Polish ''jary'' (archaic) = „spry, young, strong“; '' ...
.
Honors and awards
František Brikcius was the winner of the Anglo-Czech Competition in London (1999). He was awarded 2nd prize at The International String Competition London (2000), and 2nd prize at The International String Competition Jihlava (2003). He was a fellow of The Czech Music Foundation (ČHF) in the 2001 and 2002 for the interpretation of contemporary Czech composers. He has also been supported by a number of other international scholarships and fellowships.
References
External links
Official website
*
ttp://www.jewishaz.com/issues/story.mv?070601+cellist The Jewish News review about František Brikcius and his "Weinberger Tour"br>
The Czech Radio Interview with František Brikcius concerning the "7 Candles"The Jewish Standard, Czech Cellist is on MissionThe JTA review about František Brikcius and his "Weinberger Tour"Muzikus "Weinberger Tour" reviewThe Tourism Today: 'Çalabildiðim her dakika benim hazinem gibi...' František Brikcius (Interview)Opera Turkiye: Frantisek Brikcius Röportajı*[http://www.babinet.cz/clanek-7278-violoncellista-frantisek-brikcius--lide-jsou-nezbytnou-soucasti-kazdeho-koncertu.html Magazín Babinet.cz: Lidé jsou nezbytnou součástí každého koncertu - Radana Šatánková's Interview with František Brikcius]
The Strad: Waltham Forest Cello Fest 2021
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brikcius, Frantisek
Czech classical cellists
Toho Gakuen School of Music alumni
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Prague Conservatory alumni
Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts alumni
20th-century classical musicians
20th-century Czech male musicians
21st-century classical musicians
21st-century Czech male musicians
Musicians from Prague
20th-century cellists
21st-century cellists