František Brikcius is a Czech

cellist The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

Early life

František Brikcius was born in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. From early childhood, he began to play the

cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

and later studied at the Prague Conservatoire under Professor Jaroslav Kulhan. He was accepted into the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

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 2021Anna Shuttleworth (2n ...

(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

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 (, 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, Music theory, music theorist, Folkloristics, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian folk music, Moravian and other Slavs, Slavic music, includin ...

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, Josef Suk and Irena Kosíková), Jewish & Terezín ( Gideon Klein, 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 – 31 October 1989) was a Swiss composer. Life and works Beck's stay in Paris between 1924 and 1933 proved crucial to his artistic development, where he studied with Jacques Ibert and also made contact with Ar ...

, Luciano Berio,

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 19255 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 contemporary classical music. Born in Montb ...

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten of Aldeburgh (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, o ...

, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber and Witold Lutoslawski). 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, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

, 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 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 and conductor

Jan Talich Jan Talich Jan Talich, Jr. (born 11 March 1967 in Prague) is a Czech violinist and conductor. Talich studied at the Prague Conservatory and later at the Prague Academy of Music under Václav Snítil. He received scholarships to further his ed ...

. 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 Mission

The 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 Czech classical musicians 20th-century Czech male musicians 21st-century classical musicians 21st-century Czech male musicians Musicians from Prague 20th-century Czech cellists 21st-century cellists