Jana Boušková (born 27 September 1970) is a Czech

harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual string (music), strings running at an angle to its sound board (music), soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing ...

and

pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

. She has been the principal harpist of the Czech Philharmonic since 2005. Boušková is also a professor at the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...

in London since 2019, the

Academy of Performing Arts in Prague The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (, AMU) is a university in the centre of Prague, Czech Republic, specialising in the study of music, dance, drama, film, television and multi-media. It is the largest art school in the Czech Republic, wit ...

since 2007, and she was the harp teacher at the

Royal Conservatory of Brussels The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (, ) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Providing performing music and drama courses, the institution became renowned par ...

from 2005 to 2020.

Early life and education

Jana Boušková 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 ...

on 27 September 1970. She is the daughter of flutist Jiří Boušek and harpist . She began playing the harp at a young age and gave her first recital when she was seven years old. Boušková attended the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory () is a public music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, the school offers four- or six-year courses, which can be compared to the level of a high school diploma in other countries. Graduates c ...

and the

University of Ostrava The University of Ostrava (Czech ''Ostravská univerzita'') is a public university in the city of Ostrava, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. Founded in 1991, it is the newest public university in Ostrava. It consists of six faculties a ...

, where she studied under her mother. She graduated from the University of Ostrava in 1998, after years of

distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...

. She recalled in 2017 that her mother was more demanding of her than other students, and that retrospectively, she is grateful to her for this. She also attended classes given by Alice Giles in

Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...

, and studied under Susann McDonald at

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

on a

Fulbright scholarship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

.Jana Boušková
Česká televize

Music career

Boušková won the Maria Damm Rensch Prize at the first USA International Harp Competition in 1989.Stredoeurópsky Festival Koncertného Umenia, 24 – 29 Apríl 1995
Three years later, she won the gold medal at the second USA International Harp Competition. She later became the official soloist of the harp maker

Lyon & Healy Lyon & Healy Harps, Inc. is an American musical instrument manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois and is a subsidiary of Salvi Harps, but also has a layered corporate structure. Today best known for concert harps, the company's Chicago headquar ...

and plays the Lyon & Healy Style 30

concert harp The pedal harp (also known as the concert harp) is a large and technologically modern harp, designed primarily for use in art music. It may be played solo, as part of a chamber ensemble, or in an orchestra. It typically has 47 strings with sev ...

that she received as a prize for winning the second USA International Harp Competition. Also in 1992, Boušková took second place at the eleventh Israel International Harp Competition. She won first prize at the Grand Prix Concours International de Musique de Chambre de Paris in 1998 and the Torneo Internazionale di Musica in 1999. Boušková also received the Czech Republic's 1996 Talent of the Year Award and the 2002 Czech Music Council Award, in recognition of her representation of Czechs on the international stage. As a soloist, Boušková has performed with the Czech Philharmonic, the

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is a major Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert ...

, and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, among others. She was chosen to premiere

Sergiu Natra Sergiu Natra (; 12 April 1924 – 23 February 2021) was an Israeli composer of classical music. (Print version: Sadie, Stanley (ed.), ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', Macmillan, 1980, Vol. 13 p. 76. ) Life and work Natra was b ...

's ''Sonata in One Movement'' in 1999. Other works Boušková has premiered include

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitar, sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Hin ...

's ''Sonata for Cello and Harp'', alongside

Mstislav Rostropovich Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enl ...

, and Benjamin Yusupov's ''Concerto for Flute, Violin, Viola, Harp and Orchestra'', alongside

Maxim Vengerov Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov (; born 20 August 1974) is a Soviet-born Israeli violinist, violist, and conductor. Classic FM has called him "one of the greatest violinists in the world". Vengerov was born in Novosibirsk, the only child of Al ...

and others. Boušková was harp professor at the Prague Conservatory from 1993 to 2012. In 2005, she became professor at the

and the Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts. She was appointed professor at the

in 2007 and took up the role of professor at the

in London in 2019. She has also taught at Indiana University Bloomington and the

Geneva University of Music The Haute école de musique de Genève is a professional higher music education institution in Geneva, Switzerland. Status The HEM is a foundation established under public law in 2009. It is part of the Music and Performing Arts Department of t ...

Personal life

Boušková is married to Jiří Kubita, a violinist with the Czech Philharmonic. As of 2010, the couple have two sons, and both children play the violin.

Selected discography

Boušková has contributed to numerous recordings for Czech and international record labels.Conference Program Book – 36th National Conference, June 23–26, 2004
American Harp Society The following list is compiled from her official website. * ''Zvěrokruh'', 1992. ARTA Records, No.: F1 0030-2 * ''Flöte und Harfe'', 1992. Preiser Records, No.: PR 90154 * ''Czechoslovak Chamber Orchestra Live in Concert'', 1993. Antiphona, No.: AA0008-2231 * ''Jana Boušková Harp Recital'', 1993. Bohemia Music 1991, No.: BM 0002-2131 * ''Jana Boušková Harp'', 1993.

Panton Records Panton Records or PANTON was a Czechoslovak and later Czech record label and music publishing house of the Czech Music Fund, founded in 1968. In Czechoslovakia, it was one of the three major state-owned labels, the other two being Supraphon and ...

, No.: 81 1228-2031 * ''Dona nobis pacem'', 1994. Český rozhlas Ostrava, No.: UHL 002-2 231 * ''Jan Ladislav Dusík'', 1994. Panton Records, No.: 81 1289-2 131 * ''Prague Salon at the Nostitz Palace (Harp Recital)'', 1994. Alfea a Pragokoncert, No.: 584006 – 2 111 * ''Concertino II'', 1995. PolyGram, No.: 454 146-2 * ''Jana Boušková plays works by J. F. Fischer'', 1995. Panton Records, No.: 81 1290-2 131 * ''Jan Křtitel Krumpholtz – Concertos for Harp and Orchestra 1'', 1996. Clarton, No.: CQ 0018-2 031 * '' Emil Viklický – Homage to Josip Plečnik'', 1996. Lotus, No.: LT 0036 – 2 131 * ''Hindemith'', 1996.

Chandos Records Chandos Records is a British independent classical music recording company based in Colchester. It was founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

, No.: KSC4 901 * ''Balady'', 1997. Forte + Vydavatelství bratří Nedvědů, No.: FOR 0009-2311 * ''Jan Křtitel Krumpholtz – Concertos for Harp and Orchestra 2'', 1997. Clarton, No.: CQ 0029-2 031 * ''Rodolphe Kreutzer Six Nocturnes'', 1997. Gramofonové závody Loděnice, No.: L1 0323-2 131 * ''Jana Boušková plays Virtuoso Encores'', 1998–2003. Panton Records, Bonton Music,

Supraphon Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers. History The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. Th ...

, No.: 71 0526-2 * ''Kouzelné housle'', 1999. Supraphon, No.: SU 3418-2 031 * ''Solos for harp'', 1999. Supraphon, No.: SU 3430-2 131 * ''Harfenkonzerte'', 1999. Ebs Records, No.: ebs 6085 * ''International Music Festival Český Krumlov'', 1999. Auviex, No.: AE 0019-2 031 * ''Prague Holiday'', 2001. Octavia Records, No.: OVCL-00050 * ''Zpívání o lásce (Moravské lidové písně)'', 2001. Supraphon, No.: SU 5359-2 731 * ''Paul Freeman Introduces Exotic Concertos'', 2002.

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. In May 2024, Albany Records wa ...

, No.: B000QWOB2A * ''Romance'', 2003. Octavia Records, No.: OVCC-00059 * ''ZIPANG meets Boušková in Prague'', 2003. Octavia Records, No.: OVCC-0149 * ''Flûte & Harpe'', 2003. Scam/Syrius, No.: SYR 141351 * ''Otomar Kvěch'', 2003. Radioservis ve spolupráci s OSA a Život umělce * ''French Chamber Music'', 2004.

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

Music Germany, No.: 5 57798 2 * ''Album lásky'', 2004. Supraphon, No.: SU 3768-2 031 * ''A la fantasia'', 2005. Octavia Records, No.: OVCC-00008 * ''Contemporary Czech Masterpieces Jan F. Fischer'', 2005. Triga, No. Tri 0010-2031 * ''Bohuslav Martinů Chamber Music with Viola'', 2008. Supraphon, No.: SU 3952-2 * ''Spannungen'', 2008. Avi-Service for music,

Deutschlandradio Deutschlandradio (DLR; ) is a national German public radio broadcaster. History ''Deutschlandfunk'' was originally a West German news radio targeting listeners within West Germany as well as in neighbouring countries, ''Deutschlandfunk Kultur'' ...

, No.: 8553100 * ''Vánoční zpěvy a koledy'', 2008. Radioservis, No.: CR 0433-2 * ''Umění milovati'', 2010. Clarton, No.: CQ 0086-2 * ''Dvořák – Schumann – Reinmann ( Spannungen)'', 2010. Avi-Service for music, Deutschlandradio, No.: 8553207 * ''Foerster / The Complete String Quartets'', 2010. Supraphon, No.: SU 4050-2 * ''Winds & Strings'', 2011. Avi-Service for music, Deutschlandradio, No.:8553261

References

External links

*
Jana Boušková
at the

, London {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouskova, Jana 1970 births Living people Academics of the Royal College of Music Academic staff of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague Czech classical harpists Czech women harpists Indiana University Bloomington alumni Musicians from Prague Czech music educators Czech women music educators Prague Conservatory alumni Academic staff of the Royal Conservatory of Brussels Players of the Czech Philharmonic