PH Concert Series - New Year's Concert

Programme:

1/ J. S. Bach: Sonata for viola and basso continuo in G major. 2/ G. Rossini: Grand Duo in D major 3/ L. van Beethoven: Duet with 2 Obligato Eyeglasses, WoO 32 4/ W. Lutosalwski: Five Bucolics for Viola and Cello 5/ G. F. Händel/ J. Halvorsen: Passacaglia in G minor for Viola and Cello

The cellist Olsi Leka is section leader at the Belgian National Orchestra and cello professor at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp as well as an established artist. Winner of several international competitions, he is regularly invited to perform as a soloist and chamber musician in countries throughout Europe and Asia. In recent years, Olsi Leka has devoted himself to the development of personal projects such as recording CDs for various record companies, as well as the creation of interdisciplinary projects such as "Music and Mythology" and "Recital in Images 1914- 18 ". He plays an exceptional cello crafted by the Italian violin maker Raffaele Gagliano around 1820, and graciously made available by the Éric Feldbusch Foundation. This cello was donated to Eric Feldbusch in 1965 by Queen Elizabeth of Belgium on the occasion of the creation of the piano trio bearing her name.

Vladimír Bukač is one of the foremost viola players in the Czech Republic. He was born in 1964 and started playing violin at a very early age, continuing his studies with Nora Grumlikova at the Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and then with Wolfgang Marschner at the University of Music in Freiburg, Germany. Already during his studies Bukac gained attention by winning prizes in several domestic and international competitions. Between 1990 - 1993 was Vladimir Bukač engaged in Japan as soloist and chamber musician, performing in all prestigious venues of Japan, as well as touring Australia and New Zealand. After returning to Europe Vladimír Bukač was invited to join the renowned Talich string quartet, (1993-2017) which has been considered for many years to be one of the worlds´s finest string quartets. After finishing his quartet career in 2017, he devoted himself to solo & chamber music performances and more to pedagogical activities. Since 2002, Vladimír Bukač has been a much sought-after professor at the University of Music in Dresden and since 2016 at the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles. He is repeatedly invited to the juries of major international competitions (L. Tertis, ARD Munich, etc.). In addition, he is the artistic leader of the master classes organized by the Czech-French Academy in Telč (www.akademietelc.cz). He plays an Italian instrument built from the workshop of two important masters - Santini Lavazza & G.B. Guadanini, Milan 1725/75.