Bohemia House presents
DUO BRIKCIUS
2 Cellists – 2 Siblings
(CZ / FR / UK)
Thursday 31st March 2022 – 7 pm
Jacques Offenbach (1819 – 1880): Duo pour 2 violoncelles, op. 53 n°1
– Allegro
– Adagio
– Rondo
– Allegro
Irena Kosíková: (1880 – 1959): Pavane pour deux violoncelles – London premiere
Leoš Janáček (1854 – 1928): Presto (1910)
(Arranged for Two Cellos by František Brikcius)
– Presto
Irena Kosíková: Fantaisie IV. pour deux violoncelles – London premiere
Bohuslav Martinů (1890 – 1959): Composition for Two Cellos, H. 377 (1959)
Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741): Concerto per 2 violoncelli g-moll, RV 531
– Allegro moderato
– Largo
– Allegro
About Duo Brikcius
Duo Brikcius is a Czech chamber music ensemble created by two promising young cellists (brother and sister), Anna Brikciusová and František Brikcius. Both founding members are well acquainted with the solo cello repertoire, but decided to increase their repertoire with music written for this unusual combination (with great hidden potential) of two cellos. The main aims of Duo Brikcius are to study and perform works written for two cellos, enable the creation and performance of works that are not well known to the audience, encourage contemporary composers regardless of nationality or age), to create music for this ensemble, maintain the tradition of established composers, present Czech music culture abroad and bring to other people the joy of music.
Duo Brikcius has appeared in many festivals (for example Chotěbořské jaro, Boskovice, Baščaršijske noći, Duo Brikcius – 2 Cellos Tour, Dvořák festival, European days of Jewish culture, Století andělů a ďáblů v Pošumaví, Daniel Pearl Music Festival, Festival Culturel International de Musique Symphonique, Festival Smetanovské dny, Festival Brikcius, Festival Baroko v krvi and Bach Festival Gers) both in the Czech republic and abroad (Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom). More details are available on the website:
Biographies
ANNA BRIKCIUSOVÁ – CELLO (France, CZ)
Czech cellist Anna Brikciusová was born in Prague, into a family with a distinguished cultural background. She began to play the cello in early childhood. After her studies at the Prague Conservatory in the cello classes of Prof. Jaroslav Kulhan and Prof. Viktor Moučka, Anna graduated under the tutelage of Prof. Vladan Kočí. Tutorials with Prof. Stanislav Apolín.
She has actively participated in many international cello master classes, the French Academy (Prof. J. Bárta), the Jihlava International Master Classes (Prof. D. Sella, Prof. E. Rattay) and the International Cello Interpretation Master classes (Prof. S. Apolín). She has performed in the Czech Republic, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Currently she is also writing. Anna Brikciusová was a nominee for the Dresdner Lyrikpreis, her collection of short stories “Eutanazie” was published by H+H (edited by Jan Suk). Her poems were published at the Revolver Revue, Souvislosti, Tvar, Reflex, Literární noviny, Moderní divadlo and Protimluv. Anna’s collection of poems “Kolibří úsměv” was published by Protimluv (edited by Jan Suk). In 2018 she received international residency scholarship of the Visegrad Literary Residency Programme in Bratislava. Her autumnal yearly show is part of the Festival Poetry Day and the Daniel Pearl World Music Days. Her poem “Podzimní” was chosen for the Best Czech Poems 2018 anthology (Host) and for the anthology Short poem (Protimluv, 2020).
Her collection of poems “Do bouře” was published by Nakladatelství Bor (2020). Last summer on Saint John’s Eve the collection of poems “Kropení svěcenou vodou” was released by Nakladatelství Bor (2021). New collection of poems “Čas vypršel” is coming out now (Nakladatelství Bor 2022).
Anna Brikciusová plays a “Benjamin Patočka” cello made in 1913. Together with her brother František Brikcius, she is a founder member of the “Duo Brikcius”. More information is available on websites:
František Brikcius – cello (UK, France, CZ)
Czech cellist František Brikcius was born in Prague, into a family with a distinguished cultural background. He has been playing the cello since early childhood. Following his cello studies at the Prague Conservatoire, he completed his Master’s degree at the Janáček Academy of Music (JAMU) in the Czech republic. He furthered his cello skills at the Toho Gakuen Academy in Japan and later under the guidance of legendary cellist Prof. Anna Shuttleworth (student of Pablo Casals) in the United Kingdom (Eton Cello Master Classes and the University of Leeds).
He won the 2nd prizes at the Anglo-Czech Competition in London (1999), the International String Competition London (2000) and the International String Competition Jihlava (2003). He has been awarded many scholarships and fellowships, including the Czech Music Foundation (CHF), the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Music Foundation OSA, the Socrates-Erasmus, and the Gideon Klein Foundation for the propagation of works written by Jewish Holocaust Composers.
František chose to dedicate his life to the interpretation of cello compositions written by composers of the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, giving special consideration to compositions for solo cello. 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, Bohuslav Martinů, Josef Suk and Irena Kosíková), Jewish & Terezín (Gideon Klein, Erwin Schulhoff, Zikmund Schul, Jaromír Weinberger, James Simon and David Popper) and contemporary composers (Conrad Beck, Luciano Berio, Pierre Boulez, Benjamin Britten, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber and Witold Lutoslawski), playing on a “George Kriwalski” cello made in 1904.
Together with his sister Anna Brikciusová, he is a founder member of the “Duo Brikcius”. 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 (2021).
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.
More information about František Brikcius and his many cello projects is available on the websites:
https://www.Brikcius.com
https://www.Brikcius.com/CelloTutor
https://www.YouTube.com/FrantisekBrikcius
https://www.Twitter.com/Brikcius
