Inspired by Martinu

Inspired by Martinu
Czech Centre London + Nonclassical present

Inspired by Martinů juxtaposes selected oeuvre of 20th century Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů, whose 125th birth anniversary we’ll celebrate in December this year, with London’s contemporary classical scene as represented by artists around the acclaimed Nonclassical label and its founder, composer and DJ Gabriel Prokofiev. They will be joined onstage by piano virtuoso Lada Valešová, violin wunderkind Tereza Anna Přívratská and vibrant soprano Lucie Špičková in a unique attempt to reimagine Martinů’s most influential chamber pieces by creating real-time improvised soundtracks, avant-garde audiovisual installations and once-in-a-lifetime musical reworks.

Performers:
Lada Valešová, piano
Lucie Špičková, mezzo-soprano
Tereza Anna Přívratská, violin
Gabriel Prokofiev, laptop

Lada Valešová is the genuine Slavic soul unleashed. Often featured on the likes of BBC Radio 3 or Classic FM, Lada is a busy concert artist who has performed in Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square or the Lindbury Studio, ROH. Collaborations with major orchestras include a recital as part of Czech Philharmonic’s chamber music series or a recording with Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Lada’s artistry has received high recognition from various pre-eminent personalities including the late Sir George Solti or Sir Charles Mackerras; she has had the honour of working with Galina Vishnevskaja or Mstislav Rostropovich. Lada Valesova is a professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, UK.

Tereza Anna Privratska has studied violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. In addition to her solo career, she is the first violinist of the Jubilee Quartet since 2006. As a soloist, Tereza has performed extensively in the UK, Germany, France, United States as well as Slovakia and her native Czech Republic where she appeared in a duo performance with legendary Josef Suk and the Prague Philharmonia, amongst others. With the Jubilee Quartet, a recipient of the Leverhulme Chamber Music Fellowship at the Royal Academy of Music and the Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance, Tereza has appeared as its first violinist at the quartet’s recitals in the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, or Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition in 2013.

Anglo-Czech mezzosoprano Lucie Špičková is active on both the oratorio and operatic platforms in the UK and abroad. She made her critically acclaimed Glyndebourne debut in The Cunning Little Vixen in 2012, followed by Der Rosenkavalier in the 2014. Other notable recent engagements include a performance of The Diary of One Who Disappeared with John Reid and Nicholas Mulroy at King’s Place, London, and a song recital with her long standing colleague, Lada Valešová, for the Leamington Music Festival. A graduate of Modern Languages at Oriel College, Oxford, Lucie also graduated with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music.

Gabriel Prokofiev is a London-based composer, producer, DJ and founder of the NONCLASSICAL record label and club night. Composing music that both embraces and challenges western classical traditions, Gabriel has emerged at the forefront of a new approach to classical music in the UK at the beginning of the 21st century. His Concerto for Turntables was performed at the BBC Proms in August 2011, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. A frequent public speaker, Gabriel gives regular talks at major UK colleges and international conferences. Prokofiev’s own distinctive sound is informed by his background as a producer of hip-hop, grime, and electro records, as well as his earlier involvement in electroacoustic music at York and Birmingham universities. With NONCLASSICAL and its offshoots around the world, Prokofiev continues to redefine the rules of classical music, to much critical acclaim.