About us

ARS INSTRUMENTALIS PRAGENSIS – Chamber ensemble

The winner of Osaka international chamber music competition a festa 1996

Liběna Séquardtová and Ivan Séquardt – oboe, oboe d’amore, English horn

Luboš Hucek                                              - bassoon

Josef Kšica                                                  - harpsichord, organ

Pavel Nejtek                                               - contrabass

 

Has gained an unrivalled position in the Czech concert life ever since in came into existence in 1987. The musical instruments are quite different from those in other traditional chamber ensembles and through its musical activities the ensemble is classified among the top woodwind ensembles of Czech origin.The ensemble has been performing the works by masters of 17th and 18th centuries which form its basic repertoire, i.e. trio and solo sonatas of the baroque and pre-classicist periods including works by Bach as well as neglected works by the Czech composers.The ensemble consists of five instrumental players each of whom is the top representative in his field, the result of which has brought top appraisals and awards from international contests and individual  recognition outside the ensemble.

 The oboist Liběna Séquardtová received the top award at The International Prague Spring Festival in 1986. Since that time she has often been performing as a soloist with leading orchestras both in her country and abroad. ( She has played, among others, with The Prague Symphony Orchestra, The Prague Chamber Orchestra, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Solistes Européens Luxemburg ). Nowadays she has been performing as a soloist with The Prague Symphony Orchestra.

 Ivan Séquardt, the much appreciated English horn playr who has been in great demand, became the member of The Czech Philharmony Orchestra in 1979. Since 1991 he has been performing with the same orchestra as a solo oboist and, as such, has recorded a number of CDs ( Martinů, Mozart, Bach ). As a soloist he has performed with Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, The Prague Symphony Orchestra, Solistees Européens Luxemburg, to name of few.

The bassoon player Luboš Hucek – solobassoonist of  Prague Symphony Orchestra, first arosed considerable public recognition in 1981 when he won The International Prague Spring Festival-Competition at the age of 24. He is also laureate at international Wloszakovice Music Competition 1980 and at five Czech National Music Competitions too.He has performed as a soloist  except the Czech rep. for example  in Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Russia, Poland.

 Pavel Nejtek, the double bass player with The Czech Philharmony, has been in great demand as a chamber orchestra player and he also devotes his time to pedagogical work. He regularly performs with The Stamitz Quartet, The Panocha Quartet, Apollon Quartet and Henschel Quartet (BRD)

 Josef Kšica ( harpsichordist and organist ) is at the same time the conductor of the Prague Loreta Choir, Besides this activity he has been performing old Czech as well as world sacred music, occasionally in new premieres. He cooperated with the specialist on Bach´s music Prof. H. Rilling on the project  „F. X. Brixi – Sacred Music.„ As an organist he has been performing at concerts in his country and abroad.  He had been increasingly seen on the stage as conductor.

The ensemble has been concentrating, apart from German, Italian French and English baroque compositions, on Czech baroque instrumental works dominated by the works of the „ Czech Bach“ – Jan Dismas Zelenka.  His great instrumental cycle of  six triosonatas ZVW 181,Unique in music literature, was recorded in its entirety by the ensemble in 1994 ( 2CDs for Cz.firm MULTISONIC.).Exactly for the interpretation of Zelenka´s triosonatas the ensemble ARS INSTRUMENTALIS PRAGENSIS received in 1996 on the international competition of chamber ensambles in the japanese Osaka the golden medal and first price. (The president of music competitions was Y. Menuhin) Part of it was the invitation for the the Grand Tour in Japan.

The ensemble cooperates regurarly with other publishers ( Pony Canyon Japan, Punc, Edition Roland, TV Yumiuri Japan ), as well with the Czech Radio, Czech TV, Czech Association for chamber music and Circel of friends of art.