Pavel Steidl (born June 24, 1961) is a

classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...

ist who was born in Rakovnik,

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

(now in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

), but has lived in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

for many years. Pavel Steidl - Hamburger Gitarrenfestival 2018 02

Biography

After winning first prize at the 1982 International Guitar Competition of Radio France in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, Steidl began his career as a professional musician. "Here was a guitarist who knew how to laugh with the music and share the joke with his audience. But behind the entertainer lies a serious artist, whose extended composition in memory of Jana Obrovska proved fully capable of stirring emotions at the other end of the scale. Never was a standing ovation more richly deserved. Pavel Steidl had won the hearts and minds of a capacity crowd." (Classical guitar magazine) Since he won first prize at the Radio France International Competition in Paris in 1982, he has become one of the most widely celebrated soloists of his generation. Among the members of the jury were such artists as

Alexandre Tansman Alexander Tansman (, French: Alexandre Tansman; 12 June 1897 – 15 November 1986) was a Polish composer, pianist and conductor who became a naturalized French citizen in 1938. One of the earliest representatives of neoclassicism, associated with ...

Antonio Lauro Antonio Lauro (August 3, 1917 – April 18, 1986) was a Venezuelan musician, considered to be one of the foremost South American composers for the Classical guitar, guitar in the 20th century. Biography Antonio Lauro was born in Ciudad Bol� ...

and Maria Luisa Anido. Before that he studied with such guitarist as

Milan Zelenka Milan Zelenka (born 4 June 1939) is a Czech guitarist, composer and music arranger. Music career Zelenka was born in Czechoslovakia and studied guitar at the Prague Conservatory with Štěpán Urban. While a student, he took first place in music ...

and

Štěpán Rak Štěpán Rak (born 8 August 1945) is a Czech classical guitarist and composer of Ukrainian origin. He is well known for the technical innovations that he uses in his compositions. Biography Štěpán Rak was born as Štěpán Slivka in Prague ...

in Prague. In 1987 he decided to emigrate to the Netherlands where after years of studying and getting inspiration from many different artists he has created his own style which is not ignoring authentic way of interpretation 19th-century guitar literature on periodic instruments and going far to some world music elements. Pavel Steidl also composes himself and his own compositions are often played on his concerts. He played in more than 40 countries of the world from among Canada, USA, China, India, Japan, Europe, South and Central America and many others. On demand of Italian Guitar Magazine Guitart the readers decided to choose him as a guitar player of the year 2004 . Pavel Steidl plays many instruments, but mainly Francisco Simplicio (1926) and Franz Butcher (2008), romantic guitar: copies of J.G.Stauffer guitar made by B.Kresse and original instrument from the beginning of the 19th century Nikolaus G.Ries cca. 1830 In his teaching, Pavel's approach is encouraging but subtle. For, as he says, "the teacher is not allowed to say everything. ..I let them play one piece. Each note twice, one staccato, one tenuto, to show what you can do. The ''possibilities'': that's what I like very much. I don't like to write piano, forte, tenuto. I don't like metronomes." Steidl is known for using

overtone singing Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, polyphonic overtone singing, or diphonic singing, is a set of singing techniques in which the vocalist manipulates the resonances of the vocal tract to arouse the perception ...

in some works, such as Domeniconi'sbr>Hommage à Jimi Hendrix, op. 52

Facial Gestures

Pavel Steidl often uses unique gestures during his performances (both facial gestures, and motions with hands and body).

Perception

Some people feel that Steidl's gestures give an additional dimension to his playing, e.g. showing his expressive involvement in the music, being a personal way of helping his phrasing become lyrical (with voice-gestures - using the guitar, but "expressing like a singer"), serving to underline certain melodies and their character, or hinting at crescendo in held chords (even though the strings' vibrations are getting softer), expressing fun/joy, entertaining, etc.

Recordings

Luigi Legnani - 36 caprices op. 20, Fantasia op. 19
- Naxos 1998 / Cat.8.554198

- Naxos 2000 / Cat.8.554353

- Frame 2001 Italy

- Frame 2003 Discography: Hudebni Mladi - Supraphone (1983) Tyden Nove Tvorby - Panton (1984) Pavel Steidl Debut - Panton (1985) Guitar / Music of the 18 th and 19 th centuries - Panton (1993) Masters of the Czech Classical Guitar - Pehy (1994) Kdyz mam nohy o mesic opreny - Panton (1994) Cantabile - Erasmus (1995) (with Jan Opsitos - violin) L. Legnani - 36 caprices op. 20, Fantasia op. 19 - Naxos (1998) N.COSTE - Guitar Music Vol.3 - Naxos (2000) N. Paganini - Sonate&Ghiribizzi for guitar – (Frame 2001) Italy J. K. Mertz - Bardeklange, (Frame 2003) Four Agreements – fast book (spoken word -

Jaroslav Dušek Jaroslav Dušek (born 30 April 1961) is a Czech actor. Selected filmography Film * ''Kouř'' (1991) * ''Cosy Dens'' (1999) * ''Divided We Fall (film), Divided We Fall'' (2000) * ''Želary'' (2003) * ''Pupendo'' (2003) * ''Mazaný Filip'' (2003 ...

), (Tympanum 2009)

References

Photos

Masterclass Photos
(from Ligita 2005)
Concert Photos
(at Ligita 2005)
Festival Internacional De La Ciudad De ChihuahuaMasquerade hall of chateau Český Krumlov
International Music Festival Český Krumlov (23.8.2006)
1234Photos
(hollabolla Kulturmanagement)

Interviews

Interview
by Jarka Halkova, Český rozhlas (November 2005)
Audio Interview

External links

Official Homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steidl, Pavel Czech classical guitarists Czech male guitarists 1961 births Living people