František Brikcius is a Czech

cellist The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...

Early life

František Brikcius was born in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

. From early childhood, he began to play the

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, ...

and later studied at the Prague Conservatoire under Professor Jaroslav Kulhan. He was accepted into the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in

Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...

where he studied cello with Bedřich Havlík. He graduated from JAMU with a MgA degree, under the tutelage of Professor Evžen Rattay, furthered his study at the Toho Gakuen Academy in Japan. and later under the guidance of legendary cellist Professor

Anna Shuttleworth Anna Shuttleworth (2 May 1927 – 2 March 2021Anna Shuttleworth (2n ...

(student of Pablo Casals) in the United Kingdom (Eton Cello Master Classes and the University of Leeds).

Career

Brikcius chose to dedicate his life to the interpretation of cello compositions written by composers from the 17th through 21st centuries, with special consideration given to the compositions for

solo. 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 Leoš Janáček (, baptised Leo Eugen Janáček; 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, musical theorist, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian and other Slavic musics, including Eastern European f ...

Bohuslav Martinů Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He be ...

, Josef Suk and Irena Kosíková), Jewish & Terezín (

Gideon Klein Gideon Klein (6 December 1919 – c. January 1945) was a Czechoslovakian pianist, classical music composer, educator and organizer of cultural life at Theresienstadt concentration camp. Life Klein was born into a Moravian Jewish family in Přer ...

, Erwin Schulhoff, Zikmund Schul, Jaromír Weinberger, James Simon and David Popper) and contemporary composers ( Conrad Beck, Luciano Berio,

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mo ...

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

, Henri Dutilleux, Wolfgang Fortner, Alberto Ginastera, Cristobal Halffter, Hans Werner Henze, Heinz Holliger, Klaus Huber and Witold Lutoslawski). František Brikcius plays a 1904 George Kriwalski cello. With his sister Anna Brikcius, he founded the "Duo Brikcius" which tours in the Czech Republic and abroad in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

, France, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Turkey, USA and the United Kingdom. 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 (2022). 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. Brikcius often works with the Talich chamber orchestra, Czech pianist Tomáš Víšek, composer Irena Kosíková and conductor Jan Talich. In 2004 Brikcius and Víšek organized the "Weinberger Tour," celebrating the work of composer Jaromir Weinberger.

Honors and awards

František Brikcius was the winner of the Anglo-Czech Competition in London (1999). He was awarded 2nd prize at The International String Competition London (2000), and 2nd prize at The International String Competition Jihlava (2003). He was a fellow of The Czech Music Foundation (ČHF) in the 2001 and 2002 for the interpretation of contemporary Czech composers. He has also been supported by a number of other international scholarships and fellowships.

References

External links

Official website
* ttp://www.jewishaz.com/issues/story.mv?070601+cellist The Jewish News review about František Brikcius and his "Weinberger Tour"br>The Czech Radio Interview with František Brikcius concerning the "7 Candles"The Jewish Standard, Czech Cellist is on MissionThe JTA review about František Brikcius and his "Weinberger Tour"Muzikus "Weinberger Tour" reviewThe Tourism Today: 'Çalabildiðim her dakika benim hazinem gibi...' František Brikcius (Interview)Opera Turkiye: Frantisek Brikcius Röportajı
*[http://www.babinet.cz/clanek-7278-violoncellista-frantisek-brikcius--lide-jsou-nezbytnou-soucasti-kazdeho-koncertu.html Magazín Babinet.cz: Lidé jsou nezbytnou součástí každého koncertu - Radana Šatánková's Interview with František Brikcius]
The Strad: Waltham Forest Cello Fest 2021
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brikcius, Frantisek Czech classical cellists Toho Gakuen School of Music alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Prague Conservatory alumni Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts alumni 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century Czech male musicians 21st-century classical musicians 21st-century Czech male musicians Musicians from Prague 20th-century cellists 21st-century cellists