BCSD - Èeský Chlapecký Sbor (Czech Boys Choir)

Home

Browse

Choirs

Trebles

Singers

Films

Books

New Releases

Events

Search

Links

Contact BCSD

CHOIRS

Africa

W. Europe

E. Europe

Middle East

North America

Oceania

Scandinavia

South America

SE Asia

Èeský Chlapecký Sbor [Czech Boys Choir] (est. November 2010)

Classical Choir of Boys

The Czech Boys Choir, from the city of Hradec Králové in North Bohemia, maintains the famous traditions of boychoir singing in the Czech territory as it began in the 13th century with the first boys' choir at the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague and continues in modern times with the boys choir established in Hradec Králové by Jiøí and Kvìta Skopal in 1982.

Led by artistic director and conductor, Jakub Martinec, the Czech Boys Choir organization provides artistic training for boys from the age of three to adult, and consists of the professional touring SATB concert choir, the Young Men's Ensemble with conductor Jennifer Beynon Martinec, and the training choir Zpìváèek, led by Simona Hlavatá. The concert choir closely cooperates with pianist Martin Fišl.

The choir regularly records for TV and radio, performs concerts in the Czech Republic and abroad, collaborates with renowned artists, ensembles and orchestras. Their repertoire includes both traditional and modern works of both Czech and international composers from all musical periods, large choral works, chamber music, folk songs and traditionals, contemporary music or choral arrangements of popular songs.

The Czech Boys Choir is recognized for its stable sound quality created by uniform voice training. The young musical ambassadors of the Czech Republic enjoy singing and bringing joy to the audiences around the whole world.

Jakub Martinec is the artistic director of the Czech Boys Choir. As a renowned choral conductor in the Czech Republic, Mr. Martinec has performed with eminent orchestras, ensembles and musical personalities in some of the world's most famous concert halls, including Meister-singerhalle, Nürnberg (2005, 2009, 2011), Grace Cathedral in San Francisco (2004), Winspear Hall in Edmonton, Canada (2006), Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, USA (2011), the Pantheon and the Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for the leaders of the Vatican (2009, 2010), and regularly at the Rudolfinum Dvoøák Hall in Prague. With his choirs, he performed the opening concert of choral cycle of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (2006), and has appeared at numerous international music festivals including The Prague Spring Festival (2004, 2005), World Choral Symposium in Minneapolis (2002), Festival d'Ambronay (2006), Mitte Europa (2008, 2009), and International Festival of Boys Choirs in Poznañ (2010). Mr. Martinec was a conductor with Boni Pueri for more than 10 years, and in 2006 - 2010 he was named the artistic assistant head master of the Boni Pueri Choir School. Currently, he is pursuing doctoral studies. Mr Martinec is equally at home conducting the masterpieces of the choral literature as he is commissioning new choral works that challenge musical traditions in the 21st centiry. Together with his wife Jennifer, they will be the guest conductors of the 2012 summer choral programs of the Nova Scotia Choral Federation in Canada.

Jennifer Beynon Martinec is a voice and music education graduate from the University of British Columbia and the University of Western of Ontario. A former member of the Amabile Youth Singers, the World Youth Choir, UBC Singers, and the Canadian Chamber Choir, Jennifer was a choral conductor and vocal teacher at St. Michael's Choir School in Toronto, Ontario from 2001 - 2005. Jennifer was the director of the Amabile Boys Training Choir in 2000-2001 and was the assistant conductor to Linda Beaupre and the Bach Children's Choir in 2001 - 2002. Jennifer has studied voice with David Meek and Darryl Edwards, and choral conducting with Dianne Loomer, James Fankhauser, Ken Fleet and Linda Beaupre. In 2001, she was the University of Western Ontario recipient of the Don Wright Scholarship for Vocal Music and in 2003, she was the University of Toronto recipient of the Lloyd Bradshaw Scholarship in Choral Conducting. In 2005 - 2010 she was teaching both private voice and choral music for Boni Pueri, is a lecturer and voice teacher at Charles University, The English International School in Prague and is a freelance Mezzo Soprano.

Martin Fisl is the main pianist of the Czech Boys Choir. He graduated at the Prague Conservatory and continued his studies at the Academy of Music with prof. Leichner. In 2001 he took part in the Brno Janacek competition and won the II. prize and prize for best interpretation of works by Bohuslav Martinu. In 1996 he became a finalist in the World Piano Competition in the U.S.A. in Salt Lake City. Mr. Fisl collaborates regularly with symphony orchestras. Since 1994, he regularly plays premieres of contemporary Czech composers, especially Jarmila Mazourová, Ctirad Kohoutek, Jiøí Matys, Petr Eben, Eduard Douša, Pavel Trojan and others. He records often for the Czech Radio. Since 2000 he is giving concerts regularly in Europe, Canada, the United States and Asia, both with the solo program for piano and piano-violin duo (with Jakub Sedlacek), and in particular with choirs.

Related Sites