Meadowmount
Violin
Guest Artist
Pavel Prantl
Born in Susice Czech Republic, Mr. Pavel PRANTL started his musical career at the early age of seven. As a talented young violinist, he first attracted the attention of the public when, at the age of eleven, he made his debut for the Czechoslovak Broadcasting Corporation. He continued with his studies at the Conservatory in Kromeriz and during those years, won the First Prize in the Beethoven Violin Competition.
When nineteen, Mr. Prantl was accepted into the Academy of Music In Prague to the class of Prof. J. Peska, leader of the Czechoslovak Quartet. After his death, Mr. Prantl completed his studies by gaining the Master's Degree with Distinction from the class of Prof. V. Snitil. While at the Academy, he won the First Prize in the 1966 Violin Contest named after B. Martinu. In 1970, he scored another First by winning the First National Violin Competition. In addition, in 1972 Mr. Prantl became a laureate of the Otakar Sevcik International Violin Competition (Bronze Medal).
As a soloist, Pavel Prantl performed with many orchestras (i.e. Prague Symphony FOK, Prague Radio Symphony and the Moravian Philharmonic). Solo recitals and chamber music programmes performed with his wife Martina Maixnerova, brilliant Czech pianist, under the name of the Chamber Duo, gained him an excellent reputation with audiences and critics alike. In 1967, Mr. Prantl joined the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and was appointed in 1988 as Artistic Director and Concertmaster of the Prague Chamber Orchestra without a Conductor.
During that time the Orchestra not only maintained its world top class level but continued to gain successes (Europe, the United States, Japan). Reviews of concerts of the PCO under Prantl's leadership at the Carnegie Hall, Vienna, Tokyo, Salzburg and Montreux, referred consistently about dedicated preparation, technical perfection and overwhelming musical power of all performances. One of many recordings of the PCO under Mr. Prantl (EMI, DECCA, DG, Supraphon) received the Grand Prix du Disque in Paris.
In 1980, Mr. Prantl moved to Singapore in order to help in progress of the then established Singapore Symphony Orchestra. His contribution to the Singapore culture, beside his main work as a Concertmaster, includes concerto appearances, recitals, radio programmes, chamber concerts and the training of Singapore's young talented violinists. The Orchestra gained soon international reputation during two European tours. Another decade of his intensive work gained him also the international recognition. Prantl received the Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the London Institute for Applied Research and two Honorary Professorships (University of Bruxelles and Paris' Haute Ecole de Recherche).
His concert activities in the Far East, the United States and Europe included performances at the Smetana Centennial Festival in California (1986) Seoul's Pre-Olympic Festival (1987), Okhotsk Music Festival in Japan incI. concert at the Casal's Hall in Tokyo (1989), triumphant return to Prague after his London's Debut (Purcell Room) and two recitals at the Hong Kong Festival of Arts (1994).
During the second Prague appearance (1992), he recorded the Benda and Stamitz Violin concertos with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra for the Singapore's own ACCORD label. In the same year, the Accord Music released the second CD, containing Czech Violin and Piano Chamber Music with his wife, Martina Maixnerova.
From April 1993 until March 1995, Mr. Prantl worked as a Professor and the Head of the String Department at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In October 1994, the Duo toured in Czech Republic, in November 1994 in the Republic of Korea, including performance of the Mendelssohn's Double Concerto with Korea Chamber Ensemble.
After a permanent return to Czech Republic in 1996, Prantl was appointed as a first Concertmaster of the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra and as Artistic Director of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. In January 1997, Mr. Prantl joined the Trio D'Archi di Praga as its Artistic Leader. From the academic year of 1996/97, he holds a position of the Head of String Department and Professor of Violin and Chamber music at the newly established Prague Music High School.
His two young students were winners at their respective age categories at the Kocian International Violin Competition (Czech Republic) - Josef Spacek (13), and at the Remember Enescu International Violin Competition (Bucharest - Romania) B. Kolarova (11).