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Oakville Beaver Article August 2008
| oakvillebeaverarticle_aug08.pdf |
Oakville Arts Council Spring/Summer 2008
| summer_2009.pdf |
January 2006
SOCMI was proud to celebrate its 10th composer-in-residence and first commissioned work!
The world premiere of Abigail Richardson's Piano Trio 'The Pull',
performed by the Schulte-Bloemendal-Turini trio, at SOCMI in 2005,
was aired on CBC radio's 'Music Around Us' hosted by Keith Horner on January 8, 2006. ,
Fond Farewell to Zdenek Konicek
Cellist returns to Prague but not before leaving Hamilton richer in music
By Leonard Turnevicius
The Hamilton Spectator
Friday, October 28, 2005
One of the driving forces in Hamilton’s classical music scene has left us. After 35 years in the city as a cellist, teacher and concert organizer, Zdenek Konicek has pulled up stakes and moved back to Prague. Goodbyes were said after the Penderecki String Quartet’s concert at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts on Oct. 5 – two days before Konicek’s 87th birthday. It was a fitting event to recognize his six years as Chamber Music Hamilton’s artistic director and work for SOCMI, the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute. At the post-concert ceremony, Konicek recounted an anecdote from his time with the Prague Quartet. Back in the early 1960s, the ensemble had returned to the Czechoslovakian Soviet Republic from an international tour. The members were interviewed by Czech reporters.
"What were some of the nicest cities you saw on your tour?"
"New Orleans, San Francisco."
"And what were some of the ugliest cities?"
"Oh, Buffalo and Hamilton."
Who could have foreseen that Konicek would one day make Hamilton just a little bit more beautiful through his years of work and music?
Konicek was born in Bosnia, Yugoslavia. While still a youngster, his family moved to Bratislava. His parents weren’t musical, but "they had a very advanced idea how to educate," he said. When it was discovered that he had absolute pitch, his parents started his musical training when he was five or six. He began his musical training on the piano and violin then after a year, added the cello.
Prior to the war, Konicek moved to Prague to study. His first professional activity was playing in the opera pit. "It was not very encouraging to me because I was very disappointed to play and hear (only) a part of the whole opera. And of course to play very often the same operas, Bartered Bride, and so on," he said.
He soon joined the Prague Symphony as principal cellist and also played with the Czech Philharmonic. After a few years, he felt the same way about playing in an orchestra.
Prior to the war, Konicek moved to Prague to study. His first professional activity was playing in the opera pit. "It was not very encouraging to me because I was very disappointed to play and hear (only) a part of the whole opera. And of course to play very often the same operas, Bartered Bride, and so on," he said.
He soon joined the Prague Symphony as principal cellist and also played with the Czech Philharmonic. After a few years, he felt the same way about playing in an orchestra.
"You cannot express your personality, you have to just watch and follow strictly what the conductor wants."
Konicek had special feelings for string quartets from his student days. "When I listened to the string quartet, I had the feeling that I can hear the feelings, sadness and more intimate feelings I missed in the orchestra," Together with the principal string players of the Prague Symphony, Zdenek formed the Prague Quartet. This ensemble built a solid reputation, first at home, then in Austria. The Czechoslovakian state concert agency, Pragokoncert, booked them around the world. The quartet traveled alone and was never accompanied by a state agent. No one in the quartet was a member of the Communist party, though one of them was required to report to the state on the quartet’s activities after each trip.
When the Soviets invaded Prague in August 1968, the quartet had a tête-à- tête in Yugoslavia. Konicek and the quartet’s violist decided to defect. They hooked up with two other Czech émigrés, and formed the Czech Quartet. Mariedi Anders, who was the Prague Quartet’s American manager, also became the Czech Quartet’s manager. It was through her that Boris Brott found out about Konicek’s new group. Brott convinced them to come to Hamilton in 1971 and help build the HPO. Konicek played with the HPO for a few years. His favourite memory is performing Louis Appelbaum’s Place Setting, a work commissioned for the 1973 opening of Hamilton Place.
He also built a reputation as a respected teacher. "Immediately when I came to Hamilton I started with Marta Hidy to establish a good standard of Suzuki (string program for youth)," said Konicek. He taught privately as well as at McMaster and the University of Western Ontario. He was also the artistic director at the short-lived Royal Hamilton College of Music. Between 1989 and 1997, he served on the faculty of SOCMI, a summer institute for young chamber musicians and donated much of his music library to this institute.
Konicek who became a widower in 1977, credits his second wife, Lida, as "a big support" in all his work.
Before he left, Konicek organized Chamber Music Hamilton’s '06-'07 season, contracting the Lafayette and Fine Arts quartets. He will be missed.
Leonard Turnevicius is a music educator and organist
The Hamilton Spectator
Friday, October 28, 2005
One of the driving forces in Hamilton’s classical music scene has left us. After 35 years in the city as a cellist, teacher and concert organizer, Zdenek Konicek has pulled up stakes and moved back to Prague. Goodbyes were said after the Penderecki String Quartet’s concert at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts on Oct. 5 – two days before Konicek’s 87th birthday. It was a fitting event to recognize his six years as Chamber Music Hamilton’s artistic director and work for SOCMI, the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute. At the post-concert ceremony, Konicek recounted an anecdote from his time with the Prague Quartet. Back in the early 1960s, the ensemble had returned to the Czechoslovakian Soviet Republic from an international tour. The members were interviewed by Czech reporters.
"What were some of the nicest cities you saw on your tour?"
"New Orleans, San Francisco."
"And what were some of the ugliest cities?"
"Oh, Buffalo and Hamilton."
Who could have foreseen that Konicek would one day make Hamilton just a little bit more beautiful through his years of work and music?
Konicek was born in Bosnia, Yugoslavia. While still a youngster, his family moved to Bratislava. His parents weren’t musical, but "they had a very advanced idea how to educate," he said. When it was discovered that he had absolute pitch, his parents started his musical training when he was five or six. He began his musical training on the piano and violin then after a year, added the cello.
Prior to the war, Konicek moved to Prague to study. His first professional activity was playing in the opera pit. "It was not very encouraging to me because I was very disappointed to play and hear (only) a part of the whole opera. And of course to play very often the same operas, Bartered Bride, and so on," he said.
He soon joined the Prague Symphony as principal cellist and also played with the Czech Philharmonic. After a few years, he felt the same way about playing in an orchestra.
Prior to the war, Konicek moved to Prague to study. His first professional activity was playing in the opera pit. "It was not very encouraging to me because I was very disappointed to play and hear (only) a part of the whole opera. And of course to play very often the same operas, Bartered Bride, and so on," he said.
He soon joined the Prague Symphony as principal cellist and also played with the Czech Philharmonic. After a few years, he felt the same way about playing in an orchestra.
"You cannot express your personality, you have to just watch and follow strictly what the conductor wants."
Konicek had special feelings for string quartets from his student days. "When I listened to the string quartet, I had the feeling that I can hear the feelings, sadness and more intimate feelings I missed in the orchestra," Together with the principal string players of the Prague Symphony, Zdenek formed the Prague Quartet. This ensemble built a solid reputation, first at home, then in Austria. The Czechoslovakian state concert agency, Pragokoncert, booked them around the world. The quartet traveled alone and was never accompanied by a state agent. No one in the quartet was a member of the Communist party, though one of them was required to report to the state on the quartet’s activities after each trip.
When the Soviets invaded Prague in August 1968, the quartet had a tête-à- tête in Yugoslavia. Konicek and the quartet’s violist decided to defect. They hooked up with two other Czech émigrés, and formed the Czech Quartet. Mariedi Anders, who was the Prague Quartet’s American manager, also became the Czech Quartet’s manager. It was through her that Boris Brott found out about Konicek’s new group. Brott convinced them to come to Hamilton in 1971 and help build the HPO. Konicek played with the HPO for a few years. His favourite memory is performing Louis Appelbaum’s Place Setting, a work commissioned for the 1973 opening of Hamilton Place.
He also built a reputation as a respected teacher. "Immediately when I came to Hamilton I started with Marta Hidy to establish a good standard of Suzuki (string program for youth)," said Konicek. He taught privately as well as at McMaster and the University of Western Ontario. He was also the artistic director at the short-lived Royal Hamilton College of Music. Between 1989 and 1997, he served on the faculty of SOCMI, a summer institute for young chamber musicians and donated much of his music library to this institute.
Konicek who became a widower in 1977, credits his second wife, Lida, as "a big support" in all his work.
Before he left, Konicek organized Chamber Music Hamilton’s '06-'07 season, contracting the Lafayette and Fine Arts quartets. He will be missed.
Leonard Turnevicius is a music educator and organist
