Roman Patočka

Biography

Roman Patočka belongs among outstanding figures of the ascending soloist generation. After graduating from Prague Conservatory (class of Dagmar Zárubová) and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (class of Ivan Štraus) he continued his studies at various institutions abroad: first in Utrecht (class of Keiko Wataya), later in Lübeck (under Shmuel Ashkenasi). At the 2009 he finished his master diploma under Stefan Picard at Musikhochschule „Hanns Eisler“ in Berlin.
   
Along with his studies Patočka attended number of master courses under the guidance of prominent musicians of our time. He graduated from the International Musical Academy in Montpelliér (Ruggiero Ricci, Stephen Shipps), attended the summer courses in Semmering (Hagai Shaham) as well as the International Master Courses of Keshet Eilon (Ida Haendel, Georgy Pauk, Vadim Gluzman).
   
Patočka managed to utilize all the experience he gained during his studies at numerous music competitions. He was awarded 2nd Prize and 4 Special Awards at the Prague Spring competiton in 2003, won Yamaha Scholarship in 2004, became the laureate of the International Competition of Václav Huml in Zagreb and in 2005 he won 2nd Prize at the Ibolyka-Gyarfas competition in Berlin. In 2007 Patočka placed 3rd at the International Violin Competiton Pablo de Sarasate in Pamplona. Patočka plays on an Enrico Ceruti Violin, made in Cremona 1845. The loan of this beautiful instrument has been made possible through the support of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben of Musical Instruments.
   
Roman Patočka performs as a soloist with prestigious orchestras in the Czech Republic and abroad (Hamburger Symphoniker, Filharmonie Nagoya, La Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia). Patočka worked together with Jiří Bělohlávek, Vladimír Válek, Jakub Hrůša, Douglas Bostock, James Blair, Yoko Matsuo and Hideaki Hirai. Together with Brno Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Carles Mackerras Patočka performed Little Souls’s Wandering by Leoš Janáček . He also cooperated with Chamber Orchestra Berg to premiere Czech Rhapsody for violin and orchestra by Bohuslav Martinů.
   
As a chamber player Roman Patočka cooperates with the foremost Czech players: Jiří Bárta, Jan Talich, Radek Baborák, Martin Kasík and Lubomír Malý. He represented the Czech Republic at the international exhibition EXPO 2005 in Aichi, Japan. Patočka performed at various festivals: Les Heures Romantiques au Pays de Monthodon, Lange Nacht der Musik in Vienna, Les Journées Romantiques du Vaisseau Fantôme in Paris, Shafran Festival at Waldenburg castle , Chopin’s festival in Mariánské Lázně, Prague Music Festival and other.
   
Roman Patočka recorded number of pieces for Czech Radio, BBC Radio 3, ORF, Radio 4 Netherlands, Romanian Radio and Japanese TV NHK. In 2006 together with pianist Frédéric Lagard he recorded a CD in France (Beethoven, Suk, Dvořák, Bartók).