Marek Kozák

Marek Kozák is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable young figures in the Czech music scene. This finalist from the Ferruccio Busoni 2019 International Piano Competition in Bolzano, a winner of the European Piano Competition in Bremen in 2018 and the recipient of the 2nd prize and laureate title at the prestigious Prague Spring 2016 competition, began to show his talent at the age of four.

After studying at the Janáček Conservatory and Gymnasium in Ostrava, he completed his studies at the Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under Professor Ivan Klánský. In addition, he has attended numerous masterclasses led by world-famous piano virtuosos such as Eugen Indjic, Murray Perahia and Garrick Ohlsson.

He won an award at the 2013 International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Mariánské Lázně, and he repeated this success at the Chopin Competition in Darmstadt, where he was awarded 3rd prize. A year later he also won a prize at the International Smetana Piano Competition in Pilsen.

Despite his young age, he has gained much experience working with the leading Czech orchestras – the Prague Symphony Orchestra, PKF — Prague Philharmonia, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc, the Brno Philharmonic, the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice, the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra in Zlín.

He has worked with many conductors including Petr Altrichter, Benjamin Bayle, Jerzy Maksymiuk, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Andreas Sebastian Weiser and Ronald Zollman. Last year he made his successful debut at the Prague Spring International Music Festival, where he performed the seldom-played Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 2 by Pavel Bořkovec, accompanied by the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Chuhei Iwasaki.

Marek Kozák is also an outstanding organist. At 15 he was a winner at the 2008 Petr Eben International Organ Competition in Opava, where he also won a special award for improvisation.