Jan Fišer

Biography

“I’m still trying to improve, broaden my horizons, and do things the right way.”

Czech Philharmonic concertmaster Jan Fišer already began exhibiting remarkable musical talent as a child, winning many competitions (Kocian Violin Competition, Concertino Praga, UNESCO International Rostrum of Young Performers, Beethoven’s Hradec etc.). He comes from a family of violinists—his father is one of the most respected violin teachers in this country, and his younger brother Jakub plays first violin in the Bennewitz Quartet. “My parents met each other in a folk ensemble in Rokycany, so music, whether folk or classical, was heard very often at home”, says Fišer.

He took his first steps as a violinist under the guidance of Hana Metelková, and later he studied at the Prague Conservatoire under Jaroslav Foltýn. He also places great importance on his encounter with Pinchas Zukerman at a masterclass. He spent three summers at the famed Meadowmount School of Music, where he met his future teacher, the concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Andrés J. Cárdenes. It was in the studio of that distinguished professor that Fišer graduated from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music in Pittsburgh in 2003.

Just when he was deciding whether to remain in the USA, the Prague Philharmonia announced an audition for the position of concertmaster. Fišer won the job and stayed with the orchestra for 16 years. In search of “new stimuli and more repertoire”, he then accepted the same position with the Czech Philharmonic, where he still remains.

He has appeared as a guest concertmaster with the Bamberg Symphony, the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. From a concert tour in Oman with the latter orchestra, Fišer recalls an amusing backstage incident. “Before the concert, I lost my eyeglasses while swimming in the sea, and not having an extra pair, I borrowed glasses from Jakub Hrůša, who was conducting us at the time, and who was using contact lenses for the concert. It was really lucky we both have the same prescription.” Besides his other duties, he also serves as the artistic director of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, and he has made solo appearances with such orchestras as the Prague Philharmonia and the Janáček Philharmonic in Ostrava. Along with his busy schedule as an orchestral player and soloist, he devotes himself to chamber music in the Dvořák Trio with pianist Ivo Kahánek and cellist Tomáš Jamník.

Fišer’s French violin from the early 19th century, attributed to the maker François-Louis Pique, has also been heard in recording studios. Jan Fišer makes recordings regularly for television and radio, and he is one of the five laureates taking part in the CD “Tribute to Jaroslav Kocian” to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Kocian International Violin Competition. He is also following in his father’s footsteps as a teacher. He serves in the role of mentor at the MenArt Scholarship Academy, and he teachers regularly at music courses including the Ševčík Academy in Horažďovice and the Telč Music Academy.

He enjoys sports and discovering history in context, and he is gradually putting together his family tree. He loves cinema, literature, the fine arts, and humour.