Josef Dvořák

Biography

“I like conductors who have imagination and a clear idea of what they want.”

Cellist Josef Dvořák grew up in a family of amateur musicians. “Prague’s musical world felt distant to me. But thanks to my first teacher, Václav Krofta, I came under the guidance of the outstanding pedagogue Karel Pravoslav Sádlo, who prepared me for the conservatory entrance exams”, he recalls. He studied at the Prague Conservatory under Pravoslav Sádlo Páv. After graduating in 1975, he successfully auditioned for the Czech Philharmonic, where he has remained ever since. Among his fondest memories are performances of Mahler’s symphonies with Václav Neumann.

Besides orchestral playing, he devotes himself to chamber music, performing for example with the ensemble Variace, with which he has issued three recordings (the most recent in 2018). He is also a member of the civic association Reviving the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Zbiroh, which for many years organized concerts in support of the church’s restoration.

“Even after so many years in the orchestra, I still love music”, he says with a smile. His favourite composers include Antonín Dvořák, Bohuslav Martinů, and Sergei Prokofiev. He also enjoys listening to jazz, and he loves the Argentine tango.