Ondřej Skopový

Biography

“Being a musician is more like a mission than a profession.”

The deputy principal second violinist Ondřej Skopový began playing the violin at age five under the guidance of Zdeněk Vyoral. His father wanted him to pursue the career of a violinist, but he did not share that desire at first. He enjoyed sports—football, basketball, and track. “My attitude was not changed much even by my admission to the conservatoire. It was finally Professor Dana Vlachová who opened my eyes, who was able to release the artistic spirit within me and raise me to the next level of musical development”, recalls Skopový, who soon began to perform with the Prague Chamber Philharmonia (now the Prague Philharmonia).

His greatest artistic growth came as a pupil of Petr Messiereur at the Academy of Performing Arts, where he also served as the concertmaster and soloist with the Academy Chamber Soloists. In 2001 he joined the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, later becoming the principal second violinist.

He has been playing in the Czech Philharmonic since September 2007. Of his many professional experiences, he regards having performed Mahler’s Ninth Symphony with Simon Rattle as the most special. “I admire his humanity and feeling for natural artistic expression. Despite the work’s enormous difficulties, the atmosphere at the concerts was amazingly relaxed, and that truly is not how things usually go”, he explains.

He enjoys sports in his free time.