Robert Kozánek

Biography

“The best concerts are the ones when you feel like it’s a job well done.”

The first trombonist of the Czech Philharmonic Robert Kozánek is a sought-after soloist, chamber musician, and teacher, whose interests go beyond classical music to include jazz. He got his start as a musician in Moravia. “From the age of two, I attended concerts of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlín, where my father was a player”, he says, explaining his path to music. In 1992, he enrolled at the P. J. Vejvanovský Conservatoire in Kroměříž, where he studied under J. Kummer, then his next steps took him to Prague, where he studied at the Academy of Performing Arts under the guidance of M. Hejda and J. Sušický, graduating in 2002. He also took part in masterclasses at the Czech-French Academy in Telč in 1998 (Prof. Michel Becquet), and in 2001 he completed a half-year study visit at London’s Guildhall School of Music under Professor Simon Wills.

He has enjoyed many successes in competitions at home and abroad, including victory at the Kroměříž Conservatoire Competition (1994), the title of overall winner at the Competition for Brass Instrument Players in Brno (1997), and honourable mention at the Prague Spring Competition that same year. He came away from Geneva and Gdansk with third prizes, and he was twice a finalist in the Czech Talent of the Year Competition (1999, 2001). He finished second in Markneukirchen, Germany, in Lieksa, Finland, and in the Frank Smithe Competition held by the Trombone Association in Helsinki.

He has performed as a soloist with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlín, the Pilsen Philharmonic, the Prague Philharmonia, and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and he serves as the artistic director of the ensembles BRASS 6 and the Czech Philharmonic Low Brass Ensemble. We can hear him playing jazz with the F Major Jazz Band, the Tequila Jazz Band, and the Rudolfinum Jazz Orchestra. He became the first trombonist of the Czech Philharmonic in 2002, when he was about to graduate from the Academy of Performing Arts. “I was lucky there was an audition just when I was in my last year of studies, so the choice was clear. Becoming a member of the Czech Philharmonic had always been my dream. It’s a chance to play music of the best quality with the world’s best musicians,” says Kozánek. He likes playing Czech music most of all.

That music is heard on many of the recordings he has made with chamber ensembles and with the Czech Philharmonic. He has also issued three CDs showcasing his playing, and he appears regularly on Czech Radio and Czech Television. He sees his priorities clearly: “I believe I have already achieved my greatest milestones. My goal now is to continue playing at a high level for as long as possible and to support younger colleagues and students with my experience.” For this reason, he also devotes himself to teaching. In 2003 he became a teaching assistant at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, where in 2011 he completed his habilitation and was appointed Reader (Associate Professor). His students are successful participants at international competitions and hold positions in Czech and foreign orchestras.

Besides playing, he also writes musical arrangements. His other interests include family, sports, and working around the house. “I think I’m a typical trombonist who likes good food, drink, and friends”, he adds.