Pavel Prantl

Artistic Director/Concertmaster

Born in Susice, Czech Republic, Pavel Prantl, started his musical career at the age of seven. He first attracted public attention making his public debut with the Czechoslovak Broadcasting Corporation at age eleven. Continuing his studies at the Kromeriz Conservatory he won First Prize in the Beethoven Violin Competition. At age nineteen, Mr. Prantl was accepted at the Academy of Music in Prague under Prof. Peska, leader of the famed Czechoslovak Quartet. Upon Prof. Peska's death, Mr. Prantl completed his Master's Degree under Prof. V. Snitil. While at the Academy, Mr. Prantl won First Prize in the 1966 Martinu Competition. In 1970, he again won a First Prize at the First National Violin Competition and in 1972 won the Bronze Medal at the Otakar Sevcik International Competition. As a soloist, he performed with many orchestras including the Prague Symphony FOK, Prague Radio Symphony, and the Moravian Philharmonic. He also actively performed as the Chamber Duo with his wife, noted pianist Martina Maixnerova. In 1967, Mr. Prantl joined the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, in 1980 was appointed Concertmaster of the Singapore Symphony, and in 1988 was appointed Artistic Director and Concertmaster of the Prague Chamber Orchestra, and from 1993-1995 he held the post of Professor and Head of the String Department at the Hong Kong Academy of Arts. Upon a permanent return to Prague in 1996, Mr. Prantl was appointed Concertmaster of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra 1996-2000, Prague Radio Chamber Orchestra, and again to the post of Artistic Director and Concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the London Institute of Applied Research and Honorary Professorships from the University of Bruxelles and the Haute Ecole de Recherche in Paris. 

Along Mr. Prantl's international press reviews:

"...Prantl's striking musicianship was evident at once...he had a tone of rare sweetness, capable of a fine line of delicacy or passionate declamation, phrasing that was unostentatious but always enhancing, a fiery accent..." San Francisco Examiner

"...Prantl played with impeccable intonation and style and his crisp and technically assured playing was a feature throughout. The evening ended with a performance of Smetana's Two Duos "From my Homeland" movingly played with utter security of execution and deep musical understanding..." The Strad, London

"...it began with Mozart, whose Violin Sonata K654 was, especially in the 1st and 2nd movements, delivered with great musical power, velvety echoes and recitative like accentuated climaxes all with seldom heard precise piano cooperation...it was a concert which would be hard to forget..." The Peoples' Democracy, Prague