concertmaster, group leader
Instrument
violin
In Czech Philharmonic
since September 2016
Also plays in
Lobkowicz Trio
One of the most remarkable talents of his generation since a very young age, he studied with Magdaléna Micková and later on with Jiří Fišer. He regularly attended the courses of Czech violinist Václav Hudeček, which paved the path to a long-term fruitful cooperation. Among his biggest successes are the first prize at the International Violin Competition Beethoven’s Hradec with the Dvořák concerto in 2009 and he was the youngest laureate of the Prague Spring International Festival competition in 2010. After he won the first prize at the Fritz Kreisler International Violin Competition at the Vienna Konzerthaus in 2014, the jury president said that "Jan is a worthy winner. He has fascinated us from the first round. Not only with his technical skills, but also with his on-stage charisma."
In 2011, he became the youngest soloist in the history of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, he has performed with the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra and Romanian Radio Symphony, both with Sascha Goetzel, Lappeenranta City Orchestra (Finland), Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK) as well as the Czech Philharmonic. Czech conductor Jiří Bělohlávek invited him to become the Czech Philharmonic’s concertmaster. He also joined the 2015 summer tour of the European Youth Orchestra with Gianandrea Noseda and Xian Zhang as the concertmaster.
He still performs as a soloist all around the globe, among others with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Wiener Concert-Verein, the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra and the Košice State Philharmonic. He had the honour to cooperate with conductors such as Maxim Vengerov, Han-Na Chang, James Judd, Tomáš Brauner, Ondrej Lenárd, Jac van Steen and Vladimir Fedoseyev.
In 2014, he won the third prize at Antonín Dvořák International Chamber Music Competition and the first prize and the audience prize at the International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschachu (Austria) with the Lobkowicz Trio. In 2016, he recorded a critically acclaimed CD with the complete works of Antonín Dvořák for the Swiss label ONYX with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, James Judd and pianist Lukáš Klánský.
He plays Italian violin by Carlo Fernando Landolfi, Milan 1758, generously loaned to him by Peter Biddulph.
Jan Mráček together with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Wayne Marshall filled Hradčany Square with music during the Open Air Concert 2022. Enjoy his performance of Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs) by composer Pablo de Sarasate.
Get to know the concertmaster Jan Mráček better. He says he was a bit of a troublemaker during his studies, but he always tried to fulfill his musical commitments one hundred percent. What's been crucial in his career? And how is it possible that as a pilot he hates heights?
Jan Mráček and the Chamber Orchestra play a selection from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons - conducted by Václav Luks. Video from a benefit concert for the elderly, which took place without an audience on 25 April 2020 in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum.
