Tomáš Karpíšek

Following studies at the Pilsen Conservatory under Martin Koukolík, he studied in Prague under MgA. Petr Ries and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under Professor Jiří Hudec. He finished his Master’s degree at HfM Freiburg im Breisgau in the class of renowned Professor Božo Paradžik. He completed a study stay at the Royal Academy of Music in London as well as the two-year programme of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestral Academy (2012–2014). He also developed his orchestral skills during his internship at the German SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg. After graduation, he spent almost two years in Vienna as a double bass player in Wiener Staatsoper, also regularly appearing as a guest with Wiener Philharmoniker.

He has won many prizes in various competitions, including 1^st prize at the Conservatories Competition in 2011 and the 1^st prize at the František Simandl’s International Double Bass Competition in Blatná, Czech Republic. In 2018 he won the 1^st prize (2^nd prize was not awarded) at the International Double Bass Competition in Lucca, Italy, the prize of which was to perform as a guest with three well-established European orchestras: Dresdner Philharmonie, Oslo Philharmonic and Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música. He has attended a number of double bass masterclasses with famous professors in Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Slovenia and Italy. In 2019, he participated in renowned masterclass Carl Flesch Akademie in Baden-Baden, where he studied under Matthew McDonald (solo double bass player of Berliner Philharmoniker) and here he gained Preis des Fördervereins der Carl Flesch Akademie e. V. As a soloist, he has appeared with Philharmonie Baden-Baden and regularly performs in solo recitals.

In addition to playing the double bass, Tomáš Karpíšek is also a composer. He studied composition at the Pilsen Conservatory under Professor Mgr. et MgA. Jiří Bezděk, Ph.D and has attended composition seminars in Great Britain and Germany. He won the 3^rd prize for his Sonata for flute and piano at the Generation – International Competition for Composers 2010. He has been collaborating with the British musical publishing house Recital Music, which has already published his two suites for an unaccompanied double bass and has commissioned new compositions. His works have been performed in both the Czech Republic and abroad at festivals such as Max Reger-Tage, Smetana Days in Pilsen, or the Days of Contemporary Music in Prague.

He is a member of the West Bohemian Music Centre and a graduate of the Chamber Music Academy. He is also interested in historically informed performance and jazz music. In his free time, he likes to read, enjoys cycling and hiking.