Jela Špitková

Jela Špitková

Jela Špitková (born January 1, 1947 in Nové Mesto nad Váhom , Czechoslovakia ) is a Slovak-Austrian violin soloist and university teacher.

Life

At the age of six, Jela Špitková began to play the violin at the music school in her hometown of Nové Mesto nad Váhom . She continued this education at the Bratislava Conservatory in Albín Vrteľ's class. During this stage of her studies she began to give concerts abroad and represented the former ČSSR in Germany , Great Britain , Italy , Poland , the Netherlands and Switzerland . At that time she played around 50 concerts a year. In her fourth year of study, she was selected together with Edita Gruberová and Marián Lapšanský to represent the ČSSR on a tour through the Netherlands. A year later, she played for the first time as a soloist, the Violin Concerto of Brahms as she with the Slovak Philharmonic appeared on tour in the UK. In her sixth year of study she played again in England when she won the position of concertmaster of the European Youth Orchestra in a competition under the patronage of Yehudi Menuhin . With this orchestra she also appeared in front of Queen Elisabeth's mother.

Education

In Prague and Vienna

Jela Špitková with Igor Oistrach

On April 19, 1968, Jela Špitková graduated from the Conservatory with Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in the Slovak Philharmonic Hall as “Best Graduate of the Year”. This gave her a scholarship to study for five years at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory . Due to the invasion of the Warsaw Pact armies in the Czechoslovakia and the subsequent political turmoil, she was unable to start this course immediately. In the summer of 1968 she won prizes at international competitions in Sofia and Sion (Switzerland). On the return journey from Sion to Slovakia , the violinist encountered closed borders and after waiting several days in vain decided to stay in Vienna and continue her studies with Ricardo Odnoposoff at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna . Odnopossoff waived because of his impressions at Jela Špitková's earlier competition appearances on any entrance examination. When she managed to return to her homeland, but it was unclear whether the authorities would allow her to continue her studies in Vienna, she also passed the entrance examination to the Academy of Music in Prague , where she joined Alexander's class in October 1968 Plocek entered. Jela Špitková had thus become a student at two music academies without her professors knowing about the double degree. She was able to finance these studies thanks to her extensive solo work. In 1970 she completed her studies in Vienna with distinction and a cash prize and was included in the list of artists of the Slovak monopoly agency " Slovkoncert ". Further competitions and prizes followed; She was not allowed to take up a position with the English Chamber Orchestra because she was refused a work visa. During this time she recorded her first record on the Opus label . In 1972 she finished her studies in Prague as “Best Graduate of the Year” and received a cash award. She performed the Brahms Concerto with the Prague Symphony Orchestra.

In Moscow

In September 1971 Igor Oistrach accepted Jela Špitková into his master class at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory after an audition in Vienna . During this time, the violinist's concert career had developed so far that the lessons with Oistrach often had to take place in Berlin, Prague, Paris or Vienna. At that time the artist played around 120 concerts a year. In 1978 she performed Bach's double concerto with Igor Oistrach in Bratislava .

Concert activity

Jela Špitková in Japan

After completing the master class in Moscow , Jela Špitková settled in Bratislava and became a soloist with the Slovak Philharmonic. In 1976 she founded the “Suchoň Quartet” with her brother, violinist Igor Špitka, cellist Jozef Pohoranský and violist Erika Friedlová, which established itself over ten years with a large number of concerts and recordings. In 1978 the “Slovak Trio” was also founded with Jozef Pohoranský and the pianist Marián Lapšanský, which performed with similar success on many stages and on radio and television . Jela Špitková has also performed regularly as a soloist in the Bratislava Ladies Chamber Orchestra. Between 1975 and 1980 the artist played a total of over 800 concerts in 60 countries on five continents with a variety of different programs. In 1979 she became first concertmaster of the Copenhagen Radio Symphony Orchestra . A little later she was appointed concertmaster of the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra , with whom she often appeared in subscription concerts and on tours as a soloist; in this formation she also took part in many recordings. For one season she also worked as concert master at Munich's Gärtnerplatz Theater . At the same time she also worked as a soloist and concertmaster of the Vienna Bach Soloists and "Orchestra Sinfonica Brasileira" with whom she toured Brazil and Japan at the turn of the millennium . Her violin playing is recorded on LPs and CDs (900 minutes from her repertoire, including 30 violin concertos ), which are sold worldwide. In addition, her game was recorded by numerous radio stations around the world.

Educational activity

From 1975 Jela Špitková worked for four years as an assistant at the University of Music in Bratislava . From 1980 she worked at the Salzburg Mozarteum as assistant to Sándor Végh . Since 1985 she has been teaching at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna , since 1998 at the Faculty of Performing Arts of the Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica and since 2006 at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague , meanwhile as a professor at all three universities . Her students play solo, chamber music and in renowned ensembles from the Vienna Philharmonic to the Metropolitan Opera in New York .

Prizes and awards

• 1965 1st prize at the Čs violin competition. Radio in Bratislava
• 1968 4th prize at the international Tibor Varga competition in Sion (CH)
• 1969 Emily Anderson Prize in London
• 1971 1st prize at the Ludwig van Beethoven violin competition in Prague

Jela Špitková also received many prizes and special prizes at the International Violin Competition Marguerite Long - Jacques Thibault in Paris (1969), JS Bach Violin Competition in Leipzig (1968), (1970) George Enescu Violin Competition in Bucharest , Violin Competition for Young Instrumentalists in Sofia (1968) , Carl Flesch violin competition in London (1972), ARD - violin competition in Munich (1972)

family

• Mother: Oľga Špitková, b. Bogyayová, a graduate of the Bratislava Business Academy, worked as a bank clerk. She was artistically gifted and engaged in oil painting.

• Father: Dr. Pavel Špitka, a successful lawyer. He played the piano and organ excellently. In addition to his legal work, he worked for 40 years as an organist at a Protestant church.

• Brother: Igor Špitka, violinist in the Slovak Philharmonic

Web links

• Significant personalities - in Slovak ( Memento from April 16, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
• Own website