i K o s i k . c o m

I R E N A  K O S Í K O V Á

Organist & Composer - Curriculum Vitae - List of Compositions - Organ Repertoire - Press - Links - Contact

Curriculum Vitae   Czech organist and composer Irena Kosíková was born in Prague into the intellectual family of prohibited philosopher Karel Kosík and literary scientist Růžena Grebeníčková, the Herder prize laureate.   She began her organ studies with Prof. Jan Hora, together with piano lessons given by Prof. Eliška Kleinová and Prof. Arnoštka Grünfeldová. Irena Kosíková studied organ performance (Prof. Jaroslava Potměšilová) and conducting (Prof. Karel Fiala) at Ježek's Conservatory. For political reasons she was refused to further her studies. She took private composition lessons with Prof. Miroslav Raichl.   Finally after the Velvet Revolution she was accepted at the Janáček Academy of Music (JAMU) in Brno into the organ class of Prof. Alena Veselá and Prof. Kamila Klugarová. She graduated at the Academy of Music (HAMU) in Prague, under the guidance of Prof. Josef Popelka.   Irena Kosíková now gives organ concerts and intensively compose. Her works have been performed in the Czech Republic, Algeria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Israel, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Sweden and in the United Kingdom. As an organist she specialises in the interpretation of organ works written by Johann Sebastian Bach: including performances of the complete Organ Toccatas, Voluntaries, Leipzig Chorales, The Art of Fugue, Organ Mass.    She is one of the six chosen composers (Jiří Matys, Petr Hejný, Jan Jirásek, Luboš Fišer, Miloš Štědroň and Irena Kosíková) of the project "Prague - Brno: 6 Contemporary Composers", held under the auspices of Václav Havel.   For the celebration of the Year of Jewish Culture - 100 Years of the Jewish Museum in Prague, she wrote orchestra composition "7 Candles" introduced, together with the work of murdered "Terezín" composers Gideon Klein (1919 - 1945) and Pavel Haas (1899 - 1944), in Prague and Terezín.   On the occasion of the 110th anniversary commemoration of the birth of Jewish writer Jiří Weil (1900 - 1959), Irena Kosíková was commissioned to create ballet "MAKANNA" for voice, cello and orchestra, it's concert performance was held under the auspices of Sir Tom Stoppard and Václav Havel. Live recording is available on Supraphonline.cz and iTunes.   Music cooperation with the Talich Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, cellist Anna Brikciusová, Czech pianist Tomáš Víšek, cellist František Brikcius, siblings cello chamber ensemble Duo Brikcius, Czech Maestro Jan Talich and Russian conductor Mischa Rachlevsky.   Organ compositions in the interpretation of Irena Kosíková are published on YouTube, currently complete performance of Leipzig Chorales.   She currently resides in France. For more information about Czech composer and organist Irena Kosíková visit websites http://www.iKosik.com .