Ars Cameralis

Anna Piskačová – pianoThe Ars cameralis ensemble has collaborated with a number of artists during its activity since 1963. Some were permanent members of the ensemble for several years.Since its foundation in 1963, this ensemble has been known both at home and abroad for its two fields of activity: 13th to 15th century medieval music, and contemporary compositions. Its rich repertoire is enhanced all the time, combining not only new transcriptions of historical music, most often acquired from the original sources, the medieval manuscripts, but also the newly written works of contemporary composers. The profile of Ars cameralis was created with the substantial help of long-standing mezzosoprano Zuzana Matoušková (1944 – 1996). Each member of the Ars cameralis ensemble can play a number of historical instruments.

The ensemble Ars cameralis participates in important musical festivals (Prague Spring, International Festival in Brno, Warszawska Jesień, Timişoara muzikala, Händelfest Halle, Pendeli Festival Athens, Musica antiqua Bydgoszcz, Flanderen Festival, Tage alter Musik Herne, Musica antiqua Jerez, Early Music Festival Prague, Visegrad Festival, St.Venceslaus Festival, Contemporary Music Festival Kraków etc.). It gives concerts and records music for radio and television both at home and abroad (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, Slovakia, Spain).

The ensemble Ars cameralis publish its CDs mainly by the Studio Matouš.

HISTORICAL INSTRUMENTS

fiddle, rebec, citole, gothic harp, medieval dulcimer, ala Bohemica, micanon, trumpet marine, small harpsichord, clavisimbalum, portative organ, organetto, recorders, tabor pipe, double pipe, shawms, douçainnes, crumhorns, nakers, cymbals, chorus, etc.

Members of Ars cameralis

Lukáš Matoušek

The art director of the Ars cameralis ensemble, the composer and clarinettist Lukáš Matoušek studied the Conservatory in Prague and Janáček's Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. He received a British Council scholarship to study medieval music and medieval musical instruments in London. He also worked as a music producer and in 2000 – 2006 as the programme manager of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK. Now he teaches at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He gave lectures on mediaeval musical instruments and the interpretation of mediaeval music at international musicological conferences. Hence come the knowledge with which the ensemble Ars cameralis approaches the interpretation of mediaeval music.

Oldřiška Richter Musilová

After she finished the studies at the Prague Conservatory, the mezzo-soprano Oldřiška Richter Musilová followed her studying during Master Class in the Hochschule in Weimar, in Faculty of Arts on Charles University in Prague and in Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. She is active as an opera and orchestra soloist or a chamber singer. She is a member of ensemble Ars cameralis since 1996. Mrs. Musilová has done a number of recordings for the Czech Radio, collaborated on several CDs (historical and contemporary music).

Kristýna Kosíková

Harpsichordist Kristýna Kosíková graduated from the Pardubice Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in the class of Giedré Lukšaite Mrázková. She studied for one year at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag in the classes of Fabio Bonizzoni (harpsichord), Patrick Ayrton (basso continuo), Jacques Ogg (clavichord) and Marcel Zijlstra (Gregorian chant). She has attended master classes on harpsichord, modal singing and clavisimbalum with a number of important specialists. She is the artistic director and member of ensembles dedicated to medieval and renaissance music - Vox Clavium, Musica Panica (CZ), Duae Tastae cantantes. Occasionally she also plays with Ensemble Ornatus (Austria). She leads the Collaudemus choir in Trutnov. She also regularly performs as a soloist  on harpsichord, organ, clavisimbalum and organetto.

Martin Matoušek

Violist Martin Matoušek has been giving concerts since childhood with the youth orchestra  in Hronov under the direction of Josef Vlach. From the age of 10, he performed one of the violin concerts every year. He studied at the Prague Conservatory with Dana Vlachová. The imaginary highlight of the studies was the staging and performance of Smetana's My Country at Prague Spring Festival 2011 by the Symphony Orchestra of the Prague Conservatory under the baton of Jiří Bělohlávek. He studied viola at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Jan Pěruška. He graduated from the two-year orchestral academy of the Czech Philharmonic. Since 2017 he has been working in the orchestra of the State Opera in Prague. He performs the music of contemporary authors in the Umělecká beseda.

Each of the members of the Ars cameralis ensemble can play a number of historic instruments.

Former members of the Ars cameralis

Zuzana Matoušková (1944-1996)

Mezzo-soprano Zuzana Matoušková, after completing her singing studies at the Conservatory in Prague (1967), sang for many years in the ensemble of the Prague Madrigalists. With this ensemble she performed in many European countries and in the USA and recorded many LPs for the French company Valois and for Supraphon with Renaissance and contemporary music. She was the soloist of the Ars cameralis ensemble from its founding in 1963 until her death in the spring of 1996. She recorded a number of compositions for Czech Radio and Czech Television as well as many CDs for Studio Matouš with medieval, renaissance, early baroque and contemporary music.

Hanuš Bartoň (1960-2023)

Pianist and composer Hanuš Bartoň, after studying at the Conservatory and AMU in Prague, devoted himself not only to composition, but also to concert activities as a soloist and chamber player (Dusík's piano duo, MoEns ensemble, etc.). He was sought-after and often invited to study the novelties of our and foreign contemporary music. Pedagogically, he worked as a professor at the composition department of HAMU in Prague, which he headed for several years. As a pianist, he recorded several CDs with medieval music or works by J. L. Dusík, L. Janáček, J. Doubrava, M. Ištvan, L. Matoušek, J. Rybář and other contemporary composers. He was active in the Ars camerali for four decades until his death in the summer of 2023.

Jiří Richter (1954-2022)

Violist Jiří Richter studied at the Conservatory and AMU in Prague. For many years he worked in chamber orchestras and as concert master of the Prague State Opera. As a sought-after chamber player, he has collaborated with a number of chamber ensembles and has recently also been active as a teacher. He often gave concerts in Europe, Asia and America. He recorded a number of compositions for Czech Radio and Czech Television, as well as for various foreign radio and television stations. He took part in many successful CD recordings (medieval, baroque and classical music, as well as J. Brahms, M. Ištvan, J. Rybář, L. Matoušek, M. Slavický, etc.). He worked at Ars cameralis for over half a century from 1970 until his death in the summer of 2022.

 Other members and collaborators of Ars cameralis

The Ars cameralis ensemble has collaborated with a number of artists during its activity since 1963. Some were permanent members of the ensemble for several years.

Anna Piskačová – piano
Martina Maixnerová – piano
Karel Doležal – viola a fiddle
Jiří Holeňa – piano
Jan S. Hořejší – flétna and historical instruments
Milan Langer – piano and historical instruments
Pavel Janda – viola a fiddle
Oldřich Smola – viola and historical instruments
Ladislav Kyselák – viola and historical instruments
Richard Sporka – tenor and counter-tenor
Vladimír Doležal – tenor and counter-tenor
Stanislav Předota – tenor
Lubomír Moravec – tenor and counter-tenor
Matouš Vlčinský – tenor
Jana Štefáčková – mezzo-sopráno
Jan Mikušek – tenor and counter-tenor