Jiří Vodička, first violin with the Czech Philharmonic, soloist, and chamber musician, is one
of the most prominent and most sought-after Czech violinists. Already as a child he made a
name for himself by winning prizes in many competitions, notably in the Jaroslav Kocian
international violin competition, the Prague Junior Note, and the Slovak competition Čirenie
talentov. In 2002 he won first prize in the international violin competition Beethoven’s
Hradec, and in the same year he was awarded a prize as the best pupil attending Václav
Hudeček’s violin classes. He later performed with Hudeček in dozens of concerts throughout
the Czech Republic. In 2004 he carried off the prize as overall winner of the International
Louis Spohr Competition for Young Violinists in Weimar in Germany. In 2008 he brought
back first and second prizes from the world-famous Young Concert Artist competition, which
took place in Leipzig and New York.
Exceptionally, Jiří Vodička was accepted at an institute of higher education (the Institute of
Art Studies at the University of Ostrava) at the age of only 14. He studied there under the
renowned teacher, Prof. Zdeněk Gola, and graduated with a master’s degree in 2007.
Jiří Vodička regularly performs as a soloist with many leading orchestras both in the Czech
Republic and abroad, including the Czech Philharmonic, the Prague Philharmonia, the Prague
Symphony Orchestra, and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and, among those in other
countries, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen. He also
works with such leading conductors as Jiří Bělohlávek, Jakub Hrůša, and Tomáš Netopil.
In 2014 he recorded his debut solo album Violino Solo with the Supraphon company. It
contains some of the most difficult compositions for solo violin and met with a positive
response from critics both in the Czech Republic and abroad. Many of his concerts have been
broadcast by Czech Television, Czech Radio, and the German ARD broadcasting company.
As a chamber artist he performs together with the leading Czech pianists Martin Kasík, Ivoš
Kahánek, Ivan Klánský, and Miroslav Sekera. In 2011 he was invited by the famous violinist
Gidon Kremer to perform at his Kammermusikfest festival in Lockenhaus, Austria, together
with many world-famous artists. He is regularly invited to perform at leading festivals, such
as the Prague Spring, Janáček’s May, the Grand Festival of China, and the Choriner
Musiksommer. Since 2012 he has been a member of the Smetana Trio, with whom he has
recorded two CDs for Supraphon, and which has won the prestigious BBC Music Magazine
and Diaposon d’Or awards.
In 2015 he became first violin with the Czech Philharmonic. He teaches at the Prague
Conservatory and at Ostrava University.
He plays an Italian instrument made by Joseph Gagliano in 1767.
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