Vojtěch Spurný is a prominent Czech conductor, piano and harpsichord player and music instructor. He first studied piano and flute at the Prague Conservatoire; after that, he studied conducting, opera directing and harpsichord at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. At the Hoogeschool voor de Kunsten in Utrecht, the Netherlands, he later studied Early music performance along with harpsichord and graduated with a “Uitvoerend musicus” degree. He further expanded his education by attending master classes led by J. Sonnleitner, H. Rilling, K. Gilbert etc.
During his opera-conducting career, Spurný worked at The Drottingholm Palace Theatre in Stockholm, J. K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen, Göteborg Opera, Oslo Opera House, Staatstheater Hannover, Prague Chamber Opera, as well as The National Theatre and The State Opera in Prague.
Between the years 1999 and 2004, he was the permanent conductor of The State Opera, where he also functioned as the art director during the 2002/2003 season.
Spurný’s conducting career has seen him collaborate with the Czech Chamber Philharmonic, Ensemble 18+, Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, South Czech Philharmonic, Prague Symphonic Chamber Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Prague Symphonic Orchestra, PKF – Prague Philharmonia, Chursaechsische Kammerphilharmonie, Prague Chamber Orchestra, North Czech Philharmonic, Haas Ensemble, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice, Suk Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Soloists of Brno, Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as with world class soloists, including S. Brill, P. Bernold, V. Hudeček, M. Hundeling, S. Kam, Š. Margita, M. Maisky or D. Pecková among many others.
He made appearance at several significant music festivals, such as the International Music Festival Český Krumlov, Janáček May International Music Festival, Festival Janáček and Luhačovice, The Prague Spring International Music Festival, Smetana’s Litomyšl International Opera Festival, Feste Teatrale Valtice, The Smetana Days Festival, Harmonia Moraviae, Wiener Festwochen, Carinthischer Sommer etc.
Apart from his busy conducting career, Vojtěch Spurný actively performs on early keyboard instruments as well as the quarter-tone piano. He recorded a comprehensive compilation consisting of works for harpsichord, clavichord and fortepiano for the Czech Radio. One of his recordings, entitled Masters of Czech Baroque and Classicism (released on BMG Czech Republic), was nominated for the Harmonie magazine award in 2003, whereas his recordings of Czech classicist symphonies (released on Alto Records) have earned critical praise. He participated (as conductor) in the filming of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera buffa Dove è amore è geliosa, shot at the Castle Theater in Český Krumlov. The DVD release of thereof won the prestigious Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik international award as well as the 2013 DVD Award.
Vojtěch Spurný has been, in addition to his artistic career, involved in editorial work. For the Czech Radio, he edited the critical edition of works of V. J. Tomášek and F. X. Dušek; he also took part in the release of the critical edition of J. J. Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass.
He is currently the permanent guest conductor at the South Czech Philharmonic and since 2015/2016 he is the chief conductor of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra in Zlín.
Vojtěch Spurný has also been pursuing a pedagogical career – externally, he works at the department of historical and organ interpretation at Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno and teaches harpsichord at the University of Ostrava.
