Members

Jan Fišer 

has been attracting attention since his childhood and celebrated success in numerous competitions – Kocian Violin Competition, Concertino Praga, Tribune of Young Artists UNESCO, Bohuslav Martinů Competition and Beethoven's Hradec. In 2004, he became the concertmaster of PKF – Prague Philharmonia. As a guest concertmaster, he has appeared with BBC Symphony Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker – Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie and Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern. He also collaborates with numerous orchestras as a soloist and has performed with PKF – Prague Philharmonia, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Zlín, North Bohemian Philharmonic Teplice and Slovak State Philharmonic Košice. His solo concerts include appearances at music festivals in Switzerland (Murten Classics), Spain (Pau Casals International Music Festival) and the USA (Brevard Music Festival).

He is also an active chamber musician. He plays alongside pianist Ivo Kahánek and cellist Tomáš Jamník in Dvořák Trio, one of the best Czech chamber ensembles. The Trio has excelled in competitions (Beethoven's Hradec, Bohuslav Martinů Competition) and on concert stages both in the Czech Republic and abroad. The ensemble has appeared at festivals including Styriarte Graz, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Mainzer Musiksommer and in renowned concert halls of Berliner Philharmoniker and in Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg.

He has broadened his musical education at various masterclass courses, such as in Semmering, Bonn or at the Meadowmount School of Music (founded in 1944 by Ivan Galamian), where he studied with Stephen B. Shipps. He also took part in masterclass courses with Pinchas Zukerman, Gil Shaham and Joseph Silverstein.

He plays French violin from early 19th century ascribed to violin maker Francois Louis Pique, kindly lent by Fidula Foundation. 

Outside the Czech Republic, he has performed in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, France, Poland, Japan and the USA. He records music for TV and radio and took part in recording the CD "Tribute to Jaroslav Kocian" to mark the 40th anniversary of the Kocian International Violin Competition as one of the laureates.

He mentors at the MenArt scholarship academy and is also an active teacher. He regularly teaches at music courses such as the Ševčík Academy in Horažďovice, Music Academy in Telč, Music Connexions in Soběslav. 

His first violin teacher was Hana Metelková and he later studied with Jaroslav Foltýn at the Prague Conservatory. In 2003, he graduated at the Carnegie Mellon University – School of Music, USA, having studied with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Andrés J. Cárdenes.

Libor Vilímec 

is a member of the Czech Philharmonic since 2014 and performs chamber music in a number of significant Czech ensembles in addition to his symphonic career. In his hometown of Mladá Boleslav, he learned to play the violin at a young age under the guidance of his grandfather, Josef Novák, a well-known Czech music educator. Thanks to their collaboratively thorough effort, he was able to continuehis violin studies at the Prague Conservatory in the classof Professor Jitka Nováková and afterwards at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts with Professor Pavel Hůla. Currently, he is the concertmaster of the Prague Haydn Ensemble, a chambre orchestra that specializes in early music. In addition, he performs with the Prague Chamber Soloists, one of the oldest string orchestras in the Czech Republic, which was established by the eminent conductor Václav Neumann. Additionally, he participates in a number ofchamber ensembles, the majority of which are composed ofthe Czech Philharmonic musicians, including the Piano Quintet of the Czech Philharmonic, and the Tre violini family violin trio. He also performs with the ensemble Czech ROCKharmonic, which specializes in lighter musical styles. 

Jaroslav Pondělíček 

studied violin at the Conservatory in Teplice. After that he decided to play viola. At the Academy of Performing Arts he attended the class of Professor Milan Škampa, viola player of legendary Smetana Quartet. He has been a member of the Czech Philharmonic since 1985. In 1990 he became deputy leader of the viola group and since 2003 he has been leader and principal viola player. In addition to the Czech Philharmonic Sextet he is also a member of the ensemble of period instruments Pro Arte Antiqua Prague.  

Jan Šimon 

graduated from the Prague Conservatory in 1983 where he studied violin under Jiří Hnyk, and 1991 from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague where he studied viola under Professor Jaroslav Motlík. He had performed as a member of the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and since 1986 has been a member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1984 he founded the ensemble of period instruments Pro Arte Antiqua Prague, with which he has recorded more than twenty compact discs. He is also a member of the Czech Philharmonic Octet. He collaborates with leading soloists and chamber ensembles both at home and abroad.

František Host studied at the Conservatory in Prague in the class of Viktor Moučka and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under Professor Josef Chuchro. Since 1975 he has been a member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1983 he won the competition for the position of concertmaster of the cello group. As a soloist he has collaborated with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra National de Madrid and a number of chamber orchestras both at home and abroad. However, a substantial part of his interpretational activities consists of chamber music playing. He is a highly sought-after partner of many prominent Czech performers and chamber ensembles. He is also a member of the Czech Philharmonic Octet, and together with the double bass Jiří Hudec has formed for more than 20 years the ensemble Duo di Basso. His recordings have been released by Panton, Bonton, Artesmon, Pony Canyon, Octavia Records and AMC.

Josef Špaček completed his studies at the Conservatory and the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno and began his career as a chamber music player. He was a member of the Wallinger Quartet, which won a price at the International Competition of Chamber Ensembles at Evian in 1990. The same year he became a member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, where he is now deputy leader of the cello group. He is also a member of the ensemble of period instruments Pro Arte Antiqua Prague.