Janacek quartet
The Janacek Quartet was founded in 1947 by students of the Brno Conservatoire. They brought Janacek's rendering to an unprecedented perfection, giving them the right to use the name of the famous Brno composer. The quartet, consisting of Jiri Travnicek, Adolf Sykora, Jiri Kratochvil and Karel Krafka started an intense program of foreign tours in 1955, and soon won world-renown.
The critics wrote glowing reviews of their concerts and they were invited to the most important international music festivals. They have also made a number of superb recordings with the world's foremost companies.
The fifty years that have elapsed since the founding of the Janacek Quartet have made it necessary to introduce some personal changes. However, the working attitude of the group has remained unchanged; they concentrate on expressive performance based on discipline and perfection. The Quartet naturally builds upon the best traditions of Czech and Moravian music and its members are frequent guests in foreign concert halls.
Milos Vacek (1st violin)
Studied violin both at the Conservatoire and the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU) in Brno. In 1982 he took part in Beethoven's Hradec Competition, where he was awarded with the fourth prize. Four years later he won a diploma in the violin competition in Pisek and at the Prague Spring Festival International Competition. In 1987 he became a member and soloist of the Slovak Chamber Orchestra. Since 1995 he has taught at the Conservatoire in Brno, since 2003 also at JAMU.
Vitezslav Zavadilik (2nd violin)
After his studies at the Conservatoire in Kroměříž he graduated from the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts (prof. Moravec and prof. Sykora). For many years he was a member of the Travnicek Quartet, which was a laureate of numerous string-quartets competitions: he is a winner of the Interpretation Competition (1975, 1984). In 1979 he became the 1st Prize Winner of the „Premio Vittorio Gui Competition“ in Firenze and two years later a holder of F.Liebstoeckel Prize in Colmar. In 1994 he took the position in the Janacek Quartet to replace his teacher, prof. A.Sykora.
Jan Reznicek (viola)
Studied violine at the Brno Conservatoire and at the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU); he graduated in 1985. For a short time he was a violinist of the Brno State Philharmony Orchestra. Since 1986 was a member of the Moravian Quartet - for six years as the second violinist and since 1992 as the violist. He studied viola with Professor Jiri Kratochvil (the violist of the Janacek Quartet) at JAMU; he graduated in 1996. Since 1990 he has been a teacher at the Brno Conservatoire and for two years he also taught chamber music at JAMU. Since 2000 he has been a violist of the Brno State Philharmony Orchestra and since 2008 a violist of the Janacek Quartet. Both as a member of the quartet and as a solo violist he performs in the Czech Republic and abroad.