Ondřej Štochl,
violist, educator, composer.
He studied viola and composition at the Prague Conservatory and continued his composition studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU) in the class of Prof. Marek Kopelent.
As a composer, he primarily focuses on chamber and orchestral music, sometimes incorporating vocal or electronic elements. His musical language is based on subtle nuances of harmonic and timbral components and their mutual interactions. This approach is closely related to his performance activities – he mainly works as a chamber musician and soloist, specializing in 20th- and 21st-century music. He is a permanent member and artistic director of the ensembles Konvergence (since 2002) and Trio Helix. With these groups and as a soloist, he has performed at numerous festivals in the Czech Republic and abroad (e.g., Prague Spring 2010 and 2014, MusicOlomouc, ENH Brno, Wien Modern, Unerhörte Musik Berlin, and more). He has premiered many works for solo viola, including world premieres (Zemek-Novák: “Sonata for Bohuslav Reynek”, Ullmann: “Pianissimo”) and Czech premieres (e.g., works by renowned French spectralist Tristan Murail). The intersection of his two disciplines has occurred multiple times, for example, in 2023, when he composed the compulsory piece for the Prague Spring viola competition.
His creative background, both compositional and interpretative, lies in the Chamber Ensemble and Composers’ Association Konvergence, where he serves as artistic director, composer, and violist, and of which he is a co-founder. Most of his chamber works are created for this ensemble, but he also collaborates regularly with various groups in the Czech Republic (Ensemble Opera Diversa, BCO, Berg Orchestra, etc.) and internationally. Additionally, he has been performing for a long time as a violist in “Trio Helix,” stimulating the creation of new compositions. His work is documented on two profile CDs – *Na cestě k vlídnosti* (2011) and *Echo fragile* (2021).
Since 2010, he has been teaching viola, composition, and music theory at the Jan Deyl Conservatory in Prague. This role has given him extensive experience in pedagogy for students with disabilities – not only blind students but also those with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). This focus is naturally reflected in his artistic activities as well.
From this academic year, he has been teaching viola and chamber music at the International Conservatory of Prague.
Some recordings of his solo performances are available on YouTube, including the aforementioned “Sonata” by Pavel Zemek-Novák, accessible via the provided link.
