Biography

Pavel Kohout (b. 1976), winner of the prestigious First Prize, Gold Medal and J. S. Bach Prize at one of the world's largest international organ competitions, the International Organ Competition in Tokyo 2000, is regarded today as one of the finest concert recitalists of his generation. He has won additional first prizes at international organ contests in Ljubljana 1998, Vilnius 1999 and several other main prizes and diplomas at competitions in Praha, Poznan, Kaliningrad, Brugges and Lübeck, including the "Dancing Angel" prize of the European Music Competition for Youth.

He is a graduate of the Prague Conservatory (Jan Kalfus) and the Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, under the tutelage of Prof. Jaroslav Tůma. He continued his studies in historical performance practice with renowned specialist Prof. Jacques van Oortmerssen at the Amsterdam Conservatory. He has attended international master classes by Harald Vogel, Ludger Lohmann, Michel Bouvard, Olivier Latry. In 2010 he successfully finalized his Ph.D degree in historical performance practice of the South German and Czech baroque organ music at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

He regularly appears as a recitalist and soloist in concert venues throughout Europe, Russia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, Syria, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. He has performed on international music festivals in Praha, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Moscow, Haarlem, Zaragoza, Lisbon, Monaco, Jerusalem, Sapporo, Tokyo, Sydney, Auckland, Washington D.C. In his second Australian debut (2008), this time with Orchestra Victoria, he performed Symphony No. 1 for Organ and Orchestra by Felix Alexandre Guilmant with great success, on the Grand Organ at the Melbourne Town Hall.

His further activities include continued cooperation with Czech National Radio on the project "Historical Organs", presenting international master classes, preparing new music editions and recording on CDs, including the oldest Prague´ s historical organ (Mundt 1673) in the Church of Our Lady of Tyn in Prague and Katzer & Weltzel organ (1738) in Prague´s Loreto. The programme of the third CD "Genius J. S. Bach" is fully dedicated to Bach´ s famous music and was recorded in the Benedictine Archabbey in Prague.

Brief biography

Winner of both the prestigious First Prize and the J. S. Bach Prize at the one of the world's largest international organ competition Musashino – Tokyo 2000, Pavel Kohout is regarded today as one of the most brilliant representatives of the new generation of European organists.

Pavel Kohout graduated from the Prague Conservatory and the Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under the guidance of Jaroslav Tůma. From 1999 he continued his studies in historical organ technique at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands with renowned specialist Prof. Jacques van Oortmerssen.

Pavel Kohout has won a number of prizes at international organ competitions including first prizes at international contests in Ljubljana 1998 and Vilnius 1999 and several other special awards including the "Dancing Angel" prize of the European Music Competition for Youth.

As a recitalist and soloist, Pavel Kohout performs with various ensembles and orchestras throughout Europe, Russia, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. His further activities include an ongoing collaboration with Czech National Radio for the project "Historical Organs", presents international master classes and continues recording on CDs.

Overview

Education

2006 - 2010
Ph.D studies in historical performance practice of the South German Baroque organ music
at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

1996 – 2001
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, music department
Prof. Jaroslav Tůma, organ and improvisation

1999 – 2000
Sweelinck Conservatory of Amsterdam
Prof. Jacques van Oortmerssen, historical organ technique

1991 – 1996
Prague State Music Conservatory
Jan Kalfus, organ playing

1987 – 1991
Private piano lessons with Prof. Anna Máchová at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

1981 – 1987
Elementary Music School

Master classes led by

Ludger Lohmann - Germany
Harald Vogel – Germany
Jean Boyer - France
Olivier Latry – France

Major awards at international organ competitions

2001
Mikael Tariverdiev Second International Organ Competition, Kaliningrad, Russia
- Second Prize

2000
The 4th International Organ Competition Musashino – Tokyo, Japan
- First Prize
- Gold Medal of the mayor of Musashino city
- Minoru Yoshida memorial prize
(for the best performance J.S. Bach works)

2000
II. International F. Nowowiejski Organ Competition in Poznan
- Second Prize
- Special Prize for best performance of F. Nowowiejski organ works
 
1999
International M. K. Čiurlionis Organ Competition, Vilnius - Lithuania
- First Prize
- M. K. Čiurlionis Prize (for the best Performance of his works)

1999
International Prague Spring Competition
- Finalist
- Honorary mention

1998
The 4th European Organist Competition for Youth, Ljubljana – Slovenia
- First Prize
- EMCY Special Prize “Dancing Angel” – Award of the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth for an excellent performance in an international competition
- Prize for the best interpretation of contemporary music
- Prize of Cankarjev Dom concert agency

1995
The 3rd European Organist Competition for Youth, Ljubljana – Slovenia
- Second Prize (First not admitted)
- Prize of International Summer Music Festival Ljubljana

Organ concert solo performances

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Monaco, Greece, United Kingdom, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, Moldavia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, Georgia, Israel, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and USA.

CD recordings

2008 Prague, The Baroque Golden Age
The Church of Our Lady of Týn, H. H. Mundt Organ 1673

2009 ANIMA AUREA BOHEMIAE
The Church of Christ Nativity, Katzer & Weltzel Organ 1738