Jan Rybář

born on 22 April 1981 in Prague

He studied piano at the Prague Elementary Art School in the class of Prof. Zdena Janžurová and continued his studies at Jan Neruda Gymnasium in the class of Prof. Milan Langer. Here he also started studying composition under prof. Vladimír Tichý who introduced him to new musical techniques of the 20th century. He continued his studies in music composition at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts under prof. Milan Slavický who rather lead him to a more modal way of thinking. Presently Jan Rybář is trying to combine elements of timbre with work within harmonic fields and discoveries of new ways of rhythmical pulsation.
Introduction to the works of György Ligeti, Witold Lutoslawski, Luciano Berio, Olivier Messiaen, Krzystof Penderecki and others became a fundamental turning point in the development of Jan Rybář's musical language. As early as before his studies at the Academy of Performing Arts, Rybář was trying notation independent of bar lines (aleatorics) and other new music techniques. He was also later inspired to work with quarter tones, which appear quite frequently in his compositions. At present Rybář is trying to put rhythmical passages in contrast with the lyric and melodic strata. At the same time he pays attention to expressively thought-out harmony, which is chosen every time for each new composition.
A very important moment for Jan Rybář in his search for a musical language was the collaboration with his former classmates from the Prague Jan Neruda Gymnasium of Music (later Hitmakers Orchestra). For this ensemble, the musicians of which played together for the first time in 1998, the time when they premiered the composer's five songs based on texts by Ch. Morgenstern, Rybář has so far written more than 90 minutes of music. Between 1998 and 2003 it was the author's platform where he was trying out new possibilities and techniques that he was exploring at the time. Even though he still writes for the ensemble, the center of the author's research as well as realization have been transferred over to the Konvergence Composers Association that emerged in 2002.
Jan Rybář is not only a composer, but also a conductor and pianist. He uses both of these skills in the activities of the Konvergence Composers Association. As conductor he has prepared many compositions including premieres with the Konvergence ensemble, and as pianist he performs at recitals of chamber music.
A major part of Rybář's work includes vocal compositions which, he feels, give him a great possibility to express himself. In the past he has set to music surrealistically humorous poems by Christian Morgenstern (three song cycles from 1998, 2001, and 2006), as well as grave works by Jaroslav Seifert (for example, the song accompanied by orchestra Kdyby se dalo srdci říci / If only it was possible to tell the heart - 2005) or Vladimír Holan (Cantata – 2002). Recently he has been working a lot with chamber music which is influenced by close collaboration with the Konvergence ensemble, however among his works one can also find orchestra or vocal-orchestra pieces (Cantata based on texts by V. Holan, Symphony No. 2, Christmas Mass, Kdyby se dalo srdci říci / If only it was possible to tell the heart...). At present he is working on several chamber compositions and a symphony for large orchestra.

Compositions:

Historie vesmíru /History of the Universe/ - string quartet /1999/	10´
Příchovická komorní symfonie na paměť W. Lutosławského /Příchovice chamber symphony in memoriam W. Lutosławski/ /1999 - 2000/	18´
Meditativo e ritmico for violin and string orchestra /2000/	13´
Trio for flute, violin and piano /2000/	10´
6 nových písní podle Christiana Morgensterna + jedna bez zpěvu /Six new songs based on Christian Morgenstern + one without singing/ for three female voices and chamber orchestra /2001/	10
Kantáta na texty Vladimíra Holana /Cantata based on texts by Vladimír Holan/ for choir and orchestra /2002/	20´
Variace na Happy Birthday /Happy Birthday variations/ for singers and chamber orchestra /2002/	7´
Hudba k usínání /Music Lulling To Sleep/ for chamber ensemble /2002 - 2003/	25´
Three songs based on texts by Jaroslav Seifert /2003/	8´
Christmas Mass for soloists, choir and orchestra /2003/	43´
Symphony for orchestra /2004/	18´
Touha /Longing/ for chamber ensemble /2004/	12´
Kdyby se dalo srdci říci /If only it was possible to tell the heart/ for soprano and chamber orchestra /2005/	12´
27 chords for violin, violoncello and piano /2005/	10´
Four last songs based on Christian Morgenstern for two sopranos and chamber orchestra /2006/	10´
Small Symphony /2006/	14´
Trio for flute, vibraphone and piano /2006/	10´
Journeys for piano /2007/	8´