Ondřej Štochl
born on 12 June, 1975 in PragueStudied violin (1989 - 1995) and composition (1992 - 1996) at the Prague Conservatory. He continued his studies at the Composition Department of the Prague Academy of Performing Arts in the class of prof. Marek Kopelent (1997-2003). He wrote some chamber, orchestral and vocal compositions. At present he is the chairman of the Konvergence Composers Association, participates in its projects and as its member takes part in contemporary music festivals (New Music Exposition Brno, Forfest Kroměříž, Mélos - Étos Bratislava and others). Teaching is also one his professional activities.
His music is lyrical, however it often has something beyond music on its agenda, which might be either quite abstract (for example, expressing the contrast between experience of progression and stasis), or it emerges as the result of inspiration from another art work (such as texts…), some compositions are tied to a particular personal experience. It is mainly quiet, calm, even meditative. Choosing non-traditional instrumentation, using different ways of playing an instrument in combination with atonal harmony which moves between two equal counter-poles - aliquot sequence (expression of stability) and quartal harmony (expression of lability) - are characteristic of his music. The form of the composition plays an important role as well. The author's primary goal is to express a state through his music, to create an illusion of "timelessness", which is most often subjected to a contrast with more dynamic, evolutionary music. This goal is also interrelated with his theory on the possibility of quantifying the intensity of harmonic tension and consequent development of relations between harmony and other musical values (tone duration, timbre, dynamics...).
Some works that have inspired him include music by M. Feldman, H. Lachenmann, and some spectralists like T. Murail and K. Saariaho. Apparent influences also include some lyric compositions by T. Takemitsu, L. Berio... Among literary works that he found inspiring, the poetry by Vladimír Holan of the later period influenced him the most, and apart from that he was also influenced by such prose writers as M. Eliade, E. Ajar, J.-P. Sartre and many others).
Composition Awards:
Gideon Klein Foundation award for Cesta ke společné řeči / Road to a Common Language/ composition (2001)
You're welcome to browse through Ondřej Štochl's personal pages here.
Compositions:
| Variations for piano /1993/ |
9´30´´ |
| Zápisky z podzemí /Notes from Underground/ for string quartet /1995/ |
11´ |
| Portraits for clarinet /1997/ |
16´ |
| Wind quintet /1996/ |
10´ |
| Krátký pohled do očí hada /A Brief Look into the Serpent's Eyes/ for piano /1998/ |
13´ |
| Jako v Jiříkově vidění /Like in Little Jiří's Vision/ for percussion /1998/ |
15´ |
| !!! Já to chci !!! /!!! I want this !!! / for clarinet /1998/ |
6´ - 7´ |
| Troufalost /Daring/ for soprano and chamber ensemble based on texts by V. Holan /1999/ |
11´ |
| Průniky /Intersections/ for nine musicians /1999/ |
13´ |
| Cesta ke společné řeči / Road to a Common Language/ for strings with concertante cello /2000/ |
17´ |
| Meditace o cestě k něžnosti /Meditation on Paths to Tenderness/ (spatial composition) /2001/ |
20´ |
| Rozcestí /Crossroads/ for string quartet /2001/ |
13´ |
| Jang a Jin – perspektiva Tao / Yang and Yin – the perspective of Tao / for symphony orchestra /2002/ |
17´ |
| Úniky k radosti /Escapes to Joy/ melodrama for reciter, mezzosoprano and chamber ensemble /2004/ |
16´ |
| Vojtíškovy rituálky /Little Vojtech's Small Rituals/ for seven musicians /2004/ |
8´ |
| Veduty /Vedute/ for guitar and string quartet /2005/ |
14´ |
| Tetralog for solo cello and electronics /2006/ |
15´ |