Marek Kozák

At the age of twenty-nine, the piano virtuoso Marek Kozák has achieved a series of impressive results in a wide range of prestigous competitions. His most recent honour in 2021 is the laureate title in the highly demanding Councours Géza Anda Zürich. In 2015, Marek was a semifinalist in one of the world leading contest, The Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. The following year, he gained second prize at the Prague Spring International Music Competition and special award for his performance of the contemporary composition “The Jongleur“ by Adam Skoumal on top. In 2018, he won both first prize and the audience prize at the European Piano Competition in Bremen. Last year he was a finalist at the Busoni competition in Bolzano.

Critics consistently praise his flawless technique, sense of proportion and gradation, wide range of expression, deep musicality and faithfulness to musical notation.

Since graduating from the piano class of Prof. Ivan Klánský at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Marek Kozák has certainly made a splash on the Czech music scene. In February 2020, his first performance with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra caused a stir when he played the little known Piano Concerto in D minor by Vítězslava Kaprálová.

In the 2022-23 season, next to giving numerous recitals at the Rudolfinum in Prague, Switzerland and Germany, he will perform the piano concertos by Karel Kovařovic, Robert Schumann, and Richard Strauss's Burlesque among others. He will also perform The Well-Tempered Clavier I. at the IMF Smetanova Litomyšl in June 2023.

Marek Kozák was already showing extraordinary talent when attending the Elementary Art School in Brušperk. He soon demonstrated further skills as an organist and composer. He studied two instruments at the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava – the piano with Monika Tugendliebová and the organ with Martina Zelová. He attended numerous masterclasses led by world-famous virtuosos, such as Eugen Indjic, Murray Parahia and Garrick Ohlsson.

In 2018, he released his first signature CD with the works of Haydn, Chopin, Franck, Rachmaninoff and Skoumal. Currently he is working on a release of an album with Czech piano concertos.

In addition to concert activities, Marek teaches at the Prague Music High School.

Marek Kozák, photo from the artist's promotional materials