Karel Růžička Organ Trio feat. Jiří Stivín (CZ)

Legendary jazz musician Karel Růžička is not only a top pianist on Czech scene, but is also by far one of its most versatile composers. He composes not only classical, but also vocal and chamber music as well as symphonic works. He has played in JOČR, with Jazz Cellula,with Karel Velebný's SHQ, in the domestic equivalent of Keyboard Conclave, with guitarist Rudolf Dašek in duo and quartet Interlanding and led several of his own combos.

His author's range is really wide because it involves film compositions, big band compositions and scores for atypically occupied chamber jazz ensembles and such contemporary classical music experiments  as, for example, the way he enriched the repertoire of Prague Marimba Trio. A substantial Růžička's activity are also solo projects.

He also teaches composition and piano playing at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He is a director of the Summer Jazz Workshop of Karla Velebný in Frýdlant.

Jiří Stivín is an important Czech jazz musician, multi-instrumentalist and composer. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and  at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, his flute teachers were Milan Munclinger and Jiří Válek. Stivín performs medieval, renaissance and baroque music. He can play all kinds of flutes including recorders. In addition to preclassical music he is intensely involved in jazz, composition and improvisational New Music, using saxophone, clarinet, flutes, recorders and a variety of folk pipes. As a soloist, he collaborates with renowned orchestras, manages his own Collegium Quodlibet and Jiří Stivín & Co. Jazz Quartet, and performs solo recitals with harpsichord, organ or guitar.

Petr Dvorský studied at Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague and his classic bass play private teachers were Jan Kmenta, Václav Fuka and Jiří Valenta. He came to Czech jazz scene with Karel Růžička jr., Stanislav Mácha and Jiří Slaviček as a member of The Four quartet. Since then he collaborated with many leading Czech but also foreign jazz musicians such as Sandy Lomax, Mark Vinci, Steve Lacy, Randy Brecker, Jaroslav Jakubovič, Markus Printup, Ingrid Jensen, John Serry, Emil Viklický, Steve Houben and more. For several consecutive years he has been nominated by the Czech Jazz Company for Talent of the Year. Currently he plays with a progressive set called Infinite Quintet, withElena Sonenshine and Yocose Jazz, Fantasy Vibe or even Adam Hard Trio. Since 2002 he is a member of the Czech Radio Big Band. He participated in recording of dozens of jazz albums with various musicians from Steve Houben to Karel Růžička, Luboš Andršt Veleband, Roman Pokorný and Pavel Šporcl.

Otto Hejnic je absolventem Pražské státní konzervatoře, obor bicí a klavír. Získal stipendium ke studiu

na Berklee Music School v Bostonu. V průběhu let 2000-2005 žil a hrál v USA (New York City,

Miami, New Orleans). Natočil přes třicet CD jako sideman. Pro svůj osobitý styl a originalitu hraní

je často vyhledávaným bubeníkem.

Otto Hejnic is a graduate of the Prague State Conservatory, percussion and piano. He won a scholarship to study at Berklee Music School in Boston. In the years 2000-2005 he lived and played in the USA (New York City, Miami, New Orleans). He has recorded over thirty CDs as a sideman. For his individual playing style and originality he is often sought after drummer.