The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition has announced its winners. The laureates are violinist Kristian Mráček and Trio Gaudium.

The competition of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation, as part of the Days of Bohuslav Martinů Festival, took place for the twenty-seventh time. This year, young performers competed for victory in two categories - violin and chamber ensembles with piano. The first prize was awarded to violinist Kristian Mráček and Trio Gaudium. The laureates' concert was held in the Bohuslav Martinů Hall at the Liechtenstein Palace on Sunday, November 28.

Nine performers participated in the violin category on Friday, November 25. Kristian Mráček won the first prize, also receiving the award for the best interpretation of Bohuslav Martinů's composition, the Jaroslav and Zorka Zich Award, and the Life of an Artist Foundation Award for the most successful participant in the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition. Natálie Toperczerová secured the second place, and Kristýna Jungová took the third place. Terézie Hledíková received an honorable mention. The jury for this category consisted of Leoš Čepický, Ivan Štraus, František Novotný, Bohuslav Matoušek, and Jiří Panocha.

"This year's Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition had a high level and also showed that young musicians have a fondness for Bohuslav Martinů's music; they enjoy playing it and do it very well. On behalf of the entire jury, I would like to congratulate all the violinists on their successful performances on Friday," commented the violin category's jury chairman, Leoš Čepický.

On Saturday, November 26, the jury, consisting of Jiří Hlaváč, Irvin Venyš, Jan Kučera, Roman Patočka, and Václav Petr, evaluated the category of chamber ensembles with piano. Trio Gaudium emerged as the winner, also receiving the award for the best interpretation of Bohuslav Martinů's composition, the Přemysl Pražák Award, the Viktor Kalabis Award, and the Life of an Artist Foundation Award for the most successful participant in the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition. Trio Octopus and Trio Mráček tied for second place in this category, and Trio Vyšehrad took third place.

"Chamber music has been one of the cornerstones of classical music for centuries. It has also become a pillar of musical interpretation. Czech musicians have earned great recognition and respect in the world of music in the past. I believe that our music competition will offer further opportunities, inspiration, popularization, new motivation, and, in total, young personalities who will represent Czech chamber music across the world's musical culture," said the competition's guarantor and jury chairman in the chamber ensembles with piano category, Jiří Hlaváč.

The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition has been promoting Bohuslav Martinů's composition and supporting the performance of works by other Czech composers for 27 years. Participants compete in piano, violin, cello, voice, harpsichord, wind instruments, and chamber ensembles. For the next year, two categories have been selected: piano and chamber ensembles without piano. In previous editions, laureates included pianist Matouš Zukal, cellists Tomáš Jamník and Vilém Vlček, and baritone Robin Červinek.

The Days of Bohuslav Martinů will kick off with the first concert on Saturday, December 3, starting at 7:30 PM. Bennewitz Quartet will open the festival with the music of Bohuslav Martinů, Béla Bartók, and Antonín Dvořák at the Liechtenstein Palace on Malostranské Square. The festival, which will conclude on December 17 with a performance by Wihan Quartet, will also feature other successful and renowned performers such as Jana Hrochová, Martin Hroch, Janáček Trio, and Ensemble Inégal.

In the 2022 competition, the following performers received laureate awards in the violin category:

• Kristian Mráček, violin: 1st prize and laureate title
• Natálie Toperczerová, violin: 2nd prize and laureate title
• Kristýna Jungová, violin: 3rd prize and laureate title
• Terézia Hladíková, violin: Honorable mention

Kristian Mráček also received the Bohuslav Martinů Award for the best interpretation of the mandatory B. Martinů composition, the Life of an Artist Foundation Award for the most successful participant in the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition, and the Zorka and Jaroslav Zich Award.

In the chamber ensembles with piano category, the following performers received awards:

1st prize and laureate title:

• Trio Gaudium
  • Anna Knoulichová, piano
  • Gabriela Barillová, violin
  • Adam Klánský, cello

2nd prize and laureate title:

• Trio OctOpus
  • Markéta Sinkulová, piano
  • Markéta Dominikusová, violin
  • Matyáš Keller, cello

2nd prize and laureate title:

• Trio Mráček
  • Veronika Jaklová, piano
  • Kristian Mráček, violin
  • Dominik Velek, cello

3rd prize and laureate title:

• Trio Vyšehrad
  • Pavol Praženica, piano
  • Natálie Toperczerová, violin
  • David Pěruška, cello

Trio Gaudium also received the Bohuslav Martinů Award for the best interpretation of the mandatory B. Martinů composition, the Přemysl Pražák Award, the Viktor Kalabis Award, and the Life of an Artist Foundation Award for the most successful participant in the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Competition.