KRISTINA FIALOVÁ

The violist Kristina Fialová, whose career has of late been soaring, has already won prestigious accolades at international competitions, made her debut at the famed Tonhalle Zürich and appeared at prominent festivals worldwide. A truly vivacious artist, she has found an ideal partner in the seasoned pianist Igor Ardašev. Her new album, titled Czech Viola Sonatas (SU 4211–2), features works by Bohuslav Martinů, Karel Husa, Viktor Kalabis and Jindřich Feld.Kristina Fialová’s refined taste complies with her approach to the performance of the selected pieces. During our brief conversation about her breakthrough recording, the first she has made for Supraphon, we came upon striking connections.

Kristina, was it difficult to choose the repertoire for the album Czech Viola Sonatas?
The repertoire of my new album has been compiled as a result of the interconnection of four composers. Bohuslav Martinů was the predecessor of and served as a great inspiration for Jindřich Feld, Viktor Kalabis and Karel Husa. Viktor Kalabis in particular drew upon Martinů’s work. What is more, for many years, he worked for the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation and had great merit in promoting Martinů’s music at home and abroad alike. Feld, Kalabis and Husa were classmates at the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where they studied in the class of Jaroslav Řídký. The primary impulse for my new CD came from Prof. Zuzana Růžičková, who voiced her wish that I make a recording of Viktor Kalabis’s Sonata. Such wishes are simply honoured! When exploring a well-known piece, one that has been performed at numerous concerts and widely recorded, it is difficult to create one’s own musical conception and not to be affected. The advantage of a work not previously recorded is the blank sheet, the absence of interpretational deposits. Igor Ardašev and I enjoyed great freedom in forming our musical ideas. And that is very interesting work indeed.

Why did you invite the pianist Igor Ardašev along to work with you on the album?
Igor Ardašev has been one of Europe’s finest pianists for a long time, and he also has the reputation of a highly engrossing and intelligent performer, possessing a peerless talent for polyphony. That is precisely why I chose him in particular to make a recording of new compositions. I was very pleased when he accepted my offer. Working with him is a splendid musical education. He is always flawless and accurate, a musician possessing a perfectly conceptual thinking.

What are your plans in the near future when it comes to concerts?
This year, I’ll be making a tour with the Mannheim Chamber Orchestra, giving a series of concerts with the Bosch Orchestra in Germany, and will be also performing with the Plzeň Philharmonic, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, the Prague Chamber Orchestra and others. I will also appear at concerts in Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Austria, Italy and Russia, and tour China. And Igor Ardašev and I have decided to perform some of the pieces from our new album at the Emmy Destinn Music Festival in České Budějovice.

For further details please visit:
www.kristinafialova.cz