Jan Schulmeister: The piano is my fate. It would be a huge honour to play at the Dvořák Prague Festival
Young piano virtuoso Jan Schulmeister recently received a prestigious BBC Music Magazine Award. In an interview for the Dvořák Prague Festival, which you can find on our YouTube channel, he shared details about his triumph in London, the beginning of his musical path, his relationship to Antonín Dvořák and his childhood musical role models.
Stellar career
Winning a prestigious BBC Music Magazine Award was an enormous and unexpected success for Jan. The winner is chosen by the general public from a shortlist of three finalists selected by a panel of experts. Jan’s debut album captivated listeners with its carefully designed curation. Listen to what the musician has to say about the selection in our video interview.
From Michael Jackson to classical music
Although he only plays classical music today, as a child Jan loved to listen to ABBA, Michael Jackson and Ivan Mládek. We asked him what career he would chose if he didn’t play piano. He answered with a smile, saying that he couldn’t do anything else, given his lack of manual dexterity. He definitely wouldn’t make a good plumber.
The clinking-clanking contraption
As a passionate musician, Jan is particular about using the correct terminology. “I love the beautiful Czech word ‘klavír.’ ‘Piano’ sounds terribly anglicised to me,” Jan explained. If he had to choose another instrument, he would be attracted to the majestic organ or to conducting. The violin, for example, doesn’t appeal to him at all.
World stages
Music has already taken Jan to many prominent venues. His recent performance at the Musikverein in Vienna was a dream come true. In Jan’s view, the acoustics and atmosphere at the Musikverein are the most beautiful and inspiring in the world.
A day without music
We asked Jan what his ideal day would look like, when he’s not training or performing in concert. “I picture taking a really enjoyable morning walk through a forest and having coffee in a garden. I’m not the big city type,” said Jan.
Strong connection to Concertino Praga and Antonín Dvořák
Jan Schulmeister has a very close bond to the Dvořák Prague Festival as well as to the Concertino Praga competition, in which he participated three times. “In 2023, my friend and colleague Dan Matejča and I were fortunate enough to win the chamber music category. It was a fantastic experience,” he recalled.
He enjoys the Dvořák Prague Festival programme immensely. He is excited about the concert by South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim, whom he met at a competition in Texas, as well as the Festival’s collaboration with conductor Tomáš Netopil.
We also asked Jan what Antonín Dvořák means to him. “My favorite Dvořák composition is the Ninth Symphony. It’s a remarkable, world-class work. I would like to perform his beautiful cycle of Humoresques in the future,” he noted. Having the opportunity to perform at the Dvořák Prague Festival, said Jan, would be a huge honour because the Festival has a brilliant reputation worldwide.