Mgr. Ing. Dan Dlouhý

”From the Canyons to the Stars.”
Olivier Messiaen
  • born on February 26, 1965 in Brno
  • composer, solo percussion player and creator of percussion instruments, under the artistic pseudonym DAMA DAMA
  • founding member and artistic and stage director of the DAMA DAMA Central European Percussion Ensemble and the duo CONVERGENCE; founding member of Art Inkognito (1985-90)
  • a graduate of Brno Technical University, in the field of nuclear equipment (1983-88)
  • a graduate of JAMU in Brno, where he studied percussion (1988-92); since 1993 has studied composition there with A. S. Piňos
  • his extensive collection of some 800 percussion instruments forms the basis of the DAMA DAMA and CONVERGENCE instrumentarium; co-founder of DAMA PERCUSSION, a firm manufacturing percussion instruments
  • the composer of more than 30 chamber, orchestral and electroacoustic works (often for percussion, string or wind instruments specially created by him)
  • his compositions have been performed by the ensemble DAMA DAMA, the CONVERGENCE duo and the composer himself, as well as by other artists, at festivals in the Czech Republic and a number of other European countries, and have often been heard on radio and television, and have been recorded on 5 CDs.
  • performances by his ensembles combine contemporary classical music with multi-media presentations
  • as of 1997 he has made more than 800 concert appearances as well as recordings for both Czech and foreign radio and television companies, as a soloist and a member of various chamber groups and orchestras. He has released 5 CDs profiling the work of DAMA DAMA and CONVERGENCE, and also took part in the recording of a sixth compact disc. He has worked as a musician and composer in creating soundtrack music for television and theater, and contributed both musically and as an actor (a small role) to a Czech film based on Franz Kafka's novel "America".
  • has twice received a prize from the Czech Music Fund, and also holds a prize from the Czech Music Board
  • winner of the Generation 1995 national composers' competition
  • won, together with DAMA DAMA, the European Percussion Ensembles Competition in Enschede (the Netherlands) in November 1991
  • next information
Mgr. Ctibor Bártek

”Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked ?
In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.”

The Bible, Ecclesiastes 7:13-14
  • was born on August 31, 1971 in Brno
  • 1985 - 91 studied percussion instruments at the Brno Conservatory
  • between 1985-95 regularly participated in the Summer Jazz Workshop in Frýdlant in Bohemia – which included jazz courses given by leading Czech as well as foreign jazzmen
  • 1987 - 92 was a member of the Tibia company of historical instruments, performing many concerts in the Czech Republic and abroad (Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Austria...)
  • 1988 - 91 member of the Jazz Conservatory Band, was the winner at the competitive big-band show “Jazztival Brno” (1988) and at the Kroměříž Jazz Festival (1989) and performed successfully at the International Jazz Festival in Přerov (1990)
  • 1989 - received a Young Talent Award (Kroměříž Jazz Festival 1989)
  • has been a member of the DAMA DAMA Central European Percussion Ensemble since 1991
  • 1991 - 95 studied percussion instruments at JAMU in Brno
  • played regularly in the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra during his studies at JAMU
  • a versatile percussion instrumentalist, he has been performing and recording for the theatre, radio and television with various musical formations since 1987; he has also performed as a guest artist in many European countries as well as in South America, the Falklands and Antarctica
  • is the author of a composition entitled ”365 for DAMA DAMA” and the co-author of “Hyperrhythms” and „Blue Sky Research“
  • often works together with members of the Gustav Brom Orchestra, is a member of the All Star Band, the „Pekáč” orchestra and various Dixieland groups
  • has participated in about 800 public performances, including recordings
  • has been vice-chairman of the Czech Percussionists Association (a member of the Percussive Arts Society) and a professor at the Brno Conservatory since 1995
Ing. Adam Kubíček

”While man searches for his path in life, he stumbles upon others who keep him from following his predestined route.”
Albert Camus
  • was born on July 4, 1965 in Brno
  • went to Slovanské náměstí grammar school in Brno
  • graduated from the College of Electrical Engineering of TU Brno, having studied telecommunications (1983-88)
  • studied the physics of solid state matter at Masaryk University in Brno and, at the same time, was a student at the College of Natural Sciences at Masaryk University in Brno and at the Janáček Academy of Musical and Performing Arts, Brno (individual study, winter term 1988/89)
  • studied percussion instruments as a pupil of Oldřich Pomkla (LŠU Jaroslava Kvapila in Brno), Antonín Paseka (extra study at JAMU in 1988) and Vítězslav Vavrda (jazz school)
  • has been a member of the following groups: the Spiders, De facto, Art Inkognito and Dimizzo Jazz (took part as a member of the last group in the Summer Jazz Workshop in Frýdlant in Bohemia in 1995 and 1996)
  • has played regularly in the orchestras of the Janáček Theatre, the Mahen Theatre and the Theatre on a String; has also appeared as a guest artist with the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra
  • a founding member of the DAMA DAMA ensemble (1990); before this time he and Dan Dlouhý were founding members of the Art Inkognito orchestra (1985 - 90)
  • took part in the Amadinda Ensemble‘s interpretation courses (Szombathely, Hungary - July 1991)
  • also took part in extending DAMA DAMA´s range of instruments by creating new ones
  • author of the composition “Flexibly Indifferent“ (non-verbal ad hoc communication) and co-author of „ADAI“, „Axis Axis“, „Hyperrhythms“ and „Blue Sky Research“
  • author of the documentary sections of eight arts catalogues and books; has organised exhibitions of graphic and plastic arts in Bochum, Brno, Caen, České Budějovice, Havlíčkův Brod, Cheb, Jihlava, Liberec, Mikulov, Náměšť nad Oslavou, Ostrava, Praha, Tours and Zlín
  • has participated in more than 560 musical productions, including recordings, in the Czech Republic as well as abroad (Balašicha, Basel, Berlin, Bitterfeld, Budapest, Darmstadt, Enschede, Frunze, Heilbronn, Jena, Krems, Leipzig, Leonberg, Ljubljana, Lodž, Lublin, Mannheim, Moscow, Neuruppin, Speyer, St. Pölten, Vienna, Wroclaw and Zagreb)
  • co-creator of the ensemble‘s artistic and stage image
  • flexibly indifferent
Mgr. Martin Opršál

”Live life fully, do not waste it away.”
Denis Diderot
  • was born on April 3, 1968 in Boskovice
  • 1982 - 88 studied percussion instruments at the Brno Conservatory (graduation concert - Paul Creston: Concertino for Marimba)
  • has been a member of the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra‘s percussion section since 1986
  • became a member of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra (1988)
  • has performed as a guest artist in the European Community Youth Orchestra (1988)
  • a founding member of dama dama (1990)
  • co-author of the compositions „Axis Axis“ and „Hyperrhythms“
  • participated in the Amadinda Ensemble‘s interpretation courses (Szombathely, Hungary, July 1991)
  • (1991 - 95) studied percussion instruments at JAMU in Brno, graduated as a specialist in melodic percussion, giving a solo marimba recital
  • took part in the premiere recording of the 1st Symphony by jazz legend Joe Zawinul (together with the Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra in 1995)
  • participated in the World Marimba Competition in Stuttgart (1996)
  • has worked as an external instructor in melodic percussion instruments at JAMU in Brno since 1996
  • has given many world compositions for marimba their Czech premiere
  • has made concert tours with various orchestras to the following countries: Benelux, France, Italy, Japan (twice), Korea, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Malta, Germany, Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Great Britain
  • co-operated with many world-famous conductors (Claudio Abbado, Jiří Bělohlávek, Gaetano Delogu, Karel Husa, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Václav Neumann, José Serebrier...)
  • has taken part in about 800 musical productions, including recordings
  • left the DAMA DAMA ensemble on December 13, 1997

 

Past Members DAMA DAMA:

 

Josef Blaha

(member of DAMA DAMA 1990-1992)

Jan Řihák

(member of DAMA DAMA 1992-1997)

 

Other Collaborators: 

Petr Dvořák

 

Mgr. Daniel Forró

Daniel Forró, M.A. (1958)

- 8 years old: began studying piano

- 13 years old: began studying flute

- 1973-79 continued to study flute as well as organ at the Brno Conservatory

- 1975-79 private composition lessons with Alois Piňos

- 1979-86 studied composition at the Janáček Academy of Musical and Performing Arts Brno with A. Piňos

- in 1982 attended a summer course in Italy with Franco Donatoni

- in 1996 started his Ph.D. study - theory of musical composition

Forró has been composing music since he was 14, and now has created over 1,000 works in various music styles. In his music he tries to make use of different elements of European music, ethnic music from all over the world and some principles of jazz and rock. He calls this "musical cosmopolitanism". Some of his compositions have won prizes in national and international competitions. Among his works are:

- new music (over 70 pieces)

- electroacoustic and computer music (over 60 works). He considers experimental electronic and computer music to be his main field of interest. He was one of the first in this country to work with electronic musical instruments, computers and MIDI.

- much incidental and occasional music (over 500 songs and 160 pieces for the theatre, TV, radio, video and film)

- rock/pop/jazz works, minimalist, ambient, meditative, microintervallic and children´s music (plus 250 other works)

Forró is also active in these fields:

- an expert consultant for various firms

His own firm provides consultation, seminars and courses. He also works as a translator and interpreter in various languages. Since 1992, he has been a Product Specialist for YAMAHA EUROPA.

- an author

Since 1993, he has published various books, including "MIDI," "Computers and Music," "Home Recording" (this book won the GRADA Prize in 1996), "World of MIDI," "Theatre and Scenic Technology" and others which will be coming out shortly. Forró has also been editor of and prominent contributor to the Czech music magazine MUZIKUS since 1991 (series, product tests and reviews). He writes articles about musitronics for the other Czech music magazines and gives seminars on the subject at Music Fairs.

- a teacher

His private music school FORROTRONICS was the first in this country to offer lessons in electronic instruments, music and computers and MIDI (since 1990). Forró works as an assistant professor at the Janáček Academy of Music in Brno - he is the head of the EMI & CM Department. Besides teaching computer music composition, he has prepared courses for EMI teachers at elementary music schools. Since 1996 he has organized the International Summer EMI Master Class. Since 1992, he has given many seminars for YAMAHA dealers in this part of Europe.

- a concert artist

Forró has given many different concerts, ever since his childhood. Since 1983, he has mostly performed under the name FORROTRONICS, incorporating a new type of live music performance - computer-aided music. Such a combination of a computer-controlled orchestra and live improvisation has proved attractive to listeners. The synergetic connection between man and machine is a very powerful means of artistic expression at the end of the 20th century. Between 1977-1984 Forró was keyboard player in the top rock groups Progress 2 and Bronz (numerous LP records, concerts and TV and radio shows). Since 1997 Forró has collaborated with the DAMA DAMA Central European Percussion Ensemble.

- founded the private “Museum of Electro-Acoustic Musical Instruments” in 1989

- founded the “Society for Microintervallic Music,” of which he is the chairman, in 1995

- has been a member of the eccentric association FACULTAS MORAVIENSIS STRAECORUM since 1996

- has been a co-owner of the firm MUSITRONICA (a specialized shop for EMI and computers) since 1997

 Ivan Martinek

- artistic head of of Theatrum pyroboli

 Jarmila Klímová

- a member of the National Theatre Ballet Company in Brno

 Helena Šmídová

- a member of the National Theatre Ballet Company in Brno