About me

Václav Polívka (*September 24, 1974) began his musical career at the age of ten as a member of the Czechoslovak Radio Children's Choir under the direction of choirmaster Čestmír Stašek, where he also played the violin and percussion instruments. Here he gained his first experience of public performance and recording for radio, television, and film. During his studies at the Prague Conservatory, he devoted himself to Slovak folk music in the Limbora ensemble as the leader of his own cimbalom band. He also collaborated with Laurych's improvisational theater.

From 1995 to 2000, he was a member of the Karmína ensemble. He gained experience with Celtic music during his six-month stint with the Irish Dew band. After conservatory, he studied violin privately with Prof. Bohumil Kotmel Sr. in Brno and singing (countertenor) with Prof. Terezie Blumová and Pavla Zumrová. In addition to numerous stages in most European countries, he has performed in the USA (California, Nevada, Utah), Africa (Namibia, South Africa), and Asia (China, Japan). He also plays the viola, viola d'amore, fiddle, baroque violin, erhu, cink, trumpet, recorder, small harp, piano, harpsichord, and organ. He is a member of the Thuri ensemble, the bands Jagabab and Bakchus, which focus on Gothic and Renaissance music, Cain Da Breth – acoustic doom metal, and Dua Free together with Lukáš Kuta. He sings in the Pražští Pěvci and Polyfonion choirs, and occasionally collaborates with Baroque ensembles (Florea, Messa di Voce) and symphony orchestras (Pilsen, Karlovy Vary, South Bohemian, Hradec Králové, Pardubice, and West Bohemian Philharmonic Orchestras), rock bands (Vepřové komety, Skrytý půvab byrokracie), and DJs (FaTech, MindGroove).

He taught violin at the Elementary Art School in Černošice, where he also served as artistic director of the Pramínek ensemble and founder and director of the Černošice Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra. He also taught in kindergartens and elementary schools as a lecturer for Kroužky, led the orchestra and music courses at the Archbishop's Grammar School, taught violin and viola in Offenbach near Frankfurt am Main, organizes international music courses in Černošice, is a glider instructor and Czech Republic champion in non-powered aerobatics 2014, and participates in meetings of historic glider pilots.