+ Pavel Prantl

As a soloist, Pavel Prantl performed with many leading orchestras and in 1988 was appointed as Artistic Director and Concertmaster of the Prague Chamber Orchestra Without Conductor (PCO). Under Prantl's leadership the Orchestra not only maintained its usual high standards but also continued to win international renown, performing extensively in Europe, the United States and Japan. One of the many recordings of the PCO under Mr. Prantl (EMI, DECCA, DG, Supraphon) received the Grand Prix du Disque in Paris.

From 1980 onwards dates his significant contribution to Singapore culture: besides his main work as Concertmaster of the newly established Singapore Symphony Orchestra, he was involved in grooming Singapore's young talented violinists. The Orchestra gained international reputation during two European tours; another decade of intensive work has earned them also worldwide recognition. The holder of the Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the London Institute for Applied Research and two Honorary Professorships (University of Bruxelles and Paris' Haute Ecole de Recherche), Mr. Prantl worked as Professor and Head of the String Department at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

After his return to the Czech Republic in 1996, he was appointed first Concertmaster of the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. As Head of the String Department and Professor of Violin and Chamber music at the newly established Prague Music High School, he has also been responsible for the success of quite a few remarkable student violinists.