String - Regular Program
Timezone: Chicago, IL (GMT-6)
Language: English, Czech
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Studied at Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music
- Served as concertmaster Verbier Festival Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra
Matous Michal was appointed to the second violin section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) by Maestro Riccardo Muti in 2016. Prior to that he was a member of the first violin section in the Grant Park Orchestra.
Originally from the Czech Republic, Michal began his violin studies at the age of four under his father Ladislav Michal. At age fourteen Michal made his solo debut as a result of winning the Dubai International Competition for Young Virtuosos performing the Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Symphonic Orchestra of Conservatory of P.I. Tchaikovsky Moscow. He has won numerous other awards such as the Grand Prize and a prize for the best interpretation of the 20th century piece at the Czech National Competition, EMCY Art for Music Artist of the Year and Edition Barenreiter Prize at the Kocian Violin Competition.
He began studies at the Prague Conservatory at age fourteen as a student of Jaroslav Foltyn. After graduating, he joined the studio of Glenn Dicterow at the Juilliard School where he completed his bachelor’s degree. While earning his master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music in the Orchestral Performance program with Mr. Dicterow and Lisa Kim, Michal received praise from The New York Times as “terrific throughout the program” for an appearance as the concertmaster of the Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra in Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. He received his master’s degree four months after joining the CSO.
Michal served as a concertmaster of the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra and Manhattan School of Music Orchestra. He has collaborated with leading chamber musicians including Joseph Kalichstein, Peter Salaff, Sylvia Rosenberg, Earl Carlyss, Nicholas Mann, Jerome Lowenthal, Gerald Robbins among others. His other principal teachers include Charles Avsharian and Kathleen Winkler.