Jiří Kadeřábek was born on April 14, 1978 in Zlín, Czech Republic into a musical family. He played, sung and later even composed jazz, rock and pop music as well as created literary and visual works. During his study at the Business High School in Zlín he attended private lessons of composition, led his own jazz trio, and with the help of friends realized his scripts, so that a couple of performances and short films were made.
Then he studied composition, piano and singing at the Conservatory of Jaroslav Ježek in Prague, Czech Rep. (2002, Dipl.Spec.) and exclusively composition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech Rep. (2006, MgA.), Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands (2009, Erasmus study) and Columbia University in New York City (2010, Fulbright Visitor). He has attended several composition workshops, residencies and private lessons in the Czech Republic, Netherlands, France, Italy and USA.
He received prizes in the Shipley Arts Festival Composition Competition (2010), Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition (2010), Zenith Composers Competition (2009), International Cimbalom Festival Composition (2008), Czech Radio Composition Competition (2006), Generace Composition Competition (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007), he also won the Dean of the Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague Award (2006), became a finalist of the Musica Nova International Composition Competition (2008) and was nominated for the Gideon Klein Award (2006).
His works have been commissioned and performed by orchestras and ensembles such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Prague Philharmonia, Ostravská Banda, Berg Orchestra, New Juilliard Ensemble, Fourbythree, Sybarite5, Ensemble Calliopée, Fama Quartet; festivals such as MoMA Summergarden, Moving Sounds, Music with a View, Ostrava Days, Contempuls; radios such as BBC, WKCR (USA), Czech Radio, VPRO (Netherlands) and others.
In his work various compositional approaches are confronted, often principles or fragments of historical music as well as pop, rock and jazz are incorporated. He also works with recorded nonmusical sounds integrated in the musical structure, uses theatrical elements and recently even video. He himself considers his pieces „as polygons with internal side mirrors that make it possible to look at each side again and again but always from a different perspective.“ Often he integrates himself in performances of his works, whether as a singer or pianist.
Adapting for New Timbres - Hamoody Jauda in New York Times (Sep, 2011)
Dramatic Brush Strokes From Strings - Barefoot Boy! in New York Times (Jul, 2011)
The Open Approach of Jiri Kaderabek – interview in HisVoice (2008)
(for program book etc)
by J. David Jackson