The Wihan Quartet, formed in 1985, are heirs to the great Czech musical tradition. The Quartet’s outstanding reputation for the interpretation of its native Czech heritage and of the many classical, romantic and modern masterpieces of the string quartet repertoire is widely acknowledged.

During the 2012/13 season the Quartet have been appointed Czech Chamber Music Society Resident Ensemble at the Rudolfinum Dvorak Hall, Prague. They have developed an impressive international career, which includes visits to major festivals in Europe and the Far East. They visit the United States and Japan regularly and have had highly acclaimed tours of Australia and New Zealand.

photo: Sussie Ahlberg

The Wihan Quartet has won many International Competitions including The Prague Spring Festival and the Osaka ‘Chamber Festa’. In 1991, they won both the First Prize and the Audience Prize in the London International String Quartet Competition.

During 2008 the Quartet completed the first ever cycle of Beethoven Quartets in Prague and also repeated this cycle at Blackheath Halls, London. Their landmark series of Beethoven concerts in Prague was recorded for release on CD and DVD on the Nimbus Alliance label.

The Independent said of the release of the Late Quartets: 'these [performances] are excellent: their fiery interpretations do full justice to Beethoven’s final masterpieces.’ and International Record Review ' one of the best quartets in the world today'. Their recording of Dvorak Op.34/Op.105 was been chosen as a ‘Recording of the Year’ by MusicWeb International and BBC Music Magazine said of their Dvorak Op.61 recording: 'This is the finest recorded performance I have encountered to date'. Full details of the Quartet’s available recordings can be found on the website: here.

The Wihan are Quartet in Residence at Trinity College of Music, London, and for several years have taught many of the UK’s gifted young Quartets at Pro Corda in Suffolk. The Quartet are great supporters of the work of the CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust, giving inspirational concerts and master classes to young people in many parts of the country. .
 
The Wihan Quartet play on Thomastik-Infeld strings.
Thomastik-Infeld website
 
 


Leoš Čepický, 1st violin

Born in 1965, he started learning the violin at the age of six and took up the piano four years later. Following in his footsteps, both his son Jakub (b. 1990) and daughter, Elisabeth (b. 1995) play the violin and Leoš plays with his son in public performances as often as possible.

After spending 6 years at the Conservatoire in Pardubice, Bohemia, Leoš quickly made his mark as a violinist of remarkable talent and, on arriving in the Prague Academy of Performing Arts in 1985, became a founder member of the Wihan Quartet. He is now a much sought-after Professor of Violin at his Alma Mater.

During the early part of 2008, Leoš performed the Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Prokofiev and Beethoven violin concertos in the Czech Republic. In addition to his busy schedule with the Wihan Quartet, other forms of chamber music, such as the Trio with Gemma Rosefield and Michael Dussek, are also becoming important in his musical life.

In September 2010, Leoš Čepický was appointed Head of Strings at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts.

 


Jan Schulmeister, 2nd violin

Born in 1964 in Moravia, Jan comes from a very old musical family. His great-grandfather, Frantisek Cerny, was a friend and fellow pupil of Dvorak. His father taught violin until his retirement and his mother is a sought-after singing teacher. Another member of Jan's family, his great-uncle Vasa Cerny, was the founder and cellist of the famous Janacek Quartet as well as holding the position of first cellist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

After studying at the Conservatoire in Kromeriz, Jan arrived at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in 1985, where he became a founder member of the Wihan Quartet, which was formed in that year. His hobbies revolve around music: he collects CDs, specialising in famous and unusual interpretations and reads widely about the history of music. His depth of knowledge is transmitted to his students at Trinity College of Music and at Pro Corda, where the Wihan Quartet give master classes several times a year.
 


Jiří Žigmund, viola

Although Jiří's family had no background in music, he started to play the violin at the early age of five. At the conservatoire in his home town of Ostrava, his love of chamber music was developed, playing piano trios and being successful in many competitions in the former Czechoslovakia. When he was conscripted as a national serviceman into the Czech army, the viola became his first instrument in order to be accepted into the army music service. One year later he joined his current colleagues in the Wihan Quartet.

Jiří's main mentor is the famous viola player and teacher Hatto Beyerle (founding member of the Alban Berg Quartet). Some of the eminent musicians Jiří' has performed with throughout his career include: Boris Pergamenschikov, Gidon Kremer, Raphael Wallfisch, Maurice Bourgue, Milos Sadlo and Josef Suk. He regularly performs as a concerto soloist and also with various chamber ensembles all over the world. He has recorded several CDs with the ensemble of Radek Baborak (principal horn, Berlin Philharmonic). Jiří has recorded the Dvořák Viola Quintet Op.97 with the Talich Quartet and Schubert‘s Trout Quintet with the Antonín Dvořák Trio.

Often, after a Quartet concert on tour or at home in Prague, Jiri changes to violin and plays Gypsy and Czech Folk Music late into the night.

Jiří is an inspiring teacher and chamber music coach. He is a faculty member at the International Music Academy, Pilsen.
 

Aleš Kaspřík, cello

Born in 1962 in Moravia, the eastern part of the Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia), he was taken as a nine year old by his mother to watch a cello class and fell in love with the sound and shape of the cello. During his time at the Ostrava Conservatoire, he won the cello prize and met up with Jiří Žigmund.

In 1983, he arrived in Prague's Academy of Performing Arts to study with Milos Sadlo, the greatest Czech cellist of the period. It was his idea to form a string quartet in 1985. Ales invited Leoš Čepický and Jan Schulmeister to join him and a short while later the violist, Jiří Žigmund became the fourth member of the Wihan Quartet. Antonin Kohout, the cellist of the world famous Smetana Quartet became their guide and mentor, following the great traditions of the Czech composers, Janacek, Dvorak and Smetana.