VENI ACADEMY is a project aimed at forming an ensemble which systematically educates young
people, students of conservatoires and music academies in the interpretation of 20th-century and
contemporary music. The idea is the brainchild of several members of VENI ensemble (namely Marián
Lejava, Daniel Matej, and Ivan Šiller), whose principal activities lie in contemporary music and who feel
its absence on all levels of majority of the educational systems worldwide. Through workshops, seminars,
and summer master courses, the aim of the pursuits of VENI ACADEMY is public presentation of the
results of their accumulated knowledge and experience.
The first public presentation of VENI ACADEMY took place in 2010 during the ARS NOVA
CASSOVIAE festival. To this day, VENI ACADEMY is already a project of quite a surprising scale with
many successful concerts in a variety of venues (conventional halls, unusual spaces like parks, shopping
malls and streetcars and large festivals such as Bažant Pohoda Trenčín or Music Biennale Zagreb as
well). Their debut CD ROLLING STONES│IN ZARTER BEWEGUNG was recorded in July 2013. The
CD was awarded a prestigious Radio_Head Award 2014 for best album of the year in category “Classical
music 2013”.
At the beginning of July 2015, a summer academy took place in Kasárne/Kulturpark in Košice, the
“second home” of VENI ACADEMY. The main guest was the composer and guitar player Elliott Sharp.
The result of this few days cooperation was a concert during the international festival ARS NOVA
2015 and the recording of the four compositions which are to be found on the new CD DISPERSION, issued in 2018 by the prestigious New York based label Mode Records.

(Daniel Matej)

VENI Academy

Daniel Matej

art director

Ivan Šiller

executive director, keyboard instruments

Marián Lejava

conductor

Lecturers

Fero Király

keyboard instruments

Fero Kiraly graduated from the Music Faculty of Academy of Performing Arts, Bratislava where he studied piano. He is interested in musical projects overlapping performance, sound art, installation, interpretations of contemporary music and musical reinterpretation of visual art. He is also involved in educational projects where he experiments and often tests his own limits by creating own software and collaborating with other artists from different disciplines. He created a series of workshops for children called Soundring in which he uses self-made music instrument Zvukodrom. He is the author of interactive book for music teachers PIANORA that consists of musical and sound games and experimental music. As a chamber player he is a member of various international ensembles (Cluster Ensemble, VENI ensemble, Kiraly & Zabkova, Namestie Republiky, Dirt Ensemble, Urban Hudak and others).

Braňo Dugovič

lecturer, clarinet

Braňo finished his doctoral studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, where he was an assistant lecturer in the years 2007–2008. Currently he teaches at the Faculty of Education, Comenius University in Bratislava. He has worked with many Slovak and foreign artists and groups, such as N. Bulffone, M. Valent, E. Šušková, Ostravská banda, Cluster ensemble, VENI ensemble, Melos Ethos Ensemble, orchestras Cappella Istropolitana, Slovak State Philharmonic Košice and others. In Slovakia Braňo premiered many pieces by various composers, domestic and foreign (Danzi, Mendelssohn, Tate, Zeljenka, Kupkovič, Lejava, Iršai...). Braňo’s performing art appears on many recordings for Diskant, Music Fund Slovakia, Naxos and others.

David Danel

violin

Studied violin at the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava (Ladislav Gořula) and at the Institute of Art Studies (Zdeněk Gola). He devotes himself to experimental projects combining artistic disciplines and music genres (e.g. performance “Bach” for a dancer, violin player, reciter and light design, project D6 with David Dorůžka and Dan Dlouhý). He is the artistic director of the contemporary music ensemble Prague Modern. Since 2016 he has been the director of the Czech Music Information Centre.

Peter Tornyai

Repertoary

Milan Adamčiak

Adizione (1980) @

Poonsoirée (1975) @

Configurazione dei due elementi (1980) @

Penetrations_K @

Modelli per clarinetto solo (1979) @

Fandango (1976) @

Heterophonica II (1971) @

(Sk) Emotions I (70-te roky 20. storočia) @

Louis Andriessen

Workers Union (1976) @

Bálint Bolcsó

Aria (2011), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Tomáš Boroš

5 pieces for VENI ACADEMY (2016), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Earle Brown

December 1952 (1952) @

Ivan Buffa

Labyrinth (2011), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Martin Burlas

7th Day Record (1993) @

John Cage

4’33″ (1952) @

František Chaloupka

The Book of Sand (2011), slovak premiere @

Peter Groll

Fontana MIX (2011), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Balázs Horváth

Poème Canonique, Trgll (2016), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Magnets I/c (Crux) (2011), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Ivan Končić

Pandora (2015), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Marián Lejava

deadline:aria (2011), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Daniel Matej

Structures, Pages (… and Improvisations) (2010), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Ian Mikyska

this piece is to be played three times, softly (2016), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Michal Paľko

Fujover the fountain square (2011), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Terry Riley

In C (1964) @

Zbigniew Rudziński

Studium na C (1964) @

Vojtěch Šembera

Noční zvukomalba (2016), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Elliot Sharp

Dispersion of Seeds (2003) @

The Hidden Variable (2014), slovak premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Flexagons (2013), slovak premiere @

Palimpsest (2015), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Veronika Škutová

#cityvoice (2016), world premiere / written for VENI ACADEMY @

Karheinz Stockhausen

Aus den sieben Tagen / From the Seven Days (selection) (1968) @

La Monte Young

Composition 1960 #7 (1960) @

Students

Martin Adámek clarinet
Marijana Bačelić (HR) flute
Juraj Bajús doublebass
Haimoni Balgavá piano
Tibor Baňa violin
Berta Bánki (HU) flute, piccolo
Anna Bartóková piano
Hana Bednářová (CZ) keyboard instruments
Bogumiła Bednarz (PL) (Sk) husle
Eva Belicová flute
Amina Belovari (HR) French horn
Denisa Beňovská bassoon
Juraj Beráts (Sk) elektrická gitara
Martin Bertič guitar
Katarína Brunová piano
Daniela Česlová flute
Katarzyna Chojnacka (PL) (Sk) husle
Jozef Chovanec accordion
Tomasz Cieńciała (PL) (Sk) trúbka
Martina Cínová violin
Stanisław Ciućka (PL) (Sk) husle
Miriam Čizmek (HR) violoncello
Sara Derejczyk (PL) (Sk) husle
Simona Deščičková violin
Anna Didiová keyboards
Dániel Dobri (HU) guitar
Dominika Doniga voice
Štepán Drtina (CZ) violoncello
Peter Duchnický flute
Kamila Dujavová violin
Peter Dvorský viola
Klaudija Antonia Đikić (HR) cello
Bálint Fábry (HU) fagot
Barbara Falkowska (PL) (Sk) alt
Ábel Fazekas (HU) clarinet, basclarinet
Tibor Feledi keyboard
Peter Fillo electric guitar
Mária Gáliková clarinet
Patrik Gömöri double bass
Luan Checchia Gonçalves (CZ) bass
Bogdan Gourskii (HR) double bass
Julia Grabińska (PL) (Sk) husle
Kamila Grela (PL) (Sk) soprán
Paulina Grochal (PL) (Sk) husle
Karlo Grubišić (HR) cello
Ivana Gudan (HR) flute
Gergely Gulyás (HU) double bass
Kristína Hanzenová voice
Juraj Hodas tuba
Ondřej Holas (CZ) violoncello
Júlia Hollá flute
Karolina Horodniczy (PL) (Sk) soprán
Marzena Horyza (PL) (Sk) flauta
Mária Hostovičáková accordion
Martina Hrnečková (CZ) clarinet
Michal Huska keyboard instruments
Michal Huska keyboard
Abdul Aziz Hussein (HR) clarinet
Samuel Hvozdík voice, objects
Alžbeta Irhová guitar
Martina Janegová keyboard
Magdalena Janowska (PL) (Sk) alt
Zuzana Jasenková cello
Martin Jeriga viola
Veronika Jiráčková flute
Hana Juríková cello
Julianna Jurkiewicz (PL) (Sk) alt
Jana Kačuriaková accordion
Witek Kawecki (PL) (Sk) basgitara
Jakub Kišš violin
Roksana Kluz (PL) (Sk) violončelo
Mária Kmeťková harp
Adam Komorowski (PL) (Sk) klávesy, elektronika
Eduard Kostelník keyboard
Katarzyna Kowalska (PL) (Sk) bicie nástroje
Aleksandra Kramnik (PL) (Sk) flauta
Tomislav Kreš (HR) trumpet
Filip Krišš accordion
Dominika Križalkovičová flute
Erika Krkošková keyboard
Ján Kružliak violin
Natália Kubalcová violin
Maja Kuczera (PL) (Sk) husle
Anna Kulak (PL) cello
Alen Kundih (HR) clarinet
Valdemar Kušan (HR) trumpet
Marta Laurincová cello
Stin Lebar (HR) cello
Júlia Lederleitnerová voice
Karin Loudová voice
Laura Lovišková flute
Katarzyna Łyjak (PL) viola
Dora Maganić (HR) violin
Karolina Martin (PL) (Sk) alt
Annamária Martonyiková keyboard
Dorota Matejová flute
Ivana Matica (HR) (Sk) klávesové nástroje
Mária Matisová violin
Francesco Mazzoleni (IT) percussion
Małgorzata Mendrek (PL) (Sk) husle
Paulina Michalska (PL) (Sk) alt
Varvara Mikhaylova (EE) flute
Alice Ráchel Mikulášová (CZ) flute
Ian Mikyska (CZ) electric guitar
Ondřej Milt (CZ) clarinet
Ivana Mišić (HR) flute
Juraj Miškovič French horn
Jakub Mitrík guitar
Łukasz Morawski (PL) clarinet
Aleksandra Musioł (PL) (Sk) soprán
Ewa Mysłakowska (PL) (Sk) soprán
Hrvoje Novak (HR) violin
Lenka Novosedlíková marimba
Jakub Novotný violin
Marek Ondrej double bass
Lucie Páchová (CZ) voice, composition
Dominik Palma violin
Julian Paprocki (PL) clarinet
Ján Papulák percussion
Jonatán Pastirčák cello
Julia Patan (PL) (Sk) soprán
Ľubica Paurová keyboard
Barbara Piątak (PL) (Sk) alt
Grgur Plavec (HR) violin
Bojan Pleše (HR) keyboard
Sabina Pona (PL) (Sk) husle
Jesse Reis (PL) (Sk) husle
Paulína Rónaiová oboe
Igor Šajatović (HR) double bass
Henrieta Samselyová violin
Regula Scherrer (SWI) violin
Adam Sedlický conductor
Vojtěch Šembera (CZ) voice, objects
Marta Sever oboe
Weronika Sieklucka (PL) (Sk) flauta
Zora Šikrová keyboard
Jaanus Siniväli (EE) bass
Nina Sivošová flute
Veronika Škutová keyboard instruments
Jakub Slávik French horn
Michalina Śliwska (PL) (Sk) flauta
Katarina Sobočan (HR) keyboard
Ján Sojka clarinet
Anastazja Elżbieta Sosnowska (PL) voice
Anastazja Sosnowska (PL) (Sk) soprán
Sandra Steciak (PL) (Sk) violončelo
Jarmila Steigerová clarinet
Lucie Steiner (CZ) clarinet
Anna Štepánová (CZ) violin
Silvia Suchánková flute
Mika Svensson (SWE) viola
Jana Svepešová keyboard
Adam Svitač guitar
Michal Svorada electric guitar
Anna Sydoruk (PL) (Sk) alt
Štefan Szabó electric guitar
Jakub Szczygieł (PL) (Sk) flauta
Adam Szendrei violin
Paulina Szonowska (PL) (Sk) husle
Ela Tanistra (PL) (Sk) soprán
Ján Tkáč voice
Amelia Tokarska (PL) (Sk) harfa
Barbora Tomášková keyboard
Rozália Tomášková violin
Barbara Tomaszewska (PL) (Sk) husle
Šimon Truszka viola
Michaela Turcerová alt saxophone
Matúš Uhliarik keyboard
Peter Ulmann oboe
Magdalena Urbanek (PL) (Sk) alt
Kristína Verčimáková keyboard
Ondrej Veselý guitar
Sanda Vidaković (HR) flute
Veronika Vitázková flute
Marco Vlasák conductor
Ibolya Vörösváry (HU) viola
Magdaléna Vrabčeková Orff instruments
Magdalena Wawrzyniak-Śliwska (PL) (Sk) soprán
Monika Winnicka (PL) (Sk) alt
Pavel Zlámal (CZ) saxophone

Guests

Branislav Belorid trombone
Tomáš Boroš Orff Instruments
Anna Čonková (Sk) spev / pohyb
Kornél Fekete-Kovács (HU) conductor
Alex Guevara (PE) digital artist
Balázs Horváth (HU) conductor
Hilary Jeffery (GB) trombone
Danijel Jurišić (HR) electric guitar
Dalibor Kocián vibraphone
Robert Kolář trumpet
Barbora Kolářová flute
Zygmunt Krauze (PL) piano, composition
Robert Kurdybacha (PL) composition, conducting
Boris Lenko accordion
Jozef Lupták cello
Michal Matejka electric guitar
Michal Nejtek (CZ) composition
Milan Osadský accordion
Milan Paľa violin, viola
Marek Piaček flute
Zbyněk Prokop electronics
Ronald Šebesta clarinet
Elliott Sharp (USA) electric guitar
Attila Tverďák electric guitar
Juraj Vajó keyboard instruments
Helga Varga Bach voice

Co-workers

Juraj Beráts production
Irena Lányiová production
Barbora Kandrová production
Lucia Šimková production
Michaela Gáboríková production
Inka Sečíková production
Erika Krkošková production assistant
Zuzana Jasenková production assistant

Reviews

Robert Kolář

Hudobný život

5/01/2014

Music Biennale Zagreb 2015: world-class festival with a bit of Slovak flavour

The festival's programme was indeed very impressive - we can just mention a few names of renowned ensembles or soloists (Klangforum Wien, Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Musikfabrik, Daan Vandewalle...) or composers (Thomas Adès, Kaija Saariaho, Bruno Mantovani, George Benjamin, Michel van der Aa), which were quite heavily focused in the line up. In this context appeared a solo recital by Milan Paľa and a series of concerts of VENI ACADEMY prepared in collaboration with selected students of the Music Academy in Zagreb, featuring, naturally, works by Slovak composers.

Ján Tkáč

Hudobný život

8/01/2015

Elliott Sharp: „If you want to be an artist, your art should be completely embedded in your way of life.“

The American composer, improvizer and guitarist Elliott Sharp was this year's guest of the Sumer music academy VENI ACADEMY in Košice Kasárne/Kulturpark. [...] Besides playing solo on the guitar and supervising the recording process, he also shared with the students and tutors his memories of the New York avantgarde, Cage, Feldman, his plans for the future but also his views on aesthetics and philosophy of creativity...

Robert Kolář

Hudobný život

3/01/2014

VENI ACADEMY: Rolling Tones / In zarter Bewegung

(Sk) CD som „zhltol“ na jedno posedenie a prakticky hneď sa mi žiadalo vypočuť si ho znova. Keď som premýšľal nad príčinou, uvedomil som si, že tu významnú úlohu hrá umne zostavená dramaturgia.