ONDREJ VESELÝ

ONDREJ is a musician whose artistic focus lies entirely in the realm of contemporary music, Slovak compositions, chamber collaboration, and interdisciplinary projects.

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As a soloist, Veselý has performed with leading ensembles such as the Slovak State Philharmonic (Košice), Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava), and Solamente Naturali. He premiered several guitar concertos written for and dedicated to him, including Excerpts from the Book of Mysteries by Joseph Kolkovich, Eo Ipso by Olga Kroupová, and Concerto Grosso by Miro Bázlik.

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A passionate advocate of new music, Veselý is the dedicatee of dozens of works for solo guitar. Composers who have written music for him include Leo Brouwer (Cuba), Peter Kotík (USA), Marc Yeats (UK), Marc Sabat (Canada), James Helgeson (USA), Harri Suilamo (Finland), Olga Kroupová (Germany), Joseph Kolkovich (USA), Angelo Gilardino (Italy), Marián Budoš (Australia), and many others.

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Veselý studied classical guitar under Carlo Marchione at the Conservatorium Maastricht, Martin Krajčo and Jozef Zsapka at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, and Giampaolo Bandini at the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali Luigi Boccherini in Lucca.

 

His academic interests led him to pursue music aesthetics and semiotics under Prof. Julo Fujak at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, where he earned a PhD in 2020. He is the author of the book Hudba v hudbe ("Music in Music") and has published numerous scholarly studies and interviews in Slovakia, Poland, and the United States.

 

Veselý’s compositions and arrangements have been performed across Europe, Asia, and North America by renowned artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Sergio & Odair Assad, David Russell, and the Palomar Ensemble. His arrangement of Clarice Assad’s The Last Song was recorded by Yo-Yo Ma, Sergio and Odair Assad, and Kathryn Stott on piano, and released by SONY on the live EP Viva Brazil. His work has garnered attention in major American publications such as the Chicago Tribune, Las Vegas Review-Journal, and IndyStar.