Ondřej
Adámek

Born 1979 in Prague, studied composition at the academy of music in Prague and at the conservatory in Paris. He composes orchestral, chamber, vocal and electro-acoustic music and he works with choreographers of contemporary dance. In April 2002 he was awarded a UNESCO grant for his collaboration with the dance company Gaara in Nairobi. (Production: “Abila”). In 2004 he worked with the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne in Montreal within the framework of the forum.

He has received numerous commissions for his compositions from important festivals, such as the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, Agora Festival (IRCAM, Paris), Les Musique (GMEM, Marseille), Warschauer Herbst, and from ensembles, such as the Klangforum Wien, Orchestre National d’Île de France, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, the Brandenburger Sinfoniker and the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra (Premiere conducted by Pierre Boulez).

“Nôise“ for 27 instruments was first performed in February 2010 by the Ensemble Intercontemporain, Paris and „Lo que no’ contamo’“ for string quartet by Diotima Quartet at the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2010. Currently he composes for the Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain, Lyon (world premiere 2011) and again Ensemble Intercontemporain, Paris (world premiere 2013).
His works have been acknowledged with various awards, such as the „Prix de Bourges (IMEB, 2003), the Prix Métamorphoses (Belgium 2002, 2004) and the First Prize of Hungarian Radio (2004). In 2006 he received the 2nd Brandenburg Biennale Prize and in 2009 the Prix Hervé-Dugardi – SACEM and in 2010 the Grand Prix of Tansman (Lodz).

In his musical language Adámek combines elements of contemporary classical music with transformed musical elements of distant cultures (from Bali and New Caledonia to Japan and Andalusia). The simplicity of his musical expression corresponds in his works with thoroughly elaborate colors of sounds.

2010 / 2011 Adámek is a guest oft the Artist-in-Berlin Program of the DAAD.