Jiří Hájek

Jiří Hájek was born in Pardubice. In 1999 he completed his studies at the Conservatoire in Pardubice (Czech Republic) with the Chamber Orchestra of Pardubice (Leoš Svárovský) and started to attend the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (Slovakia). His singing master was Peter Mikuláš. He graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (in 2003), singing master was René Tuček. During his studies he completed international interpretational courses under Andrej Kucharský, Magdaléna Hajóssyová, Sergej Kopčák and Naděžda Knipplová (2002 – Sommerakademie Prag-Wien-Budapest). In 2002 he won the 3rd prize (song, opera) and in 2003 he was the winner of singers of opera at the International Antonín Dvořák Choral Competition in Carlsbad. Hájek cooperates with the Chamber Orchestra of Pardubice, Orchestra of Hradec Králové and with Syrinx (chamber ensemble). In 2001 he made a recording (in the Czech radio) of the song cycles Sapientia from Jiří Teml and Bačovské piesne from Eugen Suchoň. He has been a soloist with the Prague State Opera since 2003, starring in operas: La Bohéme, La Roulette, Rusalka and Candide. From the same year he has been a soloist with the National Theatre in Prague, he has been a soloist of the Theatre of J. K. Tyl in Pilsen. In 2005 he starred in a role of Doctor Malatesta (Don Pasquale) and he made a tour of Japan with the Theatre of Pilsen. In 2006 he starred the role Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) and Vladislav (B. Smetana, Dalibor) in Pilsen. He cooperated with Jiří Heřman who staged the opera Lamenti – in the role of the Son. This opera represented the Czech culture at the Festival in Rio de Janeiro in 2005. During this year he also starred in a role of Ferryman (B. Britten, Curlew River) and cooperated with Petr Kofroň (conductor), in opera In the penal colony of Philip Glass. In 2007, February, he sang the roles of Director and Policeman in opera Les Mamelles de Tirésias by Francis Poulenc in the Prague State Opera under the conductor Guillaume Tourniaire, stage director was Pier Luigi Pizzi.