Polyphonic peers at home in Prague

Without music, life would be a mistake - at least, that was Nietzsche's laconic take on the art. And if life is a mistake without music, it certainly can't be much more than a flub without a diversity of musical tastes. Jiří Zbořil, artistic director and dance teacher at the International Conservatory of Prague, agrees, and that's why he and the rest of the staff at the conservatory are working to bring together musicians of different nationalities and ethnicities, especially Roma, who, despite being renowned for their musical talents, are often locked out of professional musical circles if they are not classically trained. Conservatory students can study instrumental music of all genres, as well as singing, dance and theater.

With the help of an EU grant, the school has purchased a new building and will move in September. The added space will allow the conservatory to increase in size by more than 100 students and accommodate a growing group of international and domestic talent.

"It's a classical goulash," said  Zbořil of the school, which has a student body of only 200 but is composed of at least 12 different nationalities and many Roma students from different countries, according to Zbořil. Competition is fierce; only a handful of students are accepted each year, but those who are can benefit from the experience of instructors who are seasoned professionals still active in their craft.

"Acting students can study under Valérie Zawadská, who is a famous actress and considered the queen of Czech dubbing," said Zbořil. Zawadska, a veteran of radio, television, film and theater, leads a class of budding young thespians. As her eager protégées rehearse their scenes, she gives curt directions with a theatrical flourish of the arms that shows her love for teaching and the theater. Those who study dance and music at the conservatory are instructed by equally lauded faculty. Zbořil graduated from the Prague Conservatory and has performed with the State Opera, the Chamber Opera in Brno and the Semafor theater, among others.

A brush with fame

Some students have themselves already broken into the professional arts world. Petr Surmaj, cymbalist, Alan Sarközy, bassist, and Jozef Šenki, violinist, play Gypsy folk music together in an ensemble and have recorded with The Gypsy Kings. Surmaj and Sarközy are from Hungary, while Šenki simply identifies himself as Roma, and Zbořil says the dynamics of a mixed group of musicians is palpable in the performance.

"You can really feel the tension among the different styles onstage, and it adds to the music," he said.

Zbořil explains the basic philosophy of the school is to allow for the convergence of varied musical talents in one place, especially Roma talent, which he says all too often goes unrecognized when Roma musicians don't have the opportunity to train with the best and develop their skills. "Some Roma musicians don't even know where 'C' is, but they are still excellent musicians, just without education," he said, adding that an EU fund provides stipends to promising students to help pay for tuition. "We want them to become part of the artistic community."

Cultural counterpoint

One might expect a few obstacles in harmonizing students with such different backgrounds, but Zbořil says because the school's director, though not a musician, is Roma, there is a perception of fairness in the way the school is run. "If there's ever a question about racism or favoritism, everybody knows he'll be fair," Zbořil said.

An equally important objective of the school is to expose burgeoning artists to international culture. Jorge Covarrubias Casillas from Mexico has been in the Czech Republic for four and a half years and studies opera singing. Casillas is passionate about Flamenco music, especially the way Spanish Roma have appropriated and expounded on the style.

"That's part of the reason I wanted to come here to study with Gypsy musicians, because I admire what they do with Flamenco in Spain," Casillas said. "But I have to say that what the Gypsies are doing here is something completely different. They are creating their own style."

Like his classmates, Casillas also came to learn from the accomplished faculty, and he appreciates the unique performance opportunities at the school. All first-year students are required to perform, and upper-class students perform several times per year. With their breadth of experience and contacts, the teachers help students get their foot in the door on the local professional arts scene.

"I don't think you'll get the same chance if you're not at a conservatory," Casillas said. "If you're just on the streets, you won't get recognized."

Composition and piano student Adam Dědič perhaps embodies the spirit of the school the most. He is from Slovakia but was raised in Sweden and came to Prague because of a composer at the conservatory he wanted to study under. Adam hopes to attend the Royal College of Music in London when he finishes his six-year program here.

"It's good here because you get to work with people of different nationalities," he said. "But ... it doesn't really make a difference, because we all speak the universal language of music."

Emily Thompson can be reached at
ethompson@praguepost.com