Happy students = happy me. Professional teacher and conductor with international career teaches Music Theory, Conducting, Composition & other.

Find out more about Ondrej

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I always loved going to music school as a kid but one of the most memorable moments for me was the first time I played in orchestra. I remember the feeling of being immersed in and surrounded in this wealth of sound, a feeling I'll never forget. This is one of the reasons why I love playing the trumpet, why I later developed a love for conducting, and for music in general!

• Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  Gosh, so many!!! For Trumpeters I go to Thomas Gansch, Gábor Tarkövi, James Morrison, Wynton Marsalis, and Arturo Sandoval and for orchestral composers I go for Dvořák, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Bach and Tchaikovsky!

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  One of my priorities in teaching music is to always cater to the individual student as much as possible. The most difficult courses I am capable of teaching stem from the complexity of being a conductor (even when I teach trumpet!). Technical knowledge/mastery of the trumpet is just the first step but there are many steps beyond, including musicality, expression, as well as performance psychology, stage presence, music theory, history, style and historical practice, ensemble playing including voicing and intonation, and the list goes on. In short, the most challenging course I can offer is a combination of these and many more things! Feel free to ask if you'd like to know more!!

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I think each instrument has its own challenges but also its own beauty and things that make it special. If I had to choose just one common instrument and look at it purely from a playability perspective, I'd choose the French horn. The things that make it challenging but also incredibly beautiful are its sound, its range, proximity of harmonics (= also what makes it easy to 'crack' notes), the role in the orchestra as part of the brass section but also as a separate section, including many beautiful solos, etc. A difficult but a lovely instrument!

• What are your keys to success?

  As a teacher, my keys to success have to do with supporting my students as much as I can. This means catering to their specific needs, helping them develop at the rate most appropriate to them, and very importantly also helping them discover ways they can teach themselves and navigate difficult situations even outside of lessons.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Dizzy Gillespie (trumpeter) - Chatting with such a great master of improvisation would surely make for a varied and interesting conversation any time of the day! Specifically in the early hours of the morning, I'd love to find out what his drink of choice would be at such a bar and whether there's any connection between this and his playing technique - with his famously inflated cheeks!!
  
  Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor) - Having already worked with Sir Antonio and having been incredibly inspired by his music-making, I'd be intrigued what the chats would be with him during the early A.M.!!
  
  Jakub Hrůša (conductor) - Now one of the most in-demand conductors, this fellow Czech musician also started from humble beginnings like myself and has now also relocated to the UK. Having briefly met him, I'd love to ask him about the specifics of his journey and the many memorable experiences on and off the podium.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  Studying at London's Royal College of Music was the closest thing for me to the real-life Hogwarts. Being able to learn from the world's very best artists was such an inspiration. One of the things that became apparent to me was that even though mastering an instrument/a musical discipline is no easy task, a complex situation often has quite a simple answer, rather than a complicated one. This is something I now take to my own teaching - finding the root of a given issue and helping the student focus on a straightforward but an effective solution. And it works like magic!

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I just try to be the best version of myself that I can. The individual approach I described above can mean anything from finding music best suited to each individual student, sending them notes/materials when appropriate and helpful, sharing recordings for motivation, writing out some music, helping them find playing opportunities, helping them prepare for music exams and auditions, rewarding longterm students for their continued interest, and, among others things, having a mindset that every lesson I give I will do the best I can so the lesson is as useful as can be, with short-term but also long-term impact.