Memorial Medal to Jan Jiraský
- Awards
Professor Jan Jiraský, the distinguished pianist and educator, is renowned as an expert performer of Janáček’s piano works and noted for his renditions of the complete piano cycles of Bach and Mozart. Jan’s interpretations of Janáček are particularly celebrated for their imaginative and profound understanding of the composer’s creative background. A graduate of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts (JAMU), Jan has long explored the unique characteristics of the Ehrbar piano with its Viennese action – an instrument Janáček used to compose his principal works. He has recorded the composer’s complete piano works on both historical and modern instruments, and he summarised his findings in his PhD thesis, Leoš Janáček’s Piano Works. As a professor and the head of piano at JAMU’s Faculty of Music, Jan has mentored many talented students including Kostiantyn Tyshko, Pavel Zemen, Adam Závodský, Kristýna Znamenáčková and Linda Coganová. He is often invited to serve on juries for prestigious piano competitions, lead master classes and share his expertise through public music events that illuminate Janáček’s sources of inspiration and the influence of the Ehrbar piano on his musical language and style. Jan is already the recipient of two awards from the Leoš Janáček Foundation, one in 2004 for his excellent performances of Janáček’s works and another in 2006 for his PhD thesis. He has now been awarded the Leoš Janáček Memorial Medal for his exceptional contribution to our understanding of Janáček’s piano works and their performance, and for excellence in teaching.
