Vlastimil Mareš

studied at the  Plzeň Conservatory  in the class of professor J. Hlaváč Having and Music faculty of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (J. Hlaváč).  He became the first clarinet of the FOK Prague Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Prague Wind Quintet, a renowned solo clarinetist and he is professor at the Academy of Music Arts (since 2002) and its dean (since 2008). He has shown his exceptional musical talent at various international competitions, mostly winning first prizes, for example at Concertino Praga, the K. Kurpinski competition in Poland, Markneurkierchen in Germany, and at the Prague Spring festival. He was also very successful at competitions in Paris and Rome, where he advanced to the narrow four-member finals. Today his recordings are very renowned and sought-after both at home and abroad (the CD of the Year 1996 in Paris, Grammy Asia 1997 - Soul, Grammy classic 1993 - Prague). As a solo player or member of Prague wind quintet Mr. Mareš has appeared on the concert platforms of a number of countries, including the United States, Japan and England.

Vlastimil Mareš is studying conducting as a private student of Mr. Libor Pešek. He was made this offer during their joint performance with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Here is the comment of Vlastimil Mareš on his conduction studies: "I think that the horizons of possibilities of classical music are immense. Every time I reach the imaginary horizon, I find out that beyond it there as another and a more interesting, beautiful or tempting one. I want to be entertained by music, to love it and to explore it constantly. This is why I have left the imaginary horizon of the clarinet and tried another horizon. And that is how it is with my conducting."