Biography
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Czech harpist, Soloist Acclaimed around the World
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Professor of Royal College of Music in London
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Professor of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
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Principal Harpist of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
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Member of the Prominent Harp Competitions Juries
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The Only Czech Laureate of the Most Prestigious Harp Competitions in the World
Jana Boušková, born in Prague (Czech Republic), belongs to the elite category of world-renowned harpists, who are invited to the world's most prestigious stages thanks to their distinctive artistic qualities. World reviewers evaluate her performances similarly and emphasize in particular the breathtaking perfection of technique, brilliant precision, wit presence, depth, ethereal sensitivity and the power of her expression.
Jana Boušková participated in a total of eight harp competitions during her life (USA, Israel, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy) and always won the highest award, of which she won the 1st prize 5 times, including the most prestigious Gold Medal at the USA International Harp Competition in 1992. .
Jana Boušková made several transcriptions of compositions by Czech composers who did not pay attention to the solo harp. In 2021, these compositions were released on her solo CD My Homeland by Supraphon, where, in addition to the newly adapted version of Smetana's Vltava, there are two other parts of My Homeland, Vyšehrad and Šárka, American Suite and Largo from Dvořák's New World Symphony and Josef Suk's Summer Impressions.
Jana Boušková performs solo with leading orchestras and in solo recitals around the world in the most prestigious concert halls. In addition to her solo career, Jana Boušková is engaged in pedagogical activities. Since September 2019 she has been a professor at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London and since 2007 she has been teaching at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. For 15 years she was a very successful professor at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels in 2005-2020 and also at the Conservatory in Prague for 19 years in the period 1993-2012.
Since 2005, Jana Boušková has been a solo harpist with the Czech Philharmonic. She is regularly invited to participate in world-famous harp congresses and symposia, including membership of the juries of the International Harp Competitions and conducting master classes around the world. In 1999 she was the artistic director of the 7th World Harp Congress in Prague, a member of the artistic council of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Czech Philharmonic. She is currently the patron of the Monastery Music Festival and the Cancioneta Praga choir.
Jana Boušková has recorded more than 50 CDs for Czech and international labels, radio and television companies, and about two dozen compositions by contemporary composers have been written for her.
Jana Boušková graduated from the Prague Conservatory and Ostrava University where she studied in the class of prof. Libuše Váchalová. She continued one year studying at the prestigious Indiana University with prof. Susann McDonald. Jana Boušková is the only Czech harpist who won the world’s most important and acknowledged international harp competitions.In 1992 in the USA and in the same year she was awarded the 2nd prize in the competition with the oldest tradition in the world in Israel.
Among other numerous successes let us name 1st Prize in Concours International de Musique de Chambre in Paris and 1st Prize in Torneo Internazionale di Musica in Italy.
Jana Boušková was honored for outstanding concert successes and contribution to the harp field in Switzerland and is also the laureate of the Juventus Festival in France. In the Czech Republic she was awarded the Prize Talent of the year 1996 and as one of ten most important Czech women and as first interpret of the classical music ever she was awarded the Prize Lady Pro.
Thanks to her distinct artistic successes Jana Boušková rapidly became a very demanded harpist performing on the prominent stages all over the world as a soloist as well as in cooperation with such interpreters like Maxim Vengerov, Jurij Bashmet, Patrick Gallois, Jiří Bárta, Christian Tetzlaff, Sharon Kam or Mstislav Rostropovič. This renowned cello virtuoso asked for the contact on Jana after listening to her performance in radio. Later, Jana premiered with Mstislav Rostropovich the compositions by Ravi Shankar in the frame of the festival in Evian (France) among others.
Besides the solo career Jana Boušková devotes herself to pedagogical activity. Since September 2019, she is the Professor of the prestigious music university Royal College of Music in London and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague since 2007. She was a very successful professor at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels for all 15 years in the period of years 2005- 2020 and also at the Conservatory in Prague for 19 years in the period of years 1993 -2012.
Jana Boušková was also invited to teach for few months at the Indiana University in USA and at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève in Switzerland.
Since 2005 Jana Boušková is a solo harpist of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. She is being regularly invited to participate in world renowned harp congresses and symposiums including Jury memberships at International harp competition in the USA, France, Italy Israel and else where and leads masterclasses all over the world.
In 1999 she was the artistic director of the 7th World Harp Congress in Prague. Since 2000 she has been a member of the Artistic Board of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
Jana Boušková has recorded more than 50 CDs for Czech and international labels, radios and television companies. The last CD - Ma vlast - brings absolutely new vision on the harp. It is an unique recording which doesn't exists anywhere in the world, including only the compositions of the Czech Masters as Smetana, Dvořák and Suk. The original pieces written for the orchestra or piano has Jana Boušková arranged for the harp solo by herself.
In 2004 EMI published a recording of Jana Boušková's concert in the frame of the German festival Spannungen.
The repertoire of Jana Boušková includes compositions of all eras. Numerous Czech and foreign contemporary composers have composed pieces for her. Sonata for cello and harp by Ravi Shankar (with Mstislav Rostropovich), Concerto for flute, harp, viola and orchestra by Benjamin Yusupov (with Maxim Vengerov), Concert for two harps by Jan F. Fischer (with Isabelle Moretti – 7th World Harp Congress in Prague, 1999), Concert for solo Harp Praharphona by Kryštof Mařatka (premiered in Kiel, BDR), Solo Harp Concerto by Lukáš Sommer, Jazz Concerto for flute and harp by Emil Viklický etc. rank among world premieres.
Jana Boušková is the official player of the prestigious Lyon & Healy harp producer and plays the instrument by this US company that she won on the International Harp Competition in 1992 in the USA.