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Kristýna Petišková / Opera Plus
Clarinetist Marek Švejkar recently released his first solo album, Connection – Années de pèlerinage, in collaboration with pianist Lenka Korecká. The album focuses on both well-known and rarely performed Czech and French repertoire, featuring original works and arrangements, including Variations on a Gypsy Melody by Czech composer Adam Skoumal. In the following interview, Švejkar discusses life in Bohemia and France, pedagogy, doctoral research, and the philosophy of music.
This year, you released your debut solo album, Connection – Années de pèlerinage. How did you assemble the repertoire?
The program reflects my long-term residency in Paris, where I studied for eight years and absorbed the know-how of the French clarinet school, while also mirroring my Czech roots. The program includes three Czech premieres and four works by French Romantics. For several years, I focused on forgotten pieces of Czech literature and wished to pay them tribute. I must highlight my collaboration with the contemporary composer and pianist Adam Skoumal. The rest of the album consists of pieces that accompanied me in Paris and became my chefs-d’œuvre. All the Czech premieres are dedicated to the Year of Czech Music 2024.
You lived in France for many years. Do you plan to stay in the Czech Republic, or are you drawn back abroad?
I don’t plan anything; I let myself be carried along my own path. Currently, I am dedicated to solo performance, teaching, and musical research. My "fateful journeys" never cease to surprise me. I believe the most important thing is to walk one’s own path and constantly fulfill one’s dreams.
You are currently completing your doctoral studies in Ostrava under Karel Dohnal. What is the focus of your work?
I am focusing on the complete clarinet works of Pierre Boulez, who celebrates his 100th anniversary next year. My research centers on multi-serial compositions. Having spent nearly a decade in the "Mecca of the Clarinet" (Paris), I can draw directly from the source and consult with people who collaborated with the composer personally—such as Jérôme Comte or Alain Damiens, who premiered Boulez’s most significant clarinet work, Dialogue de l’ombre double. My main goal is to bridge theoretical claims with active concert performance to create a comprehensive study of the "Boulezian" language.
Why Boulez specifically?
He was a conductor, composer, pianist, mathematician, and educator. All these layers are evident in his work. The complexity of serial and punctualist structures lies primarily in understanding them and then "delivering" them to the audience in a clear, digestible form. If a listener is acquainted with the philosophy and the "inevitable necessity" of why Boulez wrote what he wrote, then both the performer and the audience win. In our region, practically no one addresses this topic, so I use my "French competencies" to present this music. His language draws us into a multidimensional world of integral series. Plus, a 100th anniversary doesn’t happen every year!
What can listeners expect on your next album?
I don't want to reveal too much, but certainly music from the second half of the last century, including Boulez. Alongside solo projects, I am working on chamber music. I enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone and learning new things.
You are also an experienced pianist. How do these instruments complement each other?
I studied piano under the wonderful Věra Vlková. For a time, I worked as an accompanist, which allowed me to discover a vast repertoire for strings and winds. A major advantage is that I can accompany my students in lessons, which gives me a significant edge. For harmonic visualization, the piano is key. When I study a new piece, I first work with the piano accompaniment or the conductor's score before studying my own part. It remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration for me.
How do you approach pedagogy?
I reflect on my own growth—what I liked and what bothered me. Technically, my goal is to avoid bad habits in breathing and embouchure, but the most important thing is the mindset. For those who want to make a living in music, I try to show them the real world without utopian ideals. Today, it’s not just about musical quality, but about good promotion, a story, quality management, and social media. Sometimes playing comes last. It’s better to be prepared for this reality as early as possible.
Where have you performed abroad?
The most significant for me was a recital in Washington D.C. for the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, and a recital at the Cairo Opera House during the Czech Presidency of the EU. I have performed in chamber settings across Europe and with world-renowned orchestras like the Orchestre de Paris, Ensemble Intercontemporain, and soloists from the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic. I adore traveling for music.
If you weren't a musician, what else would fulfill you?
I’m afraid nothing would fulfill me as much as music! I feel I was born for it. However, I am a big fan of languages. The connection between language and music is completely natural to me. Speaking the native tongue in a foreign country is always an advantage—it immediately brings you closer to the local mentality.
