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The winner of the Eurovision Young Musicians 2022 contest, held in France’s Montpellier on 23 July 2022, is a Czech musician for the first time in history – violinist Daniel Matejča, a first-year bachelor’s programme student at HAMU’s String Instruments Department, won with his virtuosic reading of the fourth movement from Dmitry Shostakovich’s Concerto No.1 for Violin and Orchestra.
Daniel Matejča, a native of Liberec, was admitted to HAMU on the merits of his extraordinary talent at age sixteen. He is a member of the violin class taught by Professor Ivan Štraus who had the following to say about his student and hist competition performance: “With his playing, I think Daniel can convey joy as well as a deep immersion in the music – in the story of Shostakovich’s composition.”
Daniel Matejča delivered his contest-winning performance on a K. B. Dvořák 1904 violin, a maestro instrument built by Karel Boromejský Dvořák. The violin was purchased exclusively for funds donated by the White & Case, s.r.o. law firm with a view to loaning to artistically advanced students of the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
Dan Matejča’s immense success proves that sponsors’ donations support young artists in the classical music realm and can bring major success to the Czech Republic.
So, the victory is Czech for the first time! We are duly proud of this and wish Daniel Matejča to achieve more success in art and life in the future. He is well on his way – and not just with his Saturday performance, but also thanks to his relentless diligence and the support from teachers, all of HAMU, and friends and sponsors of classical music.
The recording of the entire competition is viewable HERE. A cameo featuring Daniel Matejča and his performance start at 1:38:50.
