Juraj Filas

born in 1955 in Slovakia, is author of 120 opuses, including symphonic works, cantatas, concertos, Te Deum, Requiem, two operas, compositions for a big brass-band and vast number of chamber music.
His original education (graduated from Singing and composition at Prague Conservatory and won several contests) marks his music expression with an enhanced sense of melody and strong emotive potential of his music.
Filas´ themes are succintly formulated, the base of his musical feeling is tonality, growing up from the great tradition of European music.
Filas composes mainly on specific demands of world-class players and ensembles, eg: Joseph Alessi - solo trombonist of New York Philharmony (2 sonatas and a Concerto), Otto Sautera - one of the best contemporary piccolotrompetists (Concerto, Sonata and some other compositions), Jamese Gourlay - leading tuba-player (Concerto).
Filas was asked to write music for ensembles as "Spanish brass-Luur Metal" (brass quintet), Swiss "Slokar Quartett" (trombones) or "Zürcher-Oboenquartett". His TV-opera "Memento Mori" (written for Czechslovak TV) won "Jacobs-Suchard Prize" at International Music Competition Salzburg in 1989. His compositions took part in several music contests in Prague (Prague Spring), Riva dell'Garda, Narbon, Helsinki, Guebwiller, Bremen, Geneva etc. „Copernicus“ – Concerto grosso was written for musicians from the University of Nebraska, Song of Solomon for ORATORIO SOCIETY in New York.
His work was performed on prominent stages of Beethovenfest (Bonn, DE), Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre (NY, USA), Prague Spring (Prague, CZ), ORF Wien (AT), Tonhalle Zürich (CH), Sankt Galen (CH), Lausanne (CH), Ženeva (CH), Paris (F), Hong-Kong (CN), Thai-wan (TW), Tokio (JAP), Mexiko (MX), Sankt Peterburg (RU), London (UK) etc. Third of his work was published by Swiss EDITIONS-BIM, Suraphon, Panton and is broadcasted by radios and TV-stations. In 2008 was J. Filas awarded by prestigious Gustav Mahler’s prize of European Union of Arts for his compositions up to now.
Juraj Filas lives in Prague and besides composing, he also lectures composition in Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts.

Source: Artist, 2021