Masterclass: Dvořák Violin Concerto, first movement

Czech culture, with its proud tradition of violinist–composers, is very important to me. Through my teacher Václav Snítil and his teacher Jaroslav Kocian I am a direct descendant, in violin terms, of the great Otakar Ševčik. Others can claim direct lineage to Dvořák through his great-grandson, the violinist Josef Suk, who was also a Kocian student. Snítil was very aware of this lineage and it was his performances of works by Czech violinist–composers of the past – including Jan Kubelík, Kocian, Ševčik, František Ondříček, Ferdinand Laub and Josef Slavík – that have inspired me to find and promote works that are world-class and need to be better known. Even the Dvořák Concerto, which every Czech violinist is expected to play, is still less well known around the world than it could be…