Jitka Šuranská, violinist and folk singer, has died

The Czech violinist and singer Jitka Šuranská, who was known for her interpretation of Moravian folk songs, has died of cancer, aged 41. 

A graduate of the Šuranská Conservatory in Brno, Šuranská, who came from Kudlovice in the Zlín region of the Czech Republic, was a member of the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlín.

Since childhood, however, she had played in a dulcimer band, and she eventually made her name for performances which combined violin-playing and singing, drawing inspiration from Czech folklore.

She played for ten years in the Stanislav Gabriel Dulcimer Band. Later she started to perform as a soloist, and - from 2014 onwards - as a member of a trio, with the mandolin player Martin Krajíček and the double bassist, folk flautist and cymbal player Marian Friedl.  With the trio she created a distinctive musical language based on Moravian folk music, but spiced with original instrumentation.

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In 2018 she created a musical duo with Petr Uvira, guitarist of the Lada band. She also worked with the Women’s Choir of Kudlovice.

‘A good musician can change like a chameleon,’ Šuranská told Brno Music Friendly City in October 2016. ‘It is difficult, but for me it is very rewarding.’