Bio
Kristýna Marie Elizabeth Švihálková is a percussionist, performer, improviser, and composer from the Czech Republic. She holds a master’s degree in Instrumental Performance from the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno, where she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree. During her academic journey, she has also earned a scholarship at the California Institute of the Arts (2019–2020) and HSLU Hochschule Luzern-Musik (2023–2024). In addition to her studies, she has also participated in various workshops and courses such as Brno Philharmonic Orchestra Academy (2018-2020), the T&M Academy of Music Theatre in Nîmes (2022), Workshop for V4: Creative Sources of a Performer – The ENCOUNTER festival (2023), percussion class of Darmstädter Ferienkurse (2023), and Donaueschinger Musiktage Next Generation (2023).
Her practice is aimed at contemporary music and instrumental theatre (the connection of playing the musical instrument with singing, recitation, movement, choreography, light design, and video projection).
Kristýna is a member of Hausopera – an artistic society specializing in site-specific opera. She has collaborated with orchestras and ensembles such as Brno Philharmonics, rock and roll band Něco si přej, Percussion Ensemble JAMU, Brno Contemporary Orchestra, Ensemble Opera Diversa, National Theatre Brno, or EnsembleSpectrum (a contemporary music ensemble from Slovakia). As a soloist, she performed with the Ostrava New Orchestra or Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.
She has performed at numerous festivals and events such as the Easter Festival of Sacred Music Brno Philharmonic, Ostrava Days, New Opera Days Ostrava, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, 27th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Hybrid Sessions Prague, Meetings of New Music Plus, Symposium Trstenice, Jazz Goes To Town, Free Forms Vienna, or Festival Schnittpunkte der Musik in Austria.
In addition to her active musical practice, she works as a music workshop instructor for children at the educational center of the Brno Philharmonic. As part of her doctoral studies, she teaches at Janacek Academy. She is also a researcher at the Center for Research of the Brno Composition School HF JAMU.
She has premiered a bunch of contemporary music in the Czech Republic.
If you´re interested in a detailed cv, please contact us.
References (in Czech)
Expozice nové hudby: Hra se zvukem v Tolkienově Morii | Opera PLUS
Kterak proudy Mladé krve zaplavily brněnský Besední dům – KlasikaPlus.cz
Orgasmická sonická pulzující extáze, vyvrcholení Jazz Goes to Town jak má být – Jazz Port.cz
Převážně témbrové orchestrální večery Ostravských dnů (casopisharmonie.cz)