Karel Martínek (born 1979)      

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is a regenschori and an organist at St. Wenceslas Cathedral in Olomouc where he plays the famous instrument by Rieger brothers from 1886. He was born in Olomouc and there he studied at the Palacký University (Mathematical – Physical Faculty, later Philosophical Faculty – musicology). Between 2004 and 2009 he studied organ at the Janáček Academy of Music in Brno under K. Klugarová and improvisation under K. Pokora.

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He has taken part in a number of master classes under leading of well-known organists (Susan Landale, Martin Sander, Günther Kaunzinger, Julian Gembalski, Reitze Smits), as well as in several interpretation and improvisation competitions. In 2014 he started studying organ improvisation under Philippe Lefebvre, titular organist of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris.

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His concerts in the Czech Republic and abroad (Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Netherlads, Ukraine) include organ literature of all style epochs; however he devotes a lot of attention to improvisation. He was a teacher of improvisation at the Church Conservatoire in Opava (2007-2009), then he was a teacher at the Conservatoire of the Evangelical Academy in Olomouc.

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He regularly cooperates with eminent Moravian music ensembles as the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra Zlín, mixed choir Žerotín, childrens choir Campanella and others. He has produced several CDs and has taken part in producing documentary films for the Palacký University. Moreover, Mr. Martínek applies himself to composition. Apart from solo organ pieces, he has composed pieces for piano, choir and orchestra, some of them receiving awards at compositional competitions.

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He is a artistic director of the International Organ Festival in St Maurice in Olomouc.