Vratislav Kříž, baritone and Edward Eikner, piano

This much-anticipated concert will feature the beloved Czech baritone accompanied by his good friend and local piano legend, Edward Eikner. An event not to be missed!

About The Artists:

Having been engaged for over twenty seasons with the National Theatre in Prague, Czech Republic, Vratislav Kříž has performed a wide range of roles from the Czech and international operatic repertoire, including Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, Eugene Onegin, Přemysl in Smetana’s Libuše, and many others. He has appeared on opera stages in Japan, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Greece, and Macedonia, and has performed in concerts in the United States, China, Jordan, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, and beyond.

Since 2004, alongside his concert career, he has also led his production agency, CROCE, which organizes open-air opera performances at Czech castles and classical music concerts in the Czech Republic.

Considered an outstanding musician of his generation, native Texan Edward Eikner attended Baylor University, Waco, Texas, on a Van Cliburn scholarship and did his graduate work at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He pursued extended studies in Europe on a Fulbright grant.

His appearances as recitalist, soloist with symphony orchestras and aschamber musician have taken him all over the world with outstanding reviews in New York, Paris, London, Vienna, Rome, Beijing, Buenos Aires, and Sydney. Collaborating with some of the finest musicians of the day, he enjoys exploring lesser-known music from Brazil, Spain, Greece, and China, as well as main stream repertoire. After forty years of service as the Comer Professor of Fine Arts, he retired to become Professor Emeritus of Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. He divides his time between Macon, Georgia and Highlands, North Carolina, and enjoys traveling and experiencing other cultures.