Lubica Salamon-Cekovska

Slovak music for a new generation!  Born in 1970, Lubica Salamon-Cekovska studied composition with Dusan Martincek, at the Academy of Music and Drama in Bratislava, from where she graduated in 1998.  As a postgraduate, Lubica came to London and joined the performance course at the Royal Academy of Music where her teacher was Paul Patterson.  Two scholarships and the Manson Bequest Prize enabled her to attend courses given by Robert Saxton, Thomas Ades, Arvo Part and Harrison Birtwistle.  During this period, Lubica often played Jazz piano in one of London's most prestigious hotels.  She keeps up the Jazz connection as regular pianist with the Bratislava Hot Serenaders, who play authentic (complete with costumes)1920s  big band Jazz.

Lubica Salamon-Cekovska has wrtten the music for several Slovakian films, including Krute Radosti (Cruel Joys) made in 2002.  Her works have been performed at many important contemporary music festivals, and she was one of five composers who contributed to: zeitoper010: as time goes by, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Albert Einstein's death, premiered at the Hanover Staatsoper.  Adorations, for large symphony orchestra, received its first performance, to great acclaim,  at the Prague Spring Festival in May, when it was played in the Smetana Hall by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Valek.

All the works on Lubica Salamon-Cekovska's Hevhetia CD, Passing Impressions, received their UK premieres at London's Conway Hall on 2nd November 2006, as part of the Passing Impressions Festival of Slovakian Music and Musicians. 

At the recording sessions for Passing Impressions in the Fatra House of Arts, Zilina, September 2005.  Left to right: conductor, David McQueen, producer, Dai Fujikura and Lubica Salamon-Cekovska.  (Photo: Milan Kosec / Hevhetia)