Jan Zahourek

Jan Zahourek was born in Denver Colorado in 1975. His father was an artist, and his mother a psychiatric nurse. Jan grew up in New York City and Jersey City, and Amherst Massachusetts.

It was in New York City and Jersey City that Jan was exposed to the wide spectrum of music and art that probably helped to create his interest in and passion for music. Aside from ballets and operas attended with his parents as a child at Lincoln Centre, in New York City there was constant music on the streets and in the parks in those days.

Saxophonists, break dancers, folk singers, trumpeters, conga players, drummers… and the live music coming out of West Village clubs near where he went to school. Jan wasn’t interested in playing music at this point… too much pressure, no doubt… but he was surrounded, and fascinated, by it.

It wasn’t until arriving in Amherst Massachusetts, with a guitar given to him by his stepfather, and which he learned to play with his father, a longtime amateur musician, that he really found the interest in and the opportunity to play music. Not only was he of the age when you form and join rock bands, but he was also blessed with a rich music programme and faculty at his local highschool.

It was here that Jan began to explore what would become his lifelong passion: ensemble music making. Whether it was in the jazz band, the orchestra or the chamber choir, he was able to experience it here in his own highschool. A rare opportunity, and a lucky one. They even had a doublebass to lend him at the beginning.

The first few years were fraught with physical difficulties stemming from bad technique. Like many doublebass players, Jan had particular problems with technique and posture which led to early injury. After his second year as an undergraduate Jan quit playing music to try to find another way in life.

Three years on, Jan, depressed, rediscovered his doublebass one day. Having played a simple scale and feeling happiness brimming out of him, he decided to rededicate himself to a life of music. He was offered a full scholarship at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for a Master Degree in doublebass performance, at the end of which he moved to Italy, another new passion in his life.

Having lived in Padova Italy for 5 years, during which he played extensively with the chamber group Ensemble Musagete, as well as other small orchestras around Padova and the Civic Wind Band (true!), he and his wife decided to move to London to be closer to theatre culture, which was her passion.

London turned out to be a great move for Jan. He was offered another full scholarship to complete a Master Degree in viola da gamba at Trinity College of Music, and he meanwhile played in London, England and the world with orchestras and Ensembles like the Philharmonia, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Solomon’s Knot, and many others.

All was fairly clear sailing until the COVID pandemic… now, reevaluating and being confronted by the total lack of work on offer, Jan has decided to invent his own work. And with some very generous funding has decided to revisit his beloved chamber music by putting together various projects involving the doublebass or viola da gamba with the collaboration of his fantastic colleagues in the UK and throughout the world.