Pianist Igor Ardasev (born in Brno in 1967) graduated from the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts and has participated successfully in numerous national and international competitions. He was awarded 5th prize in the 1987 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, 3rd prize in the 1988 Prague Spring Piano Competition, became prizewinner in the 1990 Maria Callas International Piano Competition in Athens. He has been laureate of the prestigious 1991 Queen Elisabeth Piano Competition in Brussels and received the "Daniel Sternefeld Price"of the Flemish Radio, and 4th at the International Piano Competition Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud in Paris 1996.
Ardasev has toured Japan, Germany and Austria with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and Spain with the Prague Chamber Orchestra. He is a principal guest-artist of the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra and has toured Europe extensively with this orchestra. He regularly appears with distinguished international ensembles such as the Philharmonic Orchestra Jena, Sonderborg Symphony Orchestra, NDR Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra London. He has given numerous recital performances all over Europe............................................................>>more

Igor forms now one of the best piano duos with his wife Renata Ardasevova.They recorded Dvorak Slavonic Dances for four hands and Smetana's "Ma Vlast" (" My Country") also in the version for four hands.

Renata Ardaševová, née Lichnovská, has made a number of CD, radio and TV recordings, cooperates with leading Czech and foreign musicians, participates in prestigious projects, e.g. Concentus Moraviae and Czech Dreams (České sny). Reviews emphasize her inner energy and the emotive form of her music, the quality of the sound and sense for form and building-up of interpreted compositions.

After graduating from the Conservatoire in Ostrava, where she studied piano with Professor Marta Toaderová and composition with Professor Milan Báchorka, she continued at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts with Professor Marta Toaderová and Professor Inessa Janíčková. She gained rich experience at a number of international courses led by well-known teachers (Professor Rudolf Kehrer, Professor Vera Gornostaeva and Professor Lev Naumov). At the same time she started her concert career both as a solo and a chamber music pianist. She also presented her own compositions and improvisations and between 1984 and 1994 she was awarded prizes in both national and international competitions........................................................................................>>more

Renata's cooperation with husband Igor Ardašev is also very successful. They formed a duo called Duo Ardašev and began successful concert career playing compositions for four hands or on two pianos. They were offered the chance to record a complete works for four hands by Antonín Dvořák by Supraphon. Apart from Dvořák´s Slavic Dances, Legends and From Šumava cycle, they also recorded My Country by Bedřich Smetana arranged for four hands for the same company.

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, Four Solo Piano Pieces (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. J. Belohlavek, live)
Supraphon 110952-2 031

Liszt: solo pieces
Supraphon 111519-2 131
Janacek: unknown works (with R. Firkusny)
Supraphon 111878-2 931

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, Beethoven: Hammerklaviersonate, Martinu: Obkrocak (live)
Supraphon 112194-2 131

Smetana, Suk, Novak: "Song of Love"
Supraphon SU3183-2 131

Dvorak: Slavonic Dances for four hands (with his wife Renata)
Supraphon SU0001-2 131

Dvorak: Piano Concerto, Jezek: Piano Concerto, Bugatti Step (Brno State Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. L. Svarovsky)
Supraphon SU3325-2 031

Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 2, Tchaikovsky: Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra op. 56 (Prague Symphony Orchestra, cond. L. Svarovsky)
Supraphon SU3382-2 031
 
Dvorak: From the Bohemian Forest, Legends (with his wife Renata)
Supraphon SU0536-2 131

One of the best piano duos in the world