Richard Pohl (1983) was born in Ostrava (Czech Republic) and studied at the Grammar School and School of Music in Jesenik. His exceptional talent resulted in many awards at national competitions for young musicians including Honorary Diploma and First Prize at the Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf Chamber Music Competition in Vidnava. He also appeared as soloist with a Young Musicians String Orchestra in Jesenik.

At the age of fifteen he entered the State Conservatory in Brno, where he studied with the celebrated Czech pedagogue Eva Horakova, former member of the Bohuslav Martinu Trio. Under her tutelage, he took part in the International Competition Concertino Praga and received a honorary award (as part of a piano duo with fellow-student David Schmied).

In 2004 Pohl was accepted at the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno, where he studied with Zdenek Hnat, one of the greatest Czech pianists of our time, a pupil of Heinrich Neuhaus. After his retirement in 2006 Pohl entered class of celebrated professors Alena Vlasakova and Jan Jirasky; now studying with Jan Jirasky only. He also attended masterclasses with Antonin Kubalek (Canada), Jan Gottlieb Jiracek (Austria), Stefan Vladar, Sontraud Speidel, Thomas Steinhöfel, Iva Navratova (Germany), George Kanev (Bulgaria), Petr Sefl and Ivo Kahanek (Czech Republic).

Pohl's main interest is the chamber music, especially his collaborations with singers. In 2002 he established a partnership with one of the most talented singers of his country, the bass-baritone Josef Skarka. They created a duo focusing on performing art songs, and together took part in such events like the International Music Festival Moravian Autumn, the International Nadia and Lili Boulanger Competition (Paris), The Days of Young Performers (Brno), Bravo Mozart (Prague, Olomouc, Jesenik) and many others. In 2004 he took part in several events of the national cultural project "Czech Music 2004" (www.czechmusic.org <http://www.czechmusic.org> ).

As an excellent accompanist, Richard Pohl earned many prizes and awards in that field. He was also appointed as an official accompanist of voice department at Frantisek Jilek Music School in Brno. He collaborated with many respected artists (J. Dvorsky, J. Pustina, E. Weissova, K. Lecian...) In 2006, he participated at the International Smetana Piano Competition in Pilsen, where he finished at sixth place in the third category.

Since 2003, he's been regular participant of the International Kubalek Piano Courses (www.kubalekpianocourses.com <http://www.kubalekpianocourses.com> ) where in 2004 he received a special prize for the best performance of a piece by a Czech composer and in 2006 for the best performance of a Mozart piece. He's been awarded with full scholarship for the International Sommerakademie Prag-Wien-Budapest 2006 and invited to perform at the opening concert of that festival (www.mdw.ac.at/isa/indexf.html <http://www.mdw.ac.at/isa/indexf.html> ). There he also took part in an orchestral workshop focusing on interpretation of Mozartian concerto (with Stefan Vladar and Vladimir Kiradiev).

He records both solo and as an accompanist on CD's and for broadcast. As soloist he collaborates with Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra.