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Kristýna Farag is a Czech flautist, singer and teacher. Born to a Slovak mother and a Syrian father, Slavic and Middle Eastern roots define her artistic explorations; not only is she deeply infatuated by the composers of her native land, e.g., Janáček and Martinů, but she also sings the songs of her father’s land seamlessly in Arabic. She is a graduate of the best schools of Czech musical tradition, including Jan Neruda Grammar School in Prague, and Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, where she obtained a Master‘s degree with a thesis on Charles Koechlin and his pieces for flute.

In 2015, she took part as a soloist in a unique project Zdeněk Liška: Marketa Lazarová that was performed by Baborak Ensemble and recorded live. The project also appeared on the concert programme of The Prague Symphony Orchestra in March 2022, where she played solo alto flute under the baton of the world famous French horn player and conductor Radek Baborák. At the Prague’s renowned festival Strings of Autumn 2019 in one concert she performed Vermont Counterpoint for amplified flute and tape by Steve Reich and one of the soprano parts in Music for 18 Musicians. As a freelance classical flautist and a soprano she has been extensively working with Czech contemporary composers such as Jan Rybář (premiering his music for a Czech silent film at Prague Spring festival 2019), Martin Klusák (experimental PET(m)use project), Marek Kopelent, Miroslav Pudlák, Jan Vičar, Edvard Schiffauer and others. As for her orchestral experiences, she has cooperated with PKF- Prague Philharmonia, Berg Orchestra, Prague Chamber Orchestra and others.

She is a singer and the flautist of Prague based band Ziriab that focuses on the music of Arab countries using traditional instruments such as Iraqi lute, darbuka or riq. Improvisation is an essential part of this music which Kristýna delivers not only in her rendition of Arabic modes, but also in her quartet Fahrzavö consisting of three wind players accompanied by composer and cimbalom player Jana Vöröšová. The quartet focuses on free improvisation and improvisation based on composed motifs. 

Kristýna has also been involved in the vibrant world of Czech theater. In her 13 years of working with the well-known Prague’s theatre-music group Cabaret Calembour which was founded by members of Czech National Theater including Igor Orozovič, she enjoyed acting in sketches based on wordplays in Czech, sang original songs, and of course contributed with funky and melancholic flute tunes. After many years of experience with song writing, Igor has founded his own side project under Czech label Supraphon. Kristýna enjoyed a two year ride with his band Igor&Co. as a singer and a flautist.

Kristýna won the 1st prize in the Friedrich Kuhlau International Competition in Uelzen, Germany in category flute trio (2011).

For two years, she was a flute teacher at Grammar school and Music school of Prague and the Music school of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Kristýna also gives private lessons including online classes.

CZ

Kristýna Farag je absolventkou hudebního Gymnázia Jana Nerudy a Janáčkovy akademie múzických umění v Brně. Na festivalu Struny podzimu 2015 vystoupila ve spolupráci s Petrem Ostrouchovem a Radkem Baborákem v unikátním projektu Zdeněk Liška: Marketa Lazarová. V rámci koncertní řady Symfonického orchestru hl.m. Prahy FOK se v březnu 2022 s partem sólové altové flétny zúčastnila zkrácené reprízy projektu. Na Strunách podzimu 2019 v programu “Maraton americké hudby” provedla Vermont Counterpoint pro flétny a zvukovou stopu Stevea Reicha a jeden z vokálních partů v Music for 18 Musicians téhož autora. Podílela se na provedení hudby k němému filmu Varhaník u sv. Víta skladatele Jana Rybáře na festivalu Pražské jaro 2019. Je flétnistkou a zpěvačkou souboru Cabaret Calembour autorského tria Šotek-Orozovič-Suchý. Působí také jako flétnistka a zpěvačka v kapele Igora Orozoviče, který letos pod hlavičkou Supraphonu představil svou tvorbu ve vlastním hudebním projektu. S klarinetisty a saxofonisty Michalem Hrubým a Zdenkem Závodným a skladatelkou a cimbalistkou Janou Vöröšovou tvoří uskupení Fahrzavö, které se věnuje volné improvizaci s prvky prokomponovanosti. Je členkou arabské kapely Ziriab, hrající hudbu blízkovýchodní tradice, a kde také zpívá v arabštině. V kategorii flétnové trio spoluzískala 1.cenu v mezinárodní soutěži Friedricha Kuhlau v německém Uelzenu (2011). Pedagogicky působila na Gymnáziu a Hudební škole hl. m. Prahy (2021-2023) a na Fakultní ZUŠ HAMU na Praze 5 (2020-2022).