Ondřej Pivec

I was born March 4th, 1984 in Brno, Czech Republic. I started playing music at the age of 3 as a classical pianist, but soon turned to jazz and I began to play the Hammond organ in my teens. I have taken lessons from well respected organists in Europe (Mike Carr and Alberto Marsico) and US (Joey DeFrancesco, Sam Yahel, Pat Bianchi and Pastor Tyrone Holmes). I’ve toured all over the World, playing more than 1600 concerts, recorded five albums under my own name and appeared on twenty-six as an accompanist. In 2007, after three years of studying, I graduated from the Prague Post-Secondary Jazz College in Jazz History, Arranging, Harmony and Jazz Piano Performance. I also have four years of teaching experience (various ages and levels). I currently live, perform and record in New York city and work as a minister of music at Coney Island Cathedral.

MUSIC EDUCATION
2010 – present
• gospel music training with pastor Tyrone Holmes – New York, USA
• Berklee College Of Music – Orchestration courses – on-line
2009 Private lessons with Pat Bianchi – New York, USA
2008 Organ workshops with Joey DeFrancesco – Milan, Italy
2007 Lessons with Sam Yahel (Madeleine Peyroux, Norah Jones, Maceo Parker) – New York, USA
2005
• lessons with Alberto Marsico (Jimmy Wintherspoon, Alvin Queen) – Milan, Italy
• lessons with Mike Carr (Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacket, etc.) – London, UK
2004 – 2007 Jaroslav Jezek post-secondary college, Certified Specialist / Artist – Prague, Czech rep.
1999 – 2001 International jazz workshops – Prague, Czech rep.

AWARDS
2009
• Czech Academy of Music Award (Czech Grammy), best jazz CD of the year – Prague, Czech rep.
• Straubinger Startbanh award – Straubing, Germany
2008
• The audience price for best band – Getxo, Spain (17.000 visitors)
• The audience price for best soloist – Getxo, Spain (17.000 visitors)
2007 Organist of the month – the International archives for the jazz organ – Germany
2006 Czech Academy of Music Award (Czech Grammy), best jazz CD of the year – Prague, Czech rep.
2005
• Band of the year – Philips International Jazz Festival competition – Prague, Czech rep.
• Outstanding soloist – Philips International Jazz Festival competition – Prague, Czech rep.
1994 Third Prize – AMADEUS, The Mozartean competition for young pianists – Brno, Czech rep.
1992 Second Prize” – AMADEUS, The Mozartean competition for young pianists – Brno, Czech rep.

CHURCH WORK
• Currently Minister of music at Coney Island Cathedral (Bishop Waylynn Hobbs Jr.) – Brooklyn, NY
2011
• 2 Concerts at Vanderveer Park Methodist Church (minister Joseph Robers) – Brooklyn, NY
• Guest appearance at New Freedom Baptist church NY, New Gethsemane church LI,
• Organist at Jam Tabernacle (Pastor Tyrone Holmes), Harlem, NY
2010
• Organist at Word In Action Ministry (Bishop Marvin John)
• Musical director at Samuel’s Temple COGIC (Pastor Shirley Sutton)
2009 Guest appearance at The Kingdom Church of Praise In Deliverace (Pastor Bruce Emory)

OTHER MUSICAL PERFORMING EXPERIENCE
During the past eight years I’ve performed over 1600 live shows as a leader or an accompanyist on many different international stages, including:
• Bohemian Hall and Bowery Ballroom, New York, USA
• Blues alley, Washington DC, USA
• Sun-Set club, Bei-Jing, China
• Blue Note, Dresden Germany
• Various concert tours in Europe (Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldavia, Germany, Poland, France)
• St. Germain club, Paris, France
• Jyvaskyla Jazz festival, Jyvaskyla, Finland
• Cheltenham Jazz festival, Cheltenham, England
• ORF Radiokulturhaus, Vienna, Austria
• Getxo jazz festival, Getxo Spain
• International jazz festival in Athens, Greek
• My band has been an opening act for Billy Cobham’s Culture mix EU tour and The Robert Glasper Experiment

DISCOGRAPHY
2011
• Ondrej Pivec: LIVE! (digital release)
• Richard Morton (Scarbeck Records)
• Dan Waldman (to be released)
• Czech National Radio recording of my big-band
• CPR Electrio: Live (digital release)
• Band Without a Band (digital release)
• Speedo Harmonica Jones: Indescribably Blue (to be released)
2010
• Contemporary Czech Jazz Compilation (Arts and Theatre Institute, Prague)
• Pivec, NajPonk, Hutchinson: It’s About Time (Animal Music)
• Jason Marshall: Sign the book (JM music)
• Jimm Hickey (to be released)
• Yvonne Sanchez: My Garden (Warner music)
• Miriam Bayle: Miriam Bayle (Animal Music)
• Navigators: My Place (SubPub records)
• Joel Chassan: Tropical Vibes vol. 4 (Freeplay Music) – digital release
• Joel Chassan Percussion vol. 2 (Freeplay Music) – digital release
• Animal Music Collection (Animal Music)
2009
• Betty Lee: I wish you love (Cube-Metier)
• Jan Tengler: My Favorite Things (self-released)
• Czech National Radio recording of my big-band
• Mercurial C. Jones: Just Like Heaven (Scarbeck records)
2008
• Ondrej Pivec: Overseason (Animal Music)
• Žlutý Pes: Yellow Mellow (Sony BMG)
• Jan Zubrickij: Podobojí (Indies MG records)
2007
• Ondrej Pivec: Never Enough (AnimalMusic)
• Libor Šmoldas Trio: On The Playground (Animal Music)
• Yellow Sisters: DVD Live At Retro Music Hall (Indies MG records)
• Navigators: Skytravellin’ (SubPub records)
2006
• Ondrej Pivec: Don’t get Ideas (Cube-metier)
• Mercurial C. Jones: Find Rust With Hand Held Lens (Scarbeck Records)
• Private Earthquake: Acoustic Sessions (Absolute Music)
2004
• Míchačky betonu: Koktejl (Popron music)
2003
• Šarközi: Magorie (Indies MG records)
2002
• Roman Pokorný: 2 Faces (Arta records)
2001
• Nukleární Vokurky: Jsme Na Prodej (EMI)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2010 – 2011 Private teaching in NY
2008 – 2009 Taught organ on the International Jazz workshop, Prague
2007 – 2009 Taught jazz piano and theory at The Jan Hanus Primary School of Music, Pague

FILM MUSIC
2011 1st Babtist Missionary Nebo Temple documentary fundraiser video music
2010 Obcansky Prukaz – title song for a historical comedy co-produced by Czech National TV

ENDORSEMENTS
2011 Hammond USA
2005 – 2009 Clavia Nord instruments

ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIP
2012 Granted a partner membership in OSA (author’s right’s organization)
2008 – 2011 Member of Czech Jazz Society

PRESS
Television
• Manhattan Network – Block Party, a show with music, actress and artists
• Czech National TV – Snippet from a quartet performance on the biggest festival in the country – • • The Prague Spring, April 2011
• Czech national TV – Culture Events, january 2010 (20 min. interview)
• STRUNY PODZIMU short documentary about a unique performance of ORGANIC quartet with a • 19-piece orchestra on the Strings Of Autumn festival in Prague. October 2009.
• channel TV Barrandov – Talk-show Of Jan Saudek april 2009 (1hr show – music and interviews)
• Czech National TV – Noc S Andelem november 2008 (2 hr TV show with live music and interviews.)
• Czech National TV – Culture Events, april 2008 (20 min. Interview)
• Czech National TV – Culture CZ march 2008 Documentary about my life, career, plans and future.
• Czech National TV – Culture Events, november 2007 (20 min. Interview)

Radio – Radio stations I’m aware of that have played my music or have interviewed me:
• WBGO USA
• ArtMag Radio USA
• ORF Austria
• Radio 1 Czech rep.
• Czech National Radio Czech rep.
• Radio Waves Czech rep.
• Radio 1 Czech rep.
• Regina Czech rep.
• Radio Proglas Czech rep.
• JAZZ 91.8 – RADIO X Germany