About the festival > Rudy Linka

PERSONAL

Rudy Linka, born in Prague in 1960, defected to Sweden in 1980 in order to pursue his passion for jazz guitar.  He moved to United States in 1985 to study at Berklee College of Music and The New School with such greats as John Scofield, Jim Hall, and John Abercrombie.  Mr. Linka has since performed with Paul Motion, Red Mitchell, Bob Mintzer, John Abercrombie, and Gil Goldstein among many others.  He has led his own jazz trio, The Rudy Linka Trio, for the last eighteen years and has been voted as one of the ten best jazz guitarists in DownBeat Magazine. Mr. Linka has released thirteen albums, the latest of which is "Songs" featuring Paul Motion and Larry Grenadier. He is internationally recognized as one of the top jazz guitarists and is endorsed by Mesa/Boogie amps, Thomastik strings, and Lexicon effects.

EDUCATION

• 1975 - 1979 Prague Conservatory, classical guitar
• 1981 - 1984 Stockholm Music Institute, Composition
• 1985 - 1986 Berklee College of Music, Jim Hall Fellowship
• 1986 - 1988 The New School, New York, Jazz Performance
• 1986 - 1988 Private studies with John Scofield, Jim Hall and John Abercrombie

PERFORMANCES

Performed with Paul Motian, Red Mitchell, Bob Mintzer, John Abercrombie, Gil Goldstein, among others

Leading his own jazz group Rudy Linka performed at various jazz clubs in the US such us Blue Note, Visiones, Blues Alley, Scullers, Birdland, Five Spot and in Europe at Bimhuis , Porgy & Bess and Moods among others. Rudy Linka Quartet was featured at international festivals in Europe - Pori jazz Festival, Prague Jazz Festival, Skeppsholm Jazz festival and in the US and Canada.

HONORS/GRANTS AND ENDORSEMENT

• 1991 - present Endorsements from Mesa/Boogie amps, Thomastik strings and Lexicon effects
• 1998 voted one of the ten best guitarists by readers of Down Beat Magazine
• 1996 Enja CD “Czech it out “ voted as one of the best new releases in Germany by JazzThing Magazine
• 1995 Travel grant from Arts International New York
• 1994 Jazz performance grant from NEA
• 1994 Travel grant from Arts International New York
• 1993 Jazz composer grant from NEA
• 1992 Jazz performance grant from NEA

• 1985 Jim Hall Fellowship at Berklee College of Music

RECORDINGS

• 2008 Sony/BMG/JV “Songs”
• 2006 Sony/BMG/JV “Beyond the New York CityLimits”
• 2004 Sony/BMG/JV “Trip”
• 2003 Quinton CD “Lucky Southern”
• 2001 Universal CD “ Just between Us”
• 1999 Tap shoe CD: “Emotions in Motion”
• 1997 Enja CD “ Always double Czech”
• 1995 Enja CD “Czech It Out”
• 1994 Timeless CD “Live it up”
• 1993 Arta CD “ Mostly Standards”
• 1992 Arta CD “News from Home”
• 1991 Punc CD “ Rudy Linka Quartet”
• 1992 Live TV concert in Prague 
• 1995 Live TV performance PBS, New York City

TEACHING

• 1989 - 1995 head of the music dep. at The Day school in NYC
• 1991 - 2000 music consultant for the NYCHA
Clinics and master classes at leading music conservatories in the US (Berklee, Oberlin among others) and Europe and Canada

2005 The founder and President of Bohemia Jazz Fest