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Conservatory in Prague (violoncello – Ladislav Zelenka, later Pablo Casals in Paris)
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1938
at 25 years old principal cellist of Czech Philharmonic and Symphonic Orchestra of Czech Radio in Prague, Ostrava and Brno
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since 1941
principal cellist of Slovak Philharmonic and Bratislava Radio Orchestra (until ca. 1970)
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1953
soloist of the Slovak Philharmonic
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1961 – 1970
soloist in other symphonic and opera orchestras (Symphonic Orchestra of German Radio Berlin, Symphonic Orchestra Malmö in Sweden, Symphonic Orchestra of Irish Radio Dublin, opera orchestras in Bratislava, Ostrava and Dublin)
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1946 – 1954
pedagogue at Conservatory in Bratislava (after Tomáš Svoboda) and later also Academy of Performing Arts; abroad pedagogue at Royal Irish Academy of Music Dublin, Lakehead University Thunder Bay, Royal Conservatory of Music Toronto, University of Toronto, Harbord College Institute Toronto, North York Board of Education Toronto, Private Studio Toronto
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since 1975
citizen of Canada
Albín Berky was one of the leading figures of performing arts of 20th century in Slovakia and abroad. He was an outstanding chamber musician, he played with several chamber ensembles (Bratislava String Quartet, The Master Players, Princeton String Quartet, Slovak Piano Trio – with Tibor Gašparek, vn and Michal Karin-Knechtsberger, pf) Activities in orchestral and chamber music complemented solo appearances: in 1953 he was appointed soloist of the Slovak Philharmonic, but his solo performances are also associated with other orchestras in artistic collaboration with famous conductors (Václav Talich, Rafael Kubelík, George Szell, Waster Susskind, Carlo Zecchi, Lovro von Matatic, G. Sebastian, Takashi Asahina, Hermann Abendroth, Kleibert, Franz Konwitschny, Janson and others). As soloist he has performed in Prague, Ostrava, Brno, Bratislava, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Stockholm, Helsinki, Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia, Brussels, Warsaw, Antwerp, Moscow, Odessa, Leningrad, Dublin, Madrid, Zurich, as well as in the USA and Canada.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Antonín Dvořák he was awarded as the best performer of Dvořák's Cello Concerto, thanks to which he was invited to a concert tour in Russia, where, in cooperation with the Leningrad Philharmonic, he achieved great success and recognition.
The interpretive mastery of Albín Berky is also apparent in the recordings of many radio companies (Czechoslovak Radio in Prague, Ostrava, Brno, Bratislava, Radio Bucharest, Radio Sofia, Radio Brussels, Dublin Radio, Radio Stockholm, CBC Toronto, Vienna Rundfunk, Radio Berlin, Radio Warsaw). He premiered the works of Slovak composers of the 20th century (Frico Kafenda, Michal Vilec, Andrej Očenáš, Šimon Jurovský).