Ján Vladimír Michalko

Ján Vladimír Michalko developed a rich concert activity in over a quarter of a century. He introduced himself at all domestic organ festivals, music presentations, organ cycles and others. He was co-participant in the project of a complete performance of Messiaen's work in Bratislava (1989). On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of César Franc, Michalko performed in Bratislava his complete organ works. In 1996 he introduced in the Slovak premiere the full length opus of Peter Eben Job for organ and, a year later, at the festival FOREST '97 in Kroměříž, in the world premiere, the composition Exodus of Roman Berger. Slovak performing art was represented within the celebration of the 300th birth anniversary of J. S. Bach in Gewandhausen, Leipzig (1985), Days of Bratislava in Krakow (1985), Day of Slovak Culture in Croatia (1997) and Central European Culture Festival in London (1998).

In addition to domestic concert stages he performs at significant European music centres, in Great Britain and USA.

He cooperated with leading Slovak ensembles under conductors: Ľudovít Rajter, Bystrík Režucha, Bohdan Warchal, Peter Zajíček. As a chamber partner he regularly cooperates with Juraj Bartoš (tr) and singer Jozef Benci (br). Michalko is also an excellent improviser.

Besides performing and teaching he is also active as publicist, scenarist and composer (as an author of organ music for theatre productions, plays and documentary shows).

"Michalko’s performing style has been born from a wide background of his competence, weltanschauung, familiarity with a rich repertory of authors and styles and from a rich experience of a great number of instruments both home and abroad. He has a feeling for a non-pathetical detail of older masters, as well as for the sound refinement of French pieces, which can be felt in evocative vaults of César Franck’s music."
(Vladimír Čížik: Dictionary of Slovak Concert Art vol. I)