Milan Motl
artistic director
PhDr. Milan Motl, Ph.D. (*1977) is a choirmaster, conductor, music teacher and organiser. He graduated from the University of Hradec Králové in Music education, History and Solo singing (with Jana Machačová). He studied choral conducting in the subject of choir management, and orchestra conducting privately in Prague (with Jiří Portych). He completed his university studies with doctorates at the University of Ostrava and Charles University in Prague.
He gained his first choral conducting experience in the Bonifantes Boys Choir in Pardubice (1999-2003). Since 2002 he has been teaching music at the Higher Vocational School of Pedagogy and the Secondary Pedagogical School in Litomyšl, where he leads the KOS Mixed Choir and the KOKOS Chamber Choir as its artistic director. With these ensembles, he has achieved outstanding success at home and abroad (Europe, America, Asia), together they have released 10 CDs. Milan Motl has received numerous awards for his artistic and pedagogical activity, several special jury prizes at competitions and festivals (e.g. for dramaturgy, performance of obligatory compositions, conducting performance). The Czech Choirs Association awarded him the National Choirmaster Junior Award (2012) for his outstanding achievements as a choirmaster; and KOS was awarded the Choir of the Year Award (2018). Milan Motl and KOS are laureates of the Letohrad International Music Festival (2012). The town of Litomyšl awarded Milan Motl with the Plaque of the Town Council for merit for the development of Litomyšl in the field of education and culture (2013), the Pardubice Region rewarded him with the Award of Merit (2017).
Milan Motl is also involved in organising and publishing activities in the field of music education and choir singing. He participates in national and international events. He is a member of the music committee of the Czech Choirs Association and the NIPOS-ARTAMA Prague expert council for youth choir singing. Occasionally, he is also active as a vocal coach and music director. He is frequently invited to be part of the jury of competitions and as a lecturer of choirmaster courses and choir workshops in the Czech Republic and abroad.
He has previously participated in the International Festival of Songs Olomouc as a juror. It was due to his experience in judging various choral competitions, his drive and overall outlook that the festival organisation team approached him in spring 2022 with the proposal to become the new artistic director of the festival.