Monica Melcova

Monica Melcova received her first musical education at the age of five. After her studies at the Conservatoire in Košice, she went on to study at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with Michael Radulescu. In 1999, she graduated with the highest distinction and the prize of honour by the Austrian Ministry of Culture and Education.

In the same year, she was accepted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris for postgradual courses “cycle de perfectionnement“ with Olivier Latry and Michel Bouvard.

At the same time, she studied improvisation with Loic Mallié, which was made possible by the support of the Fondation de France – La Bourse Nadia et Lily Boulanger and the Mécénat Musical Société Générale.

During her studies, Monica received numerous prizes at international competitions: Brugges, European Music Festival Zilina, Prix de l´Unesco Lisabone, Prix de la Fondation Meyer ( Paris 2002 )

In 2002 she was appointed the organist in residence at the Sapporo Concert Hall KITARA, Japan, where she taught master classes, performed in numerous organ recitals at venues like Suntory Hall Tokyo, Metropolitan Art Space, Opera City Hall, Minato Mirai Hall, Niigata Performing Center, Morioka Civic Hall etc.

From 2006 to 2011, she taught at the Gaston Litaize Conservatoire and was also the titular organist at Saint Martin de Champs from 2003 to 2011. Since September 2008, she started teaching improvisation at the Music Academy MUSIKENE in San Sebastian www.musikene.net

She has a great interest in improvisation in its connection with the teaching. She deals with improvisation within the master classes she gives in Europe and Japan as well in many radio programmes.

Regularly she gives recitals on prestigious organs : Saint Sulpice, Notre Dame de Paris, Sankt Wenzel in Naumburg, Hofkirche in Dresden, Eglise de la Madeleine de Paris etc.. She has made recordings for the Radio France, NHK Tokyo, Radio Suisse Romande, RTBF Bruxelles, ORF Wien, Slovak Radio Devin, Radio Clasica Espana.

Monica also works with soloists such as Carlos Mena, Pere Ros, Nora Cismondi, Manuel Blanco, Walter Auer as well with ensembles Musica Aeterna and the Orchestre National de France.

In 2012, among other important personalities in organ music, she has been invited to be a member of jury at one of the most prestigious organ competition Concours international de l´orgue – GRAND PRIX DE CHARTRES.

From 2016 she also teaching in Centro Superior Katarina Gurska in Madrid for master in improvisation.