Čeněk J. Vrba

Čeněk J. Vrba (born April 11, 1947 in Brno, Czechoslovakia) is a Canadian violinist. Vrba began music training at the age of eight and six years later, he joined the state music conservatory. Later he attended the music academy. He won prizes including the first place in the Beethoven National Violin Competition. He went on to play with the Czechoslovakia Symphony Orchestra, before leaving Czechoslovakia. After immigrating to the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1968, he pursued further studies in the United States and Europe. While a senior at the University of Calgary in 1970 he won the Greater Spokane Music and Allied Arts Festival Grand Award. After two years at Calgary, Vrba moved to Indiana in order to continue his studies. Vrba went on to play First Violin with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, where he stayed for four years. Vrba was appointed concert master of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in August 1975. He remained there for 36 years until his retirement in 2011.