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Acclaim & Perspectives

Jáchym’s artistic journey is a multifaceted one, spanning music composition, woodcarving, and the literary arts. His work is the result of years of disciplined study—from the Jan Deyl Conservatory to the sculpting studios of Prague—driven by an innate passion for storytelling in all its forms.

Here are a few perspectives on his work from the critics, mentors, and curators who have followed the path of the Odd-Pedaler.

I. THE FRAGILITY OF INTUITION

Ondřej Štochl, Composer & Mentor (2016)

“Jáchym Novotný’s compositional development is rooted in the sensitive processing of his own intuition, yielding highly original impulses. One can sense a profound sensitivity from  the very first moments of encounter. There is a clear focus on timbral and kinetic components of expression, alongside a refined purification of the vertical. The fragility of his musical voice is underlined by a deliberately sparse texture, allowing meticulously felt details the space they need to speak.”

II. THE CLIMAX OF POSTFEST

Jan Hocek, Harmonie Magazine (2016)

“At the Archbishop’s Castle in Kroměříž, Jáchym Novotný presented his work Proměny (Transformations). From a disparate introduction emerges a delightful melody, soon replaced by an accelerated minimalist structure that ultimately culminates in a catharsis—a return to the ambiguity of the beginning. It fills me with hope that music remains an art form, not just a product.”

III. TO BEHOLD THE HUMAN VOICE

Werich Villa, Prague (2025)

“An evening where music and the spoken word unite. The world premiere of Jáchym Novotný’s Slza (The Tear), inspired by the poems of Vladimír Holan, bridges the gap between contemporary composition and the historic atmosphere of the poet’s former home.”

IV. LIVE, LIVE! (Žijte, žijte!)

Renáta Spisarová‐Kotík, Music Olomouc / Czech Radio (2023)

“Inspired by the final letters of Milada Horáková written from Pankrác Prison, Jáchym Novotný’s composition Live, Live! draws its name from the haunting exclamation in her last letter to her loved ones. A powerful dialogue between history and sound.”

V. THE THREE MUSKETEERS OF COMPOSITION

Zora Magazine (2024)

“Composition became our new world. Jáchym Novotný, Jakub Novák, and I became the first students—the 'three musketeers' of this new discipline.”
— Lucie Pavelková in conversation with Antonín Vraný