Prof. Jozef Zsapka was born in Komarno 17.1.1947 (Czechoslovakia). He began his guitar studies at the age of fourteen. He was a student of the Czech guitarist Arnošt Sádlík at the State Conservatory in Brno and at Music Academy in Bratislava.
His world debut began in 1972 on concert tour around the Italy with Slovak Chamber Orchestra. Since that Jozef Zsapka has performed in Japan, USA, Mexico, Thailand, Australia, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Greece, Turkey, Jugoslawia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgary, Poland, Ukraina, Rusland, Cuba, Vietnam, Mongolia and many other countries.
Between 1971 and 1989 he was a teacher at the Conservatory of Bratislava and from 1984 the expert assistant at the Music Academy in Bratislava, in 1992 habilitated to Associated Professor and 1997 habilitated to Professor. At the beginning of year 2000 he became visiting Professor in Aveiro University in Portugal. His students are winners and laureats (approximately 120) in many Internarnational competitions (Paris, Vienna, Havana, Barcelona, Santiago de Compostella, London, Alessandria, Fiuggi, Kutna Hora, Esztergom, Sernancelhe and many more.)
He is a music director of the "International J. K. Mertz Guitar Festival and Competition – in Bratislava" with 40 years long tradition with participation of prominent guitar players from all over the world.
The many - sided artist acts also as an editor (mainly of those compositions dedicated both to him and to the duo) (Opus,Fritz and Vogt, Trekel, Chanterelle, Guitarissimo).
Jozef ZSAPKA is ranked at the top of the Slovak performing art. His concert activities are wide
ranging. From the beginning of year 1980 he has performed also with his wife flutist Dagmar.
This duo belogs to the most stable instrumental combination of its kind.It was founded in 1980 and due to its intensive artistic activities it became world - renowned. From the very beginning they have been strongly affecting Czecho-Slovak interpretative art, which they present all over the world with great success. Many composers were inspired by their playing - among them e. g. Jorge Cardoso, David Babcock, Igor Rechin, Dušan Martinček, Peter Martinček, Štěpán Rak, Filimon Ginalis, Víťazoslav Kubička and others who dedicated their pieces to this duo. Their repertoire is extremely wide as it includes music of all stylistic periods. Critics rank them among the worlds top performers.
He recorded more than 40 LPs and CDs for world-class recording studios.
(OPUS, RCA JAPAN, NAXOS, ALBANY RECORDS, SPI MILAN, AKCENT, DISKANT etc.)
