Aquarius is ?a piece consisting of a well structured chain of fresh sounding textures, with their interesting transformations and transparent harmonies,? said French composer Tristan Murail, who headed the jury.
Slezák shared second prize with Ken Namba, from Japan, who won for his piece Infinito nero e lontano la luce.
First prize went to the Brazilian Roberto Toscano for the composition Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion.
Slezák was born in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 1980. In 2003 he graduated in Piano and Composition at the Conservatory of Bratislava. He continued his education at the Liszt Academy in Budapest where he also studied Jazz Composition and Improvisation. In 2006 he moved to France for a scholarship at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He finished his studies obtaining a diploma with merit in 2007. He received various prizes at national and international competitions including Dimitris Mitropoulos (Athens, 2009); Stadtpfeifer (Salzburg, 2008); "Zeitklang" (Vienna, 2008); Jazz Composition Competition (Budapest, 2006) and Competition of Conservatories (Bratislava, 2003).
