Born in Prague in 1980, Petr Bakla often employs basic pitch-based material in his compositions. He is interested in constructing situations and structural contexts in which these frugal musical elements can acquire a unique expressiveness and energy. A frequent feature of Bakla’s work is a simultaneous course of two musical/sound layers which are not mutually subordinating – they are of equal importance, their “friction” creating specific tension and ambiguity. Bakla’s music has been performed in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Armenia, Ukraine and the United States, in many cases commissioned and/or performed by distinguished musicians. Of special importance has been the collaboration with the Ostrava Center for New Music. Bakla studied music at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and was awarded scholarships and residencies.