Biography – Ján Berky Mrenica Jr.

After graduating from the violin department at the Bratislava Conservatoire, he worked for three years at SĽUK (Slovak State Traditional Dance Company). He became known mainly by acting in the Orchestra of the Diabolské Husle (Devil’s violin), founded by his father, the legendary violin virtuoso Ján Berky-Mrenica elder. In 1997 he has taken over the orchestra’s leadership and since then is leading orchestra’s repertoire.
His extraordinary talent was also presented in collaboration on a book about the most famous Roma songs or by making musical arrangements for albums of Diabolské husle, as well as folklore ensembles Technik and Gymnik. He also contributed to the Cinka Panna movie or the SĽUK-Strom project. He is the father of the idea of supporting talented children from socially and otherwise disadvantaged backgrounds, which resulted in the creation of the project Divé maky.
In 1999 he won the Gold Plate for the Gypsy Dance album. In the same year, together with his orchestra, he won a world-class, Poland folk music competition in Cziechoczink. In 2000 he also won the Grammy of the Slovak Academy of Music: Interpret of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Orchestra.
In 2006 released the Black Magic CD, which was shot with singer Eva Samer-Berkyová. From the year 2009 the orchestra got a new look and in 2010 Ján Berky Mrenica produced CD titled: Diabolské Husle – Ján Berky – Mrenica Jr. In Concert Live. In 2015 he recorded an opera CD with top Slovak artists – Diabolské husle in the Opera, and in the same year in Poland he also recorded Gypsy – a jazz album with Polish singer Józef Merstein Jochymczyk called “Me Givav” (My Life).