Hanzlik was born and raised in Prague, Czechoslovakia and he stayed there until 1982, when he became a political refugee. He moved to Canada and was a citizen of that country for over a decade. He released his American debut, Spring in the Old Country, on Flying Fish in 1991. By the mid-'90s, he moved to the US, making his home in Chicago. In 1995, he signed the Hollywood subsidiary Sierra and released Summer Solstice. The album received strong reviews from contemporary instrumental and progressive bluegrass circles and was followed two years later by Fall of My Dreams." (All Music Guide)
“Czech-born Hanzlik emerges as one of the great flatpicking stylists of his day. His exemplary technical skills and uncanny knack for writing melodies that sound as if they could only have originated as guitar tunes set him apart…Slavek takes his Eastern European roots and transplants them into the mountain soils of bluegrass country…” (Acoustic Guitar Magazine)
“The three major projects Hanzlik has done to date have marked him as a major player on the progressive acoustic scene…” (Chicago Tribune)
“Slavek is master of melody. Melody, conjuring moods and attitudes, telling stories without lyrics with patterns so persuasive and so “right”, once heard, they insist on being remembered…” (Bluegrass Canada)
“Slavek is obviously a picker’s picker. His music speaks directly to a new generation of listeners…” (Bluegrass Unlimited)
Discography:
Spring In The Old Country (Flying Fish Records) with Bela Fleck, Stuart Duncan, Mark Schatz
Summer Solstice (Sierra – Hollywood Records) with Bela Fleck, Stuart Duncan, Tim O’Brien, Rob Ickes , Mark Schatz
Fall Of My Dreams (Sierra – Hollywood Records) with Bela Fleck, Stuart Duncan, Tim O’Brien, Mark Schatz, Rob Ickes, Scott Vestal, Jerry Douglas
Selected Apearances:
Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee)
Winnipeg Jazz Festival (Canada)
The Chicago World Music Festival
Merle Watson Memorial Festival (Wilkesboro, North Carolina)
The Vic Theatre (Chicago, IL.)
The Whitaker Center (Harrisburg, PA.)
Edmonton Folk Festival
Vancouver Folk Festival
Winnipeg Folk Festival
Walnut Valley Festival (Winfield, Kansas)
Composing Credits
Great Season Waltz – composition featured on Grammy Award winning recording The Great Dobro Sessions (Sugar Hill Records).
Harvest of Change – composed soundtrack for CBC national television broadcast.