Matěj Číp, also known as “Cimbalom Guy,” returns to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library with Valachia Cimbalom Quartet. The stringed instrument is prominent in folk music in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Číp, from a small village in Moravia, has devoted his life to playing the cimbalom and sharing the instrument with the world. He was the first university-level cimbalom student in the U.S.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library hosted this benefit concert to support people affected by the recent flooding in Texas.

“We want to support our friends and colleagues in Texas who were so impacted by this horrific tragedy,” said Cecilia Rokusek, NCSML president and CEO.

Texas is home to the largest Czech-American population in the U.S.

The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library is keenly aware of the devastation flooding can bring. NCSML was inundated by eight feet of water during the June 2008 flood which caused $11 million in damages. In 2011 the building was lifted and placed on a new, higher foundation, expanded and reopened in 2012.

“We have learned that strong communities band together to recover from disaster,” Rokusek said. “It is only right that we in Cedar Rapids, who were so impacted by the Flood of 2008, provide assistance to the communities impacted, especially the children’s camps, so that they can rebuild.”

Sponsored by: Sharon Curtis and Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago & Hotel Motel