The Magic Four in Czech Music

JANUARY

Kryštof Harant of Polžice and Bezdružice - 460th anniversary of his birth (1564 - exact date unknown - 21 June 1621), Czech Renaissance composer
Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava - 70th anniversary of its founding (1954)
Josef Suk - 150th anniversary of his birth (4 January 1874 - 29 May 1935), composer, violinist, and teacher, member of the Czech Quartet
Jan Rychlík - 60th anniversary of his death (27 April 1916 - 20 January 1964), composer
Eva Olmerová - 90th anniversary of her birth (21 January 1934 - 10 August 1993), pop and jazz singer
Theodor Schaefer - 120th anniversary of his birth (23 January 1904 - 19 March 1969), composer and teacher
František Ignác Tůma - 250th anniversary of his death (October 2, 1704 - January 30, 1774), composer spanning the transition from Baroque to Classicism

FEBRUARY

Jarmila Novotná - 30th anniversary of her death (23 September 1907 - 9 February 1994), opera singer
Antonín Švorc - 90th anniversary of his birth (12 February 1934 - 21 February 2011), opera singer-baritone
Jiří Šlitr - 100th anniversary of his birth (15 February 1924 - 26 December 1969), composer, pianist, singer and actor, member of a duo with J. Suchy
František Václav Míča - 280th anniversary of his death (5 September 1694 - 15 February 1744), post-Baroque composer, author of the first opera sung in Czech
Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský - 340th anniversary of his birth (16 February 1684 - 1 July 1742), composer, priest, organist, representative of Czech Baroque music

MARCH

Mirko Očadlík - 120th anniversary of his birth (1 March 1904 - 26 June 1964), music scientist, critic, teacher
Bedřich Smetana - 200th anniversary of his birth (2 March 1824 - 12 May 1884), Romantic period composer
Karel Kryl - 30th anniversary of his death (12 April 1944 - 3 March 1994), singer-songwriter and poet
Jiří Kalach - 90th anniversary of his birth (9 March 1934 - 20 April 2008), composer
Jan Kapr - 110th anniversary of his birth (12 March 1914 - 29 April 1988) composer and music director
Sláva Vorlová - 130th anniversary of her birth (15 March 1894 - 24 August 1973), composer
Rudolf Piskáček - 140th anniversary of his birth (15 March 1884 - 24 December 1940), composer - founder of Czech folk operetta
Oskar Nedbal - 150th anniversary of his birth (26 March 1874 - 24 December 1930) composer, conductor, and violist

APRIL

Karel Kryl - 80th anniversary of his birth (12 April 1944 - 3 March 1994), singer-songwriter, poet
Václav Jan Křtitel Tomášek - 250th anniversary of his birth (17 April 1774 - 3 April 1850), composer and teacher during the National Revival (18th-19th centuries)
Karel Weis - 80th anniversary of his death (13 February 1862 - 4 April 1944) composer, collector of folk songs, and folklorist
Jan Klusák - 90th anniversary of his birth (18 April 1934), contemporary composer

MAY

Antonín Dvořák - 120th anniversary of his death (8 September 1841 - 1 May 1904) composer, founder of Czech national music - one of the most important composers of all time
Vilém Blodek - 150th anniversary of his death (3 October 1834 - 1 May 1874), Romantic period composer
František Lýsek - 120th anniversary of his birth (2 May 1904 - 16 January 1977), creator of Czech children's choral singing, folklorist, and teacher
Bedřich Smetana - 140th anniversary of his death (2 March 1824 - 12 May 1884), Romantic period composer
Petr Hapka - 80th anniversary of his birth (13 May 1944 - 25 November 2014) musician, composer of popular and film music, singer, conductor
František Kovaříček - 100th anniversary of his birth (17 May 1924 - 7 January 2003), contemporary composer
Milada Šubrtová - 100th anniversary of her birth (24 May 1924 - 1 August 2011), opera singer-soprano

JUNE

Tereza Stolzová - 190th anniversary of her birth (2 June 1834 - 22 August 1902), opera singer
Mirko Očadlík - 60th anniversary of his death (1 March 1904 - 26 June 1964), musicologist, critic, teacher
Erwin Schulhoff - 130th anniversary of his birth (8 June 1894 - 18 August 1942), composer and pianist of German-Jewish origin.
Pavel Bořkovec - 130th anniversary of his birth (10 June 1894 - 22 July 1972), composer and teacher
Emil František Burian - 120th anniversary of his birth (11 June 1904 - 9 August 1959), composer, conductor, representative of the Czech musical avant-garde
Rafael Kubelík - 110th anniversary of his birth (29 June 1914 - 11 August 1996), composer and world-famous conductor

JULY

Leoš Janáček - 170th anniversary of his birth (3 July 1854 - 12 August 1928), world-renowned composer of classical music
Vlastimil Hála - 100th anniversary of his birth (7 July 1924 - 29 July 1985), trumpeter, composer, music arranger
Otakar Zich - 90th anniversary of his death (25 March 1879 - 9 July 1934), composer and aesthetician
Iša Krejčí - 120th anniversary of his birth (10 July 1904 - 6 March 1968), non-classical composer and conductor
Josef Páleniček - 110th anniversary of his birth (19 July 1914 - 7 March 1991), pianist and composer
Rudolf Firkušný - 30th anniversary of his death (11 February 1912 - 19 July 1994), world-famous pianist

SEPTEMBER

Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK - 90th anniversary of its foundation (1 September 1934)
František Václav Míča - 330th anniversary of his birth (5 September 1694 - 15 February 1744), post-Baroque composer, author of the first opera sung in Czech

OCTOBER

František Ignác Tůma - 320th anniversary of his birth (2 October 1704 - 30 January 1774), composer of the transition period from Baroque to Classicism
Bohumír Liška - 110th anniversary of his birth (2 October 1914 - 8 September 1990), conductor
Vilém Blodek - 190th anniversary of his birth (3 October 1834 - 1 May 1874), Romantic period composer
Pavel Haas - 80th anniversary of his death (21 June 1899 - 17 October 1944), composer
Hans Krása - 80th anniversary of his death (30 November 1899 - 18 October 1944), composer of German-Jewish origin
Dalibor Vačkář - 40th anniversary of his death (19 September 1906 - 21 October 1984), composer

NOVEMBER

Prague Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra - 30th anniversary of its founding (17 November 1994), now under the name PKF - Prague Philharmonia
Petr Hapka - 10th anniversary of his death (13 May 1944 - 25 November 2014) musician, composer of popular and film music, singer, conductor

DECEMBER

National Theatre in Brno - 140th anniversary of its foundation (6 December 1884)
The song Kde domov můj (Where Is My Home) was first heard at the premiere of Škroup's and Tyl's Fidlovačka at the Estates Theatre - 190th anniversary (21 December 1834)

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