Jan Sedivka
Jan Boleslav Sedivka | |
|---|---|
 Jan Sedivka, Mount Nelson, 1988 | |
| Born | 8 September 1917 Slaný, Czechoslovakia |
| Died | 23 August 2009 Hobart, Australia |
| Partner | Beryl Sedivka |
| Awards | Order of Australia |
Jan Boleslav Sedivka AM (in Czech: Šedivka) (Slaný, 8 September 1917 – Hobart, 23 August 2009),[1][2] Czech-born, was one of Australia's foremost violinists and teachers.[3]
Biography[edit]
Educated in Czechoslovakia (Otakar Ševčík[4] and Jaroslav Kocián), France (École Normale de Musique, Classe Jacques Thibaud) and England (Max Rostal), Jan Sedivka made his reputation overseas as a soloist, chamber music player and teacher before coming to Australia in 1961.[5][6]
As a performer, Jan Sedivka gained special merit for his efforts on behalf of Australian contemporary music. In this capacity he introduced a number of important works dedicated to him, in particular concertos by Larry Sitsky (Nos. 1, 2, 3 & 4), James Penberthy, Ian Cugley, Don Kay, Colin Brumby, Edward Cowie and Eric Gross.
His wife Beryl Sedivka is a noted pianist who often performed with him.
Writings[edit]
- An Assessment of: “Bach’s Chaconne for Unaccompanied Violin - a Study in Interpretation” by Graham Wood, ds., Hobart, 1974
Honours and awards[edit]
- Member of the Order of Australia 1987[7]
- Honorary Fellow, Trinity College of Music, London
- Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Tasmania[6]
- Honorary Professor, Shanghai Conservatory of Music
- Memorial Gold Medal, Prague Academy of Musical Arts
- Honorary Fellowship in Music Australia
- Honorary Citizen, Royal City of Slany (Czech Republic)
- Honorary Professor University of Tasmania 1995[6]
- Distinguished Service Award Australian Strings Association 1998.
Bernard Heinze Memorial Award[edit]
The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Jan Sedivka | Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award | awarded |
Don Banks Music Award[edit]
The Don Banks Music Award was established in 1984 to publicly honour a senior artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia.[8] It was founded by the Australia Council in honour of Don Banks, Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Jan Sedivka | Don Banks Music Award | awarded |
Students[edit]
Bibliography[edit]
- Philippe Borer, Aspects of European Influences on Violin Playing & Teaching in Australia, M.Mus. diss., 1988 (on Jan Sedivka's violin playing and teaching philosophies see Chapters III and IV) https://eprints.utas.edu.au/18865/
- Lyndal Edmiston, “The teacher as catalyst in the learning process”, in Festschrift Jan Sedivka, ed. by D. S. Mercer, Hobart, The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, 1982
- Jan Mařàk–Viktor Nopp, Housle, Prague, Hudební matice Umělecké besedy, 1944, p. 61
- Elisabeth Morgan, “String Teaching: an extended perspective”, in Festschrift Jan Sedivka, ed. by D. S. Mercer, Hobart, The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, 1982, pp. 100–109
- Elinor Morrisby, Up is down, a life of violinist Jan Sedivka, Melbourne, 2008
- Marina Louise Phillips, An assessment of the contribution to Australian string pedagogy and performance of Jan Sedivka, PhD diss., 2001
References[edit]
- ^ UTAS Alumni News Archived 2013-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ University of Tasmania: UTAS tribute for Jan Sedivka, musician and pedagogue 1917-2009
- ^ Companion to Tasmanian History
- ^ Mařàk – Nopp, Housle, p. 61
- ^ "Lyrebird Press". Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2009.
- ^ a b c University of Tasmania Conservatory of Music
- ^ It's an Honour: AM
- ^ "Don Banks Music Award: Prize". Australian Music Centre. Archived from the original on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
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