Jan Boleslav Sedivka (in Czech: Šedivka) (Slaný, 8 September 1917 Hobart, 23 August 2009), Czech-born, was one of Australia's foremost violinists and teachers.

Biography

Educated in Czechoslovakia (

Otakar Ševčík Otakar Ševčík (22 March 185218 January 1934) was a Czech violinist and influential teacher. He was known as a soloist and an ensemble player, including his occasional performances with Eugène Ysaÿe. Biography Ševčík was born in Horaž ...

and Jaroslav Kocián), France (École Normale de Musique, Classe Jacques Thibaud) and England (

Max Rostal Max Rostal (7 July 1905 – 6 August 1991) was a violinist and a viola player. He was Austrian-born, but later took British citizenship. Biography Max Rostal was born in Cieszyn to a Jewish merchant family. As a child prodigy, he started studyin ...

), Jan Sedivka made his reputation overseas as a soloist, chamber music player and teacher before coming to Australia in 1961. 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 Lazar "Larry" Sitsky (born 10 September 1934) is an Australian composer, pianist, and music educator and scholar. His long term legacy is still to be assessed, but through his work to date he has made a significant contribution to the Austra ...

(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

* An Assessment of: “Bach’s Chaconne for Unaccompanied Violin - a Study in Interpretation” by Graham Wood, ds., Hobart, 1974

Honours and awards

* Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gov ...

1987It's an Honour: AM
/ref> * Honorary Fellow, Trinity College of Music, London * Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of TasmaniaUniversity of Tasmania Conservatory of Music
/ref> * 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 * Distinguished Service Award Australian Strings Association 1998.

Bernard Heinze Memorial Award

The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia. ! , - , 1995 , , Jan Sedivka , , Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award , , , , , -

Don Banks Music Award

The

Don Banks Music Award 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. It was founded by the Australia Council in honour of Don Banks, ...

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. It was founded by the

Australia Council The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austr ...

in honour of

Don Banks Donald Oscar Banks (25 October 19235 September 1980) was an Australian composer of concert, jazz, and commercial music. Early life and education Jazz was Banks' earliest and strongest musical influence. He learned the saxophone as a boy in Aust ...

, Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board. , - , 2004 , Jan Sedivka , Don Banks Music Award , , -

Students

Bibliography

* 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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sedivka, Jan 1917 births 2009 deaths Australian classical violinists Male classical violinists Members of the Order of Australia Czechoslovak emigrants to Australia 20th-century classical violinists 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century Australian male musicians