Milan Zelenka (born 4 June 1939) is a Czech guitarist, composer and music arranger.

Music career

Zelenka was born in

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

and studied guitar at the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory or Prague Conservatoire ( cs, Pražská konzervatoř) is a music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, Prague Conservatory offers four or six year study courses, which can be compared to the level ...

with Štěpána Urbana. While a student, he took first place in music competitions in Moscow in 1957 and again in Vienna in 1959. After graduation, he conducted a career as a concert guitarist, appearing internationally. He also gives master classes. He is best known for arrangements of traditional Czech songs, but also commissions new works for performance. In recent years he has composed original works. From 1963 to 1981, Zelenka worked as professor at the Prague Conservatory. Notable students include

Rudolf Dašek Rudolf Dašek (27 August 1933 – 1 February 2013) was a Czech Republic, Czech guitarist. Biography A native of Prague, Dašek studied at the Prague Conservatory from 1962 to 1966 with Milan Zelenka. He was a member of the band SHQ led by Karel V ...

and

Pavel Steidl Pavel Steidl (born June 24, 1961) is a classical guitarist who was born in Rakovnik, Czechoslovakia (now in the Czech Republic), but has lived in the Netherlands for many years. Biography After winning first prize at the 1982 International Guita ...

. Zalenka married Czech composer Jana Obrovská and the couple had a son, Vilém (born 1987). Vilém Zelenka graduated from

Czech Technical University Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU, cs, České vysoké učení technické v Praze, ČVUT) is one of the largest universities in the Czech Republic with 8 faculties, and is one of the oldest institutes of technology in Central Europe. It ...

and often plays in a guitar duo with his father.

Discography

Selected works include: *''Moderní České Skladby Pro Kytaru'' (LP, Album, Mono), Supraphon (1970) *''Antonio Vivaldi, Joseph Haydn, Fernando Carulli, Milan Zelenka - Koncerty Pro Kytaru A Orchestr,'' Supraphon (1973) *''Kytarový Recitál Ze Skladeb J.S.Bacha,'' Supraphon (1978) *''Jana Obrovská, Věroslav Neumann, Milan Zelenka, Lubomír Brabec, Radio Symphony Orchestra Pilsen, Rostislav Hališka, Josef Chuchro, Josef Hála, Komorní Filharmonie Pardubice, Libor Pešek - Obrovská / Neumann'' (LP) Panton (1981) *''Paganini*, Milan Zelenka, Petr Messiereur, Evžen Rattay - Works With Guitar'' (LP, Album), Supraphon (1985) *''Niccolò Paganini, Milan Zelenka, Petr Messiereur, Evžen Rattay - Paganini/Works With Guitar'' (CD, Album), Supraphon (1990) *''Milan Zelenka, Milan Tesař - Baladické Příběhy'' (CD, Album, RM), Supraphon (1992) *''Homenaje A Andrés Segovia'' (CD, Album), Supraphon (1993) *''Milan Zelenka, Miloslav Matoušek - Guitarreo'' (CD, Album), Music Vars (1995) *''Guitar Recital'' (LP, Album), Supraphon (date unknown) *''Johann Sebastian Bach, Milan Zelenka - Gitarren-Transkriptionen'' (LP) (date unknown) *''Guitar Duo - Milan Zelenka & Vilem Zelenka''

References

External links

Official Website"Milan Zelenka plays J. S. Bach - Chaconne" from YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zelenka, Milan 1939 births 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Czech people Composers for the classical guitar Czech classical composers Czech classical guitarists Czech male guitarists Czech male classical composers Living people 20th-century Czech male musicians Prague Conservatory alumni