HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Jiří Tancibudek AM (5 March 19211 May 2004) was a
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
-born
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n
oboist An oboist (formerly hautboist) is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the oboe d'amore, cor anglais or English horn, bass oboe and piccolo oboe or oboe musette. The following is a list of notable past and pres ...
, conductor and teacher of great renown in his adopted country and elsewhere. His obituary in the ''Adelaide Review'', titled "Prince of the oboe", said of his playing: : His performing was characterised by a brilliant agility, but always at the service of a singing line. He was particularly renowned for a sparkling upper register, beyond the reach of all but a few of his contemporaries. Critics worldwide consistently commented on his excellence, lauding his "superb craftsmanship", "ease and naturalness of playing", "effortless virtuosity", "expressive shading"‚ and "tonal beauty".


Biography

Jiří Tancibudek was born at
Mnichovo Hradiště Mnichovo Hradiště (; ) is a town in Mladá Boleslav District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic ...
,
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
(now in the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
).Musica Bohemica, 11 November 2008
/ref>
/ref> His first teacher was Jan Mikeš. He studied at the Prague Conservatory, and in 1944 became oboist with the National Theatre Orchestra. In 1945 he was appointed Principal Oboe of both the Czech Philharmonic (under
Rafael Kubelík Rafael Jeroným Kubelík, KBE (29 June 1914 – 11 August 1996) was a Czech conductor and composer. The son of a distinguished violinist, Jan Kubelík, he was trained in Prague and made his debut with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at the a ...
) and the Czech Chamber Orchestra (under Václav Talich).The Adelaide Review, Obituary: "Prince of the oboe"
In 1947 he met and became lifelong friends with the Australian oboist
Charles Mackerras Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras (; (17 November 1925 – 14 July 2010) was an American-born Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associ ...
, who was studying conducting under Václav Talich in Prague. Mackerras mentioned that he had never heard an opera by
Leoš Janáček Leoš Janáček (, 3 July 1854 – 12 August 1928) was a Czech composer, Music theory, music theorist, Folkloristics, folklorist, publicist, and teacher. He was inspired by Moravian folk music, Moravian and other Slavs, Slavic music, includin ...
, so Tancibudek suggested he attend a performance of ''
Káťa Kabanová ''Káťa Kabanová'' (also known in various spellings including ''Katia'', ''Katja'', ''Katya'', and ''Kabanowa'') is an opera in three acts, with music by Leoš Janáček to a libretto by the composer based on ''The Storm (Ostrovsky), The Storm'' ...
'' that was then playing. Mackerras did, and this experience sparked his interest in the music of Janáček, to the point that he became a world-renowned expert in Janáček's music in particular and in Czech music in general. Also in 1947, Tancibudek attended master classes with Léon Goossens in England. Due to his senior position with the Czech Philharmonic, Tancibudek was in no immediate danger of harassment from the Communist authorities in Czechoslovakia; however, his wife Vera née Hašková, a pianist, was in a much more precarious position.Adelaidean, July 2004
/ref> They decided to escape from Czechoslovakia into
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
,
West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...
in January 1950. To fool the authorities by making it look as if they had just gone out for a walk, they could take nothing with them, but he did manage to take his oboe. They lived in a displaced persons' camp in West Germany, struggling to save enough money to emigrate to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. However, there was no employment for an oboist in Canada at that time, so instead they turned their sights to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The British conductor John Barbirolli arranged with the then Director of the NSW Conservatorium of Music, his compatriot Eugene Goossens (Léon Goossens's brother), for Jiří Tancibudek to become a teacher there, and he arrived in Sydney in 1950. (In the meantime, he had been offered a post with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...
, but the offer of a visa did not extend to his wife at that time, so he had no choice but to decline.) In Sydney he and his wife presented the first oboe and piano recital ever given in Australia. In 1953 he became Principal Oboe with the Victorian Symphony Orchestra (as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) was then known), a position he held for 11 years. He played with
Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...
at the 1962
Adelaide Festival of Arts The Adelaide Festival of Arts, also known as the Adelaide Festival, an arts festival, takes place in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in March each year. Started in 1960, it is a major celebration of the arts and a significant cultural ...
, at the invitation of John Bishop. At Bishop's behest, he moved to
Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
in 1964 to become Professor of Oboe at the Elder Conservatorium,
University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...
(until 1986). He was also a foundation member of the University of Adelaide Wind Quintet, the first Australian chamber group to tour internationally. From 1973 to 1985 he was the conductor of the University of Adelaide Chamber Orchestra. From 1978 to 1986 he was Reader in Music (Oboe) at the university.Australasian Double Reed Society
He could not return to his native country until February 1969, when he played there with the University of Adelaide Wind Quintet. But his name was generally suppressed by the Czech authorities until 1989, when he returned to Czech Republic, on the strength of the direct invitation letter from the president Vaclav Havel, to give concerts and master classes, and to be a jury member of the
Prague Spring International Music Festival The Prague Spring International Music Festival (, commonly , Prague Spring) is a classical music festival held every year in Prague, Czech Republic, with symphony orchestras and chamber music ensembles from around the world. The first festival ...
. In the
Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Flag of Great Britain, Union Flag of Great Britain by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove, a ...
Honours of 1989, Tancibudek was appointed a Member of the
Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
(AM). He visited Japan in 1991 and 1995 as a jury member of Tokyo International Oboe Competition (sponsored by Sony). Jiří Tancibudek died on 1 May 2004, on board an aircraft passing over Central Australia, while en route to attend the 7 May 2004 wedding of his granddaughter Sarah in Vienna. A memorial concert to Tancibudek was held at Elder Hall at the University of Adelaide on 15 August 2004, involving musicians who had travelled from Berlin, Vienna, Hong Kong and many parts of Australia. They all gave their services free of charge, in aid of a new "Jiří Tancibudek Memorial Scholarship" established by the Elder School of Music.University of Adelaide Media Release
/ref> Other tributes included that of
Daniel Barenboim Daniel Moses Barenboim (; born 15 November 1942) is an Argentines, Argentine-Israeli classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin, who also has Spain, Spanish and State of Palestine, Palestinian citizenship. From 1992 until January 2023, Bare ...
, who wrote to his widow, "He was an exceptional human being and a great musician".


Premieres and works written for him

Bohuslav Martinů Bohuslav Jan Martinů (; December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. He wrote 6 symphony, symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber music, chamber, vocal and ins ...
's Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra (1955) was written for Jiří Tancibudek at his request. It was sponsored by the
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
''
Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was foun ...
'' in celebration of the 1956 Olympic Games in
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
. It had its world premiere in August 1956 in Sydney, with the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney. With roots going back to 1908, the orchestra was made a permanent professional orchestra on the formation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932. ...
conducted by
Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt (5 May 190028 May 1973) was a German conductor and composer. After studying at several music academies, he worked in German opera houses between 1923 and 1945, first as a répétiteur and then in increasingly senior condu ...
. Tancibudek also gave the European premiere (Hamburg, March 1958), and local premieres in Vienna and Vancouver. He gave the British premiere with the conductor Maurice Miles for a BBC broadcast, and his friend Evelyn Rothwell, John Barbirolli's wife. gave the public premiere with her husband conducting at a prom the following summer. Jindřich Feld's Oboe Concerto, arguably the best 20th century oboe concerto after Martinů, was written for Tancibudek. Colin Brumby's first work to receive a professional performance, the ''Romance for Oboe and Strings'', was premiered in 1954 by Jiří Tancibudek with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Margaret Sutherland wrote her Concertante for Oboe and Strings for him in 1961. Other composers who wrote for him included Ian Keith Harris, Miriam Hyde, Dorian Le Gallienne, and Franz Holford.


Students

Tancibudek's students included: Norman Weiner (who succeeded him as Principal Oboe with the MSO, and who was in turn the grand-teacher of Diana Doherty); Jeffrey Crellin (another MSO Principal Oboe); David Nuttall; Anne Gilby; Peter Veale; Vivienne Brooke;, David Sydney Morgan and Ian Keith Harris.


Lineage

His daughters Sandra and Eve carry on his musical lineage: Sandra is a string player based in Berlin, and Eve is an Adelaide-based teacher. His grandson Raphael Christ is concert master of the Bochumer Symphoniker and his granddaughter Sarah is a former harpist of the
Vienna Philharmonic Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; ) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its members are selected from the orchestra of ...
, one of the very few female members of that orchestra. Further two granddaughters are musically active. Hannah plays the oboe and Sophia is currently studying violin.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tancibudek, Jiri 1921 births 2004 deaths Czech classical oboists Australian classical oboists Male oboists Australian music educators Czechoslovak emigrants to Australia Czech refugees Members of the Order of Australia Prague Conservatory alumni Academic staff of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Academic staff of the University of Adelaide 20th-century Australian conductors (music) 20th-century Australian male musicians People from Mnichovo Hradiště Czechoslovak musicians Players of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Players of the Czech Philharmonic