Slavický Milan

Year of Birth - Death :

1947 - 2009 †

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Biography

Milan Slavicky studied musicology at the Faculty of Philosophy of Charles University in Prague (1965-1970, doctorate in 1972) and composition at the Janacek Academy of Arts in Brno in classes of Jan Kapr and Ctirad Kohoutek (1968-1973). Afterwards he completed a post-graduate course in the theory of music at the Academy of Arts in Prague under Karel Janecek and Karel Risinger (1970-1972) and an extramural research project at the department of musical science at the Institute af Art History and Theory of Czechoslovakia\'s Academy of Sciences (1974-1979), his tutor being Karel Risinger. He worked as a recording producer in the Supraphon Records (1973-81), later as a free-lance composer, recording producer, music editor and musicologist. From 1990 to 2009 he had been teaching musicology at the Charles University and from 1994 to 2009 composition at the Prague Academy of Perfoming Arts.

Instrumental music predominates in the works of Milan Slavicky. Following a period, marked by a quest for his own specific style, since the beginning of the 1970s the composer has been consistently applying the method of fixed interval selection coupled with the principle af thematic sequentiality within musical structure. He is also noted for endeavours to achieve a maximum emotional effect of his compositions.

His compositions were played by many domestic and foreign orchestras (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, Solistes europeens Luxembourg, Camerata Zurich, Philharmonisches Orchester Erfurt, RTV Ljubljana, SOCR Bratislava etc. with conductors: V.Neumann, J.Belohlavek, V.Valek, S.Baudo, V.Smetacek, A.Dimitrijev, U.Nissen, J.M.Haendler etc.), chamber ensembles (BBC Singers, Brodsky Quartet, Musica lirica, Duo Boemi di Praga, Synchronia St.Louis, Trio a clavier Namur, Prague Madrigalists, Gruppe Konfrontation Halle, Trio Deslogeres Paris, Prague Percussion Ensemble, percussion ensembles of many American universities etc.) and soloists (S.Landale, L.Antonioni, I.Klansky, P.Toperczer, Ch.Taylor, D.Appelton, T.Hanus, A.L.Barber, J.Mihule, C.Levin, G.Ittzes, J.Hrusa etc.). Many of his compositions were commissioned by the festivals and soloists (Berliner Festwochen - Porta coeli, Synthese Bourges - Adventus, Contrapunctus I, Prague Spring Competition - Tre pezzi, Synergie for Camerata Zurich, Veni Sancte Spiritus for Composers Ensembles London, \'Ich dien\' for a galaconcert SEL Luxembourg to 75th birthday of Grand Duke Jean, Two Chapters from the Apocalypse for centenary of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra etc.).
In 2008 there took place the first performance of his new composition for chamber orchestra Family of Man (performed by the Solistes Européens Luxemburg on 29 May (at the festival in Echternach), and on 30 May (the hall of the Hessen Radio in Frankfurt n.M.). His earlier composition Ad fontes was on the programme of the concerts by Camerata Zürich (dir. Marc Kissóczy, 28./29. 9. 2008, Tonhalle, Zürich).

Milan Slavicky was awarded many domestic and international prizes: Generace Ostrava (1978-81), C.M. von Weber-Preis in Dresden (1976, 1978, 1979), the prize of the town Brasilia (1985). His composition Porta coeli won the Music Critic\'s Award as the best composition performed in 1992 and in 1995 he was awarded third prize for the composition Two Chapters from the Apocalypse.

Besides his teaching at the Charles University and the Academy of Performing Arts he was also a lecturer at Prague Mozart Academy in Dobris (1993-94), he was Artist-In-Residence at Northeastern University in Boston (1989), he gave many lectures and workshops in Vienna, Luzern, Leipzig, Bochum, London (Royal Holloway, SSCES University of London, Dvorak Society), Cardiff (Welsh College of Music and Drama), St.Louis (Washington University), and he lectured at the universitites in Paris (Sorbonne), Warsaw and in other countries. He had been the Visiting Professor of New York University in Prague (from 2001 to 2008, lectured on: Music of 20th Century, composition), reported at conferences and congresses in Prague, Paris, Lyon, London, Barcelona, Dresden, Vienna etc., published two books, many essays, articles, reviews and he is also an author of many radio programmes (Gramoolymp, Musica sacra etc.)

As a recording producer he worked on over 550 CDs and LPs and videoprogrammes for Supraphon, Panton, Opus, DGG, EMI, CBS, Sony Classic, Denon, Orfeo, Cadenza, Bayer Records etc. His recordings were awarded many international prizes (Grammy, Grand prix de l\'Academie Charles Cros, Prix Caecilia).

Since 1990 Milan Slavicky has been involved in several public activities: Comitee member of the Prague Spring International Festival (1990-1992), European Culture Club-presidium member and chairman of the Czech Section, Secretary of Czech Society for Electroacoustic Music, vicechairman of music section of artistic reunion \"Umelecka beseda\", member of composers\' society Atelier \'90 and between 1992-95 he worked as programme adviser and vice-chairman of the board of directors of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

He judged at composition competitions (National Theater Prague 2000, Prague Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra 2000), was a member of jury of the international piano competition \"Vianna da Motta\" (Macau 1997), and chairman of jury of oboe competition of the Prague Spring (1991), radio competition Concertino Praga (1993), Musica Nova (2000-2007).