Miroslav Juchelka

A graduate of the Prague Conservatory, Juchelka studied, among others, under the organist Bedřich Antonín Wiedermann and the composers Jaroslav Řídký and Emil Hlobil. He finished his organ and composition conservatory studies in 1943, and four years later he graduated also from the Master School of the Prague Conservatory where he had studied piano under Albín Šíma.

He became a significant music director at the Czech Radio. Initially, he worked as a director in the Czech Radio in Ostrava (1946 to 53), and later on, from 1953 to 1978, he assumed a similar position in Prague, working there as a music director and reviewer.

During the years spent in Ostrava he was the pianist in the Silesian Trio, the first professional ensemble in Ostrava that concentrated their artistic production on the work for the Radio. Together with Svatopluk Havelka and Zbyněk Přecechtěl he established the New Dance (Nový tanec – NoTa) ensemble for which he composed a number of concert pieces that belong to the so called “higher pop-music” stream, and reveal the folk songs of the Valašsko region as the author’s source of inspiration. In fact, all Juchelka’s compositional output is distinctly inspired by Silesian folk songs.

From the mid-seventies his compositional style became influenced by the so called classics of the 20th century. In particular, he drew on the legacy of B. Martinů and D. Shostakovich. Juchelka’s oeuvre includes chamber, orchestral and vocal compositions.

His favourite concertante form is a piece set for a solo instrument and orchestra, as exemplified by the Burlesque for bassoon, the Waltz Concertante for piano and orchestra, the Capriccio for violin and orchestra, and other compositions. Juchelka’s music was awarded first prize in the Seven Microphones radio competition in 1970, 1978, and 1980.

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