Jiří Chvála

Biography

Prof. Jiří Chvála (born in 1933) after his graduation from conducting at the Faculty of Music at the Academy of Performing Arts, worked as a choir-master of the Czech Choir ( nowadays the Prague Philharmonic Choir), part of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Together they have studied a world-wide repertoire of choir, oratorio and cantata works cooperating with prominent conductors. Since 1967 he has been at the head of the Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir. Together they have made numerous Tours abroad. Also his long-term pedagogical activity at the Faculty of Music of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is significant. There he teaches conducting and choir art. With the Prague Philharmonic Children’s Choir he regularly performs at music festivals both at home and abroad, cooperates with Czech and foreign opera ensembles and conducts many domestic and foreign choir and orchestra bodies. He also held lectures on choir singing at international seminars (in Vienna, Tokyo, Grasse, Helsinki, Singapore, Princeton) and was present at juries of many international choir competitions. He has created a large number of radio recordings and more than 30 records. In occasion of his life jubilee in 2003 Prof. Chvála was awarded a decoration for his life-time pedagogical activity by the Minister of Education. www.kuhnata.cz