Milan Malý
Biography
Born May 14, 1930, died November 28, 2004. After graduation from the Pedagogical Faculty of the Charles University (1953) he studied conducting at the Academy of Performing Arts (1956). Choir direction was at that time taught by Jan Kühn, who brought Milan Malý already in 1953 as an assistant to Czech Vocal Choir. From there Milan Malý continued directly to the National Theatre in 1956, where he started as a repétiteur and right away as a chorus master. Czech music was closest to his heart, especially works by Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček, Foerster, Fibich and Martinů, but he also highly esteemed compositions by contemporary composers (Jan Hanuš, Otmar Mácha, Ilja Hurník, and others). His relationship to Czech choral production is documented by his 25 years long work in the Czech Radio Vocal Choir. His skills of a chorus master were highly valued also abroad. For over 30 years he had been working as a chorus master at opera festivals in Bayreuth where he cooperated with such personages as J. Levin, D. Barenboim, P. Domingo, and others. He had been a chorus master in the National Theatre in years 1976-2000. He studied chorus parts for almost all opera premieres; especially in productions of operas by Smetana, Dvořák, and Janáček he was virtually unexchangeable.