The legendary Czech orchestra JH Big Band from Hradec Králové has been hit by sad news. Its founder Jiří Hasal died on Wednesday evening, he was 85 years old. This happened two days before the concert for the 45th anniversary of the founding of the band, which they postponed to an as yet unspecified date. The sad information was confirmed by TN.cz, the artistic director of the band, Radek Círman.
It was 1978, when the swing band JH Big Band was founded in Hradec Králové under the leadership of teacher and musician Jiří Hasal, originally as an orchestra at a music school. At the time, Hasal taught children the art of playing the saxophone and clarinet in a folk school.
During that time, the band achieved many successes at festivals, undertook several foreign tours and played with a whole range of singing personalities.
For its 45th anniversary, the band was preparing an annual concert, which was to be played on Friday, October 20. The founder of an important orchestra did not live to see that, he left the world on Wednesday around half past eight in the evening. “It was after long health difficulties, one could say, liberation,Radek Círman, the band’s artistic director, told TN.cz.
Band members remember Hasal as an excellent teacher who left an indelible mark. “Those who remember him will remember him as a musician who never lost his passion, energy and sense of humor even afterold age. His love for music was contagious and his inner youth was still present on stage and in the classrooms,” the band said on their website.
The native of Hradec Králové graduated from a construction engineering school, where he founded his first band while studying. He worked as a construction technician in the city, later studied remotely at the conservatory, where he chose the clarinet as his main instrument. From 1978, he taught at a primary art school, where he worked even after retirement. For his lifelong work, he received the Primus inter pares (Czech: First among equals) award from the city of Hradec Králové in 2016.
TN.cz
2023-10-19 11:12:00
#Czech #band #supposed #annual #concert #founder #died #TN.cz
