Karel Jaroslav Husa

Background

Husa, Karel Jaroslav was born on August 7, 1921 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Son of Karel and Bozena (Dongresova) Husa. came to the United States, 1954, naturalized, 1959.

Education

Master summa cum laude, Conservatory and Academy Music, Prague, 1945. Master summa cum laude, Conservatory and Academy Music, Prague, 1947. License for conducting, Ecole Normale de Paris, 1947.

Graduate, Conservatoire de Paris, 1948. Doctor of Music (honorary), Coe College, 1976. Doctor of Music (honorary), Cleveland Institute, 1985.

Doctor of Music (honorary), Ithaca College, 1986. Doctor of Music (honorary), Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory, 1991. Doctor of Music (honorary), Hartwick College, 1997.

Doctor of Music (honorary), New England Conservatory, 1998. Doctor of Music (honorary), Academy Musical Arts. Doctor of Music (honorary), Capital University, 2006.

Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), College St. Vincent, 1996. Doctor of Arts (honorary), Masaryk University, Czech Republic, 2000. Doctor of Arts (honorary), Academy Musical Arts, Czech Republic, 2000.

Doctor of Fine Arts (honorary), University Central Arkansas, 2006.

Career

In 1954 he went to the United States and became an American citizen in 1959. At the same time, he decided to continue his studies of composition and conducting in Paris. After finishing his courses in conducting at École Normale de Musique de Paris and at Conservatoire de Paris he embarked on a career during which he has conducted the world"s leading orchestras and participated in many major projects.

He divided his time between composing and conducting, taking an ever more active part in Parisian and international musical life.

lieutenant has since also been performed on many other occasions, e.g., at the festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music in Brussels (1950), festivals in Salzburg (1950), Darmstadt (1951), and the Netherlands (1952) as well as at various concerts in Germany, France, Sweden, England, Switzerland, Australia and the United States. Other compositions written by Karel Husa during his stay in Paris include Divertimento for String, Concertino for Piano and, Évocations de Slovaquie, Musique d"amateurs, Portrait for String, First Symphony, First Sonata for Piano, and Second String Quartet.

Throughout this period, the composer"s underlying preoccupation and interest was style, which was primarily influenced by Vítězslav Novák, Janáček, Bartók and Stravinsky. He is probably best known for his Music for Prague 1968, a work in memory of the 1968 Soviet bloc invasion of Czechoslovakia.

His String Quartet Number.

From 1954 until 1992 he was a professor at Cornell University and lecturer at Ithaca College from 1967 to 1986. Composers who studied with Mr. Husa include Steven Stucky, Christopher Rouse, John South. Hilliard, David Conte, and Byron Adams.

Husa now resides in Apex, North Carolina.

He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity. The University of Massachusetts Amherst Wind Ensemble held a performance at the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall celebrating Karel Husa"s 90th birthday on October 21, 2011.

On January 16, 2012, he was presented with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Louisville.

Achievements

• Karel Jaroslav Husa has been listed as a noteworthy Composer, conductor, educator by Marquis Who's Who.

Works

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  • Monodrama. (Portrait of an Artist.) Ballet for orchestra. Score.

    (KAREL HUSA MONODRAMA PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST BALLET FOR ORC...)

  • Les Couleurs Fauves/Vivid Colors: For Symphonic Wind Ensemble (French Edition)

    (Grade 4-6 This piece was commissioned by Northwestern Uni...)

  • Concerto for Wind Ensemble - Study Score - Karel Husa - Study Score - SCORE

    (- SCORE - Karel Husa - GSCB - Associated - 1989 - Study S...)

  • Twelve Moravian Songs. For voice and piano. < English text by Ruth Martin. >

    (Songs from Czech provence of Moravia. Moravian and Englis...)

  • Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Concert Band. Score.
  • Apotheosis of this Earth. For orchestra and chorus ... Score
  • Karel Husa: Sonata a Tre for Violin, B flat Clarinet and Piano AMP 7945

Membership

Member International Institute Arts and Letters (life), American Academy Arts and Letters, Belgian Royal Academy Arts and Sciences, American Music Center, American Academy Arts and Letters, International Society Contemporary Music, French Society Composers, American Federation Musicians, Kappa Gamma Psi (honorary), Kappa Kappa Psi (honorary), Delta Omicron (honorary), Phi Mu Alpha (honorary).

Interests

• Avocations: painting, sports.

Connections

Married Simone Perault, February 2, 1952. Children: Catherine, Anne-Marie, Elizabeth, Caroline.

Father:

Karel Husa

Mother:

Bozena (Dongresova) Husa

Spouse:

Simone Perault

child:

Anne-Marie Husa

child:

Caroline Husa

child:

Catherine Husa

child:

Elizabeth Husa