Zdeněk Lukáš (21.8.1928 - 13.7.2007)

 

After graduating from the Teachers Institute, he worked for several years as a teacher. It was at Pilsen radio station (1953-1964) where Z. Lukáš, a program staff, started developing his compositions, which he performed together with the Pilsen Radio Orchestra and its leading soloists, and also with a choir Česká píseň (Czech Song), which Z. Lukáš founded in 1954 and was its leader for nearly 20 years. His compositional self-education was completed between 1961 and 1970 by inspiring consultations with Miloslav Kabeláč. Since 1964 Z. Lukáš began to devote himself purely to composing (even though he taught at the Prague Conservatory for short periods of time and conducted the Czechoslovakian Ensemble of Songs and Dances for some years).

Compositional development of Z. Lukáš starts from simple styling of authentic folklore to the works, in which he applies his unique approach to folk art. His fascination with Czech folk constantly accompanies his work and is typical for him. Naturally, he went also through a period in which he tried to test modern compositional techniques. During this time he worked in the very well equipped electro-acoustic studio in Pilsen. His distinctive compositional synthesis, which is mature and its key feature includes the modal base composition and typical metro-rhythmic variability, resulted in tens of great compositions and many awards for number of them.

His extensive work includes 354 opus songs and countless arrangements of folk songs and dances. A significant part of his work is devoted to choral music, which - being very popular with amateur choirs -has earned Z. Lukáš a status of the most selling Czech author. His symphonic work contains more than twenty compositions and includes seven symphonies. The top work of his musical and dramatic stage production is opera Falkenštejn and Shakespeare's musical comedy Veta za vetu (Measure for Measure),  which was realised in Pilsen. Many compositions in his creative development are concert type works, e.g. concerts with an orchestra of almost all instruments, including a concert for string quartet and a symphony orchestra. Compositions for a chamber orchestra are extensively represented, along with tens of compositions for large brass band and nearly a hundred compositions of chamber music in various combinations (five string quartets, two piano quartets, two woodwind quintets, brass quintet, pieces for violin, viola, cello, harpsichord, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon, harp, etc.). More than two dozen songs are solo voice with orchestral or other accompaniment.