Holzknecht, Václav (EN)

Holzknecht Václav, *2 May 1904 Prague, †13 August 1988, Prague, Czech pianist, music writer, and organizer of musical life. In 1928, he graduated in law from the University of Prague and studied music at the Prague Conservatory (piano). In the interwar period, he went on numerous concert tours; he was a highly regarded interpreter of contemporary music, promoting in particular the works of Czech composers, including J. Ježek, A. Hába, V. Novák, and P. Bořkovec. From 1942, he was involved in teaching; in 1946–70, he was the director of the Prague Conservatory, and in 1970–73, he was the director of the Národní Divadlo there. As a member of various music societies, he participated in organizing the Prague Spring Festival, among other events; he was editor of the magazines “Rytmus” (1941–44) and “Tempo” (1946–48); he served on the jury of international piano competitions. He published a number of works and articles on piano issues and the work of 19th- and 20th-century Czech composers.