Vlastimil Lejsek

Vlastimil Lejsek (21 July 1927 – 12 March 2010 in Brno) was a Czech composer and pianist. Biography Lejsek was born on 21 July 1927 in Brno. He was the son of the Moravian choirmaster František Květoslav Lejsek. He studied at the Brno Conservatory and the Academies of Music in both Prague and Brno with František Schafer, Jan Erml and František Maxián. During his studies he received awards at many competitions, such as the International Smetana Competition (Prague) and Franz Liszt Competition (Budapest). With his wife, Věra Lejsková, he established a famous piano duo, collaborating with composers such as Milhaud, Britten, Lutoslawski and Shostakovich, and recording for the first time Dvořák’s 4-hand works and many more. As a solo pianist, he premiered many works of his colleagues, as well as of his own. The main body of his musical output consists music for piano duo (like Brazilian Dances, Dances of Masters, Inventions, Moravian Ballades) and piano solo (Preludes, Sonatella, Pianists and Horses, The Moon Suite). Besides being a composer and a performing and recording pianist, Lejsek also served at the music faculties of the Conservatory and Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brn