# Jan Sedivka

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Jan Boleslav Sedivka Jan Sedivka, Mount Nelson, 1988 Born 8 September 1917 Slaný, Czechoslovakia Died 23 August 2009(2009-08-23) (aged 91) Hobart, Australia Partner Beryl Sedivka Awards Order of Australia

**Jan Boleslav Sedivka** [AM](/source/Member_of_the_Order_of_Australia) (in Czech: Šedivka) (Slaný, 8 September 1917 – Hobart, 23 August 2009),[1][2] Czech-born, was one of Australia's foremost violinists and teachers.[3]

## Biography

Educated in Czechoslovakia ([Otakar Ševčík](/source/Otakar_%C5%A0ev%C4%8D%C3%ADk)[4] and [Jaroslav Kocián](/source/Jaroslav_Koci%C3%A1n)), France (École Normale de Musique, Classe Jacques Thibaud) and England ([Max Rostal](/source/Max_Rostal)), Jan Sedivka made his reputation overseas as a soloist, chamber music player and teacher before coming to Australia in 1961.[5][6]

As a performer, Jan Sedivka gained special merit for his efforts on behalf of Australian contemporary music. In this capacity he introduced a number of important works dedicated to him, in particular concertos by [Larry Sitsky](/source/Larry_Sitsky) (Nos. 1, 2, 3 & 4), [James Penberthy](/source/James_Penberthy), [Ian Cugley](/source/Ian_Cugley), [Don Kay](/source/Don_Kay_(composer)), [Colin Brumby](/source/Colin_Brumby), [Edward Cowie](/source/Edward_Cowie) and [Eric Gross](/source/Eric_Gross).

His wife [Beryl Sedivka](/source/Beryl_Sedivka) is a noted pianist who often performed with him.

## Writings

- An Assessment of: “Bach’s Chaconne for Unaccompanied Violin - a Study in Interpretation” by Graham Wood, ds., Hobart, 1974

## Honours and awards

- Member of the [Order of Australia](/source/Order_of_Australia) 1987[7]

- Honorary Fellow, Trinity College of Music, London

- Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Tasmania[6]

- Honorary Professor, Shanghai Conservatory of Music

- Memorial Gold Medal, Prague Academy of Musical Arts

- Honorary Fellowship in Music Australia

- Honorary Citizen, Royal City of Slany (Czech Republic)

- Honorary Professor University of Tasmania 1995[6]

- Distinguished Service Award Australian Strings Association 1998.

### Bernard Heinze Memorial Award

The [Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award](/source/Sir_Bernard_Heinze_Memorial_Award) is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref. 1995 Jan Sedivka Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award awarded

### Don Banks Music Award

The [Don Banks Music Award](/source/Don_Banks_Music_Award) was established in 1984 to publicly honour a senior artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia.[8] It was founded by the [Australia Council](/source/Australia_Council_for_the_Arts) in honour of [Don Banks](/source/Don_Banks), Australian composer, performer and the first chair of its music board.

Year Nominee / work Award Result 2004 Jan Sedivka Don Banks Music Award awarded

## Students

For Sedivka's notable students, see [List of music students by teacher: R to S § Jan Sedivka](/source/List_of_music_students_by_teacher%3A_R_to_S#Jan_Sedivka).

## Bibliography

- Philippe Borer, *Aspects of European Influences on Violin Playing & Teaching in Australia*, M.Mus. diss., 1988 (on Jan Sedivka's violin playing and teaching philosophies see Chapters III and IV) [https://eprints.utas.edu.au/18865/](https://eprints.utas.edu.au/18865/)

- Lyndal Edmiston, “The teacher as catalyst in the learning process”, in *Festschrift Jan Sedivka*, ed. by D. S. Mercer, Hobart, The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, 1982

- Jan Mařàk–Viktor Nopp, *Housle*, Prague, Hudební matice Umělecké besedy, 1944, p. 61

- Elisabeth Morgan, “String Teaching: an extended perspective”, in *Festschrift Jan Sedivka*, ed. by D. S. Mercer, Hobart, The Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, 1982, pp. 100–109

- Elinor Morrisby, *Up is down, a life of violinist Jan Sedivka*, Melbourne, 2008

- Marina Louise Phillips, *An assessment of the contribution to Australian string pedagogy and performance of Jan Sedivka*, PhD diss., 2001

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [UTAS Alumni News](http://www.alumni.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/50747/No.-36-December-2009.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130509175952/http://www.alumni.utas.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/50747/No.-36-December-2009.pdf) 2013-05-09 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["University of Tasmania: UTAS tribute for Jan Sedivka, musician and pedagogue 1917-2009"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090915035342/http://www.staff.utas.edu.au/news/articles/utas-tribute-for-jan-sedivka,-musician-and-pedagogue-1917---2009). Archived from [the original](http://www.staff.utas.edu.au/news/articles/utas-tribute-for-jan-sedivka,-musician-and-pedagogue-1917---2009) on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Companion to Tasmanian History](http://www.utas.edu.au/library/companion_to_tasmanian_history/S/Sedivka.htm)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Mařàk – Nopp, *Housle*, p. 61

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Lyrebird Press"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080828025640/http://www.lyrebirdpress.com/books/amr/amr010/). Archived from [the original](http://www.lyrebirdpress.com/books/amr/amr010/) on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2009.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-UTAS_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-UTAS_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-UTAS_6-2) [University of Tasmania Conservatory of Music](http://fcms.its.utas.edu.au/arts/music/pagedetails.asp?lpersonId=1564) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090917150836/http://fcms.its.utas.edu.au/arts/music/pagedetails.asp?lpersonId=1564) 17 September 2009 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [It's an Honour: AM](https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870189)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AMC_DB_Award_8-0)** ["Don Banks Music Award: Prize"](https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150818230200/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/119124/20150819-0902/www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/award/don-banks-music-award.html). [Australian Music Centre](/source/Australian_Music_Centre). Archived from [the original](http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/award/don-banks-music-award.html) on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2017.

v t e Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award Ruth Alexander (1987) Frank Callaway (1988) Malcolm Williamson (1989) Patrick Thomas (1990) Beryl Kimber (1991) John Hopkins (1992) Leonard Dommett (1993) Peter Sculthorpe (1994) Yvonne Kenny (1995) Jan Sedivka (1996) Richard Mills (1997) Donald Hazelwood (1998) Richard Gill (1999) Don Burrows (2000) John Curro (2001) John Painter (2002) Stephen McIntyre (2003) Graeme Koehne (2004) Richard Divall (2005) Richard Tognetti (2006) Graham Abbott (2007) Barry Tuckwell (2008) Richard Bonynge (2009) Brett Dean (2010) Simone Young (2011) Carl Vine (2012) Roger Covell (2013) Anne Boyd (2014) Margaret Kartomi (2015) Mary Vallentine (2016) Ronald Farren-Price (2017) Judy Bailey (2018) Deborah Cheetham (2019) Richard Letts (2020) Lyn Williams (2021) Piers Lane (2022) Nicolette Fraillon (2023) Linda Barwick (2024) Wilma Smith (2025)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National Czech Republic

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