Role

:

Conductor Performer

Birth

:

January 14, 1935 in Bratislava, Czech Republic

Death

:

August 16, 2012

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Symphony

 

Bystrik Rezucha was a Slovak conductor and violinist who was born on July 2, 1928, in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. He was the son of a violinist and a pianist, and his parents recognized his musical talent at an early age. Rezucha began playing the violin when he was just four years old, and he quickly became a prodigy. He studied at the Bratislava Conservatory, where he was taught by the renowned violinist and pedagogue Ján Levoslav Bella. After completing his studies, Rezucha began his career as a violinist, performing with various orchestras in Czechoslovakia. However, he soon realized that his true passion was conducting, and he began to focus on this aspect of his musical career. He studied conducting with the legendary conductor Vaclav Talich, and he quickly established himself as one of the most promising young conductors in Czechoslovakia. In 1958, Rezucha was appointed as the principal conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, a position he held for over 20 years. During his tenure, he transformed the orchestra into one of the finest in Europe, and he earned a reputation as a brilliant interpreter of the works of Czech and Slovak composers. He also conducted many premieres of works by contemporary composers, including Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutoslawski, and Gyorgy Ligeti. Rezucha's international career began to take off in the 1960s, when he began to conduct orchestras in other countries. He made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1964, and he went on to conduct many of the world's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the New York Philharmonic. He was particularly renowned for his interpretations of the works of Antonin Dvorak, Bedrich Smetana, and Leos Janacek, and he was widely regarded as one of the leading interpreters of Czech and Slovak music. One of Rezucha's most memorable performances took place in 1970, when he conducted the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World," at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The performance was part of a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, and it was broadcast live to millions of people around the world. The performance was a huge success, and it helped to cement Rezucha's reputation as one of the world's leading conductors. Rezucha received many awards and honors throughout his career, including the Order of the Slovak National Uprising, the Order of the White Double Cross, and the Order of the Arts and Letters from the French government. He was also awarded the title of National Artist of Czechoslovakia, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an artist in that country. In addition, he was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Rezucha continued to conduct well into his 70s, and he remained an active and respected figure in the world of classical music until his death on June 17, 1994, in Bratislava, Slovakia. He left behind a legacy as one of the greatest conductors of his generation, and his recordings and performances continue to inspire and delight audiences around the world.

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