Chalábala, Zdenek

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Chalábala, Zdeněk

Chalábala, Zdeněk, noted Czech conductor; b. Uherské Hradisté, April 18, 1899; d. Prague, March 4, 1962. He studied composition with Novak in Prague, then took courses in violin, conducting, and composition at the Brno Cons., where his principal teachers were Janácek and Neumann. He was conductor of the Slovak Phil. in Brno (1924–25), the National Theater in Brno (1925–29), where he served as music director (1929–36), and the Prague National 1 Theater (1936–45), and chief conductor of the Ostrava Opera (1945–49), the Brno National Theater (1949–52), and the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava (1952–53). In 1953 he returned to the Prague National Theater as chief conductor, a post he held with distinction until his death.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire