Jaroslav Zich

Jaroslav Zich was born on 17 January 1912 in Prague (at that time part of Austria-Hungary, today Czech Republic). His father was the composer Otakar and he was the first music teacher of Jaroslav Zich. After his school Jaroslav Zich studied mathematics and physics as well as music at the Prague university. Among his music teachers there were again his father and Josef Bohuslav Foerster (composition), Jan Blahoslav Kozak and Zdenek Nejedly. He completed his studies in 1937.
After his student days Jaroslav Zich first worked at the National Radio in Prague. Over the years he fulfilled positions as an ordinary editor, editor for the classical music department up to assistant director of the complete music department in 1952. 
In 1945 the Academy of Performing Arts was founded in Prague and Jaroslav Zich lectured there from the very first year in 1946. He first taught aesthetics as a part-time teacher. In 1952 he quit his position at the national radio and lectured full-time at the academy. In 1960 Jaroslav Zich was named a professor. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1992, becoming dean of the faculty of music from 1959 to 1962 and head of the department for theory and history of music between 1974 and 1979.
Beside his work as a teacher Jaroslav Zich also wrote several theory books about music aesthetics and instrumentation, as well as preserved and promoted the musical estate of his father.
Among the compositions by Jaroslav Zich are the Rhapsody for cello and orchestra that received an award from the Czechoslovak Composers' Association in 1956. Many of his works date from student days like his string quartet (1931), the song cycle "Letmy host" op.2 for voice and orchestra (1930), the melodrama "Romance helgolandska" for voice and orchestra on words by Jan Neruda (1934) or the piano works Impromptu (1936) and "Two pieces" (1932).
Jaroslav Zich died on 20 April 2001 in Prague (Czech Republic).

String quartet

In my possession are the autograph parts of the String quartet op.4 by Jaroslav Zich. The work was composed in 1931 and received a prize from the Czech Chamber Music Society the same year.