Jan Sedivka was a Czechoslovak-born Australian violinist and music teacher, regarded as one of Australia’s leading violinists and pedagogues. He was born Jan Boleslav Šedivka on 8 September 1917 in Slaný, Czechia, and died on 23 August 2009 in Hobart, Australia.
He received his initial training in Písek from Professor Otakar Ševčík. During this period, Ševčík’s former pupils, by then celebrated musicians, visited the eighty-year-old teacher and gave concerts; the young Sedivka was particularly impressed by the Polish violinist Eugenia Umińska, the Australian Daisy Kennedy, and the Austrian Erika Morini. After Ševčík left for America in 1931, Sedivka studied with Jaroslav Kocian at the master school of the Prague Conservatory. He graduated with distinction and, in 1938, received a government scholarship to study at the École Normale de Musique de Paris with Jacques Thibaud.
In 1940 Sedivka sought refuge in England. He met Max Rostal in London in 1942 and joined Rostal’s specialist course in violin technique and instrumental pedagogy. He subsequently appeared as a soloist and chamber musician, touring Europe and Great Britain with prominent orchestras. He was also a regular studio artist for the BBC, Radiodiffusion Française, and Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk. With pianist Tom Bromley and cellist Sela Trau, he performed in London’s International Trio.
From 1952 to 1961, Sedivka taught at leading London institutions, including Goldsmiths and Trinity College. In 1961, at the invitation of the Queensland Conservatorium, he moved to Australia accompanied by nine young violinists who were his pupils and wished to continue their studies with him. In 1972 he became director of the conservatorium in Hobart, Tasmania. He attracted students from around the world and established close links with the Shanghai Conservatory, where he was later appointed honorary professor.
Sedivka was regarded as a founding figure of the Australian violin school. His playing was noted for its nobility and intelligence; although his tone was not especially powerful, it was praised for its charm and carrying quality. He made an important contribution to the development and dissemination of contemporary Australian music, notably through performances and recordings of works dedicated to him by Australian composers.
Among the works associated with Sedivka were Larry Sitsky’s First, Second, Third, and Fourth Violin Concertos, as well as concertos by James Penberthy, Ian Cugley, Don Kay, Colin Brumby, Edward Cowie, and Eric Gross. His wife, the pianist Beryl Sedivka, frequently performed with him. His pupils included Pamela Bryce, Keith Crellin, Dean Jinwoo, Lindal Edmiston, Peter Exton, Hua Fei, Theodore Lazaroff, Elizabeth Morgan, John Curro, Simon Oswell, Kerry Smith, Jonathan Allen, Philippe-Xavier Borer, Romana Zieglerová, Marina Phillips, and Uto Ughi.
His honours included appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in 1987, honorary fellowship of Trinity College London, an honorary doctorate and honorary professorship from the University of Tasmania, honorary professorship at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and the Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award in 1995. He also received the Australian String Association’s Award for Outstanding Service in 1998.