Otakar Sevcik

Otakar Sevcik was a Czech violinist, composer, and music teacher, born on 22 March 1852 in Horazdovice. He received his first lessons from his father and gave his first public performance at the age of nine. Later in Prague he refined his skills with Vilem Bauer, a pupil of Moritz Mildner.

In 1870 he graduated from the Prague Conservatory, where he studied in the class of Antonin Bennewitz. Sevcik later served as a professor at the conservatory in 1892–1906 and again in 1919–1921. From 1909 to 1918 he headed the violin department at the Vienna Conservatory.

Sevcik toured and lived in the Russian Empire on the territory of present-day Ukraine. He took part in concerts of the Kyiv branch of the Russian Musical Society, including ensemble performances with Mykola Lysenko. He taught at Ukrainian musical institutions, including the Kharkiv Music School in 1874–1875 and the Kyiv Music School in 1875–1892.

He published important pedagogical works on violin performance, including the School of Violin Technique, parts 1–4 (1883), and the School of Bowing Technique (1903). He also wrote works for violin, among them Czech Dances and Melodies. In addition, he taught at various institutions in Ithaca, Chicago, New York, Boston, Salzburg, and London.

Among the violinists who studied with Sevcik were Jan Kubelik, Jaroslav Kocian, Rudolf Kolisch, Juan Manen, Marie Hall, Victor Kolar, Alexander Schmuller, Erica Morini, Eugenia Uminska, Jan Sedivka, and others. He died on 18 January 1934 and was buried at the Old Town Cemetery in Pisek.

Connections

This figure has 1 connection in the Music Lineage catalog.