GAJDOŠ, MILOSLAV (b. 1948)

Miloslav Gajdoš is one of Europe’'s leading virtuosos, pedagogues and composers of music for the double bass. He was born in northern Moravia in 1948, received his early musical training as a violinist, and then switched to the double bass, studying with Alois Kříž, Jiří Bortlíček (Brno) and Ludwig Streicher (Vienna). He became a member of the Olomouc Symphony Orchestra often performing as a concerto soloist. In 1977 and 1979, he became a laureate at the international competition in Markneukirchen, in former East Germany. He has been a member of the jury for many international double bass competitions in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland and Germany. Gajdoš is also the Director of the annual František Gregora International Double Bass Competition in Kroměříž founded in 1979.

 

Since becoming the double bass professor at the Alois Kříž Music Conservatory in Kroměříž, Czech Republic in 1973, he has developed a unique teaching method which helps students become virtuoso masters of the instrument. Much of his approach to the instrument is derived from his years as a violinist and his desire to develop a violinistic approach to playing the bass—, one that is dextrous, easy ("If it is not comfortable, it is not right"), and brilliant. In his numerous pedagogical books, Gajdoš has designed exercises which address all technical areas of playing the instrument.

 

Gajdoš is a prolific composer and arranger of music for double bass and has transcribed over 70 works. His original compositions combine Czech lyricism and melody with brilliant technical demands and include works for solo bass, bass and piano, bass and orchestra and many bass duets, trios, quartets and quintets to help his students become sensitive chamber music players. These works are technically demanding and are beautifully lyrical. He is the leading authority on the music of František Gregora.