KOŠLER, MIROSLAV (1931-2016)

Miroslav Košler (born 25 July, 1931 in Prague and died 20 September 2016) was a prominent figure in Czech choirmaster representation, conductor and educator. He comes from a musical family, his father was a member of the orchestra of the National Theatre. Older brother Zdeněk (1928-1995) was a Czech conductor.

 

Miroslav Košler was a distinctive leading personality of Czech conductors scene. He has been working as Music Director of the Prague Mixed Choir since 1951. The choir has been subjected outstanding successes already in 23 European countries, Japan, Israel and USA under his baton.

 

In artistic circles, he was known for his discovery dramaturgy. With the Prague Mixed Choir first performed a variety of works by contemporary Czech composers Petr Eben, Zdeněk Lukáš, Antonín Tučapský and Zdeněk Pololanik. Excellent criticism accompanied his concerts at leading music festivals Prague Spring, Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Linz Bruckner Musikfestival, Bodensee Festival, Bratislava Music Festival, and Holland Festival.

 

Among the heights of his career belongs his successful cooperation with world-famous conductors as Zubin Mehta, Ricardo Mutti, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Kent Nagano, Jiří Blohlávek and Vladimír Válek and their interpretation of oratorios of Dvořák, Wagner, Berlioz, Mahler, Schönberg and Stravinsky.

 

As a respected expert Miroslav Košler was often asked to participate in juries of many international choral competitions and he also worked as music director of choral courses in Pamplona and Avila. Miroslav Košler i

was artistic director of an international choral competition "Praga cantat" and a prestigious Prague opera and symphonic festival "Prague Winter."

 

Since 1993 Miroslav Košler worked as professor of choral conducting at Prague Conservatory and also at Pedagogical Faculty of Charles University in Prague. He worked as permanent guest choirmaster of Prague Philharmonic Choir. Under his leadership, several prominent conducting figures (e.g. Marko Ivanović, Solon Kladas, Jiří Petrdlík, Jakub Zicha) grew up.