ZEMAN, JAROSLAV (b. 1936)

Jaroslav Zeman (b. 6 April, 1936 in Horní Chvatliny, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech musician, conductor, composer and arranger. The first musical knowledge gained by Jaroslav Zeman was from his father, who was a Kapellmeister. In 1954 Zeman began the trombone and baritone instruments study at the Military Music School. After completing his studies, he became a musician at the military chapels in Prague and Písek. Then in 1968 he studied at the State Conservatory in Prague for the field of conducting. After this, Jaroslav Zeman was the conductor of Písek military music until 1975. This was followed by chief placements at the Grand Concert of Czechoslovak Army and from 1976 to 1989 at the site Music Prague. From 1989 until his retirement from the military service in 1993, Zeman was Director of Military Conservatory at Roudnice nad Labem. Jaroslav Zeman became famous in Southern Germany as well as by guest appearances as conductor and artistic director of the great amateur brass orchestra of the Czech Post and Telecommunications of Kolín. The first of his 45 compositions and about 200 arrangements for wind orchestra were wrote in 1954. The best known works of Jaroslav Zeman are the gallop "Hurricane" and the polka "Streets of Prague."