Ondříček

Ondříček, family of Czech musicians:

(1) Ignac Ondrícek, violinist and conductor; b. Krusovice, May 7, 1807; d. Prague, Feb. 8, 1871. He studied with Simon Pergler, the local schoolmaster. After playing in his teacher’s band, he settled in Prague (1839), where he conducted his own band (1855–70).

(2) Jan Ondříček, violinist and conductor, son of the preceding; b. Bělěc, near Bratronice, May 6, 1832; d. Prague, March 13, 1900. He studied with his father and with Mořie Mildner (violin) and Dvorak (theory), then conducted his own band. He had 15 children, including the following:

(3) František Ondříček, eminent violinist and pedagogue; b. Prague, April 29, 1857; d. Milan, April 12, 1922. He studied with his father, and then with Bennewitz at the Prague Cons. (1873–76), where he won a first prize, and then with Massart at the Paris Cons. (1879–81), where he won a premier prix. He gave the premiere of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in Prague (1883). After extensive tours of Europe, the U.S., and the Far East, he was made Kammervirtuos in Vienna (1888). He founded his own quartet (1907), taught at the New Vienna Cons. (1909–12), and gave master classes at the Prague Cons. (1919–22). He acquired a notable reputation as a virtuoso, and also composed many violin pieces, as well as cadenzas and paraphrases, fantasias, and arrangements of themes by other composers. With S. Mittelmann, he publ. Neue Methode zur Erlangung der Meistertechnik des Violinspiels auf anatomischphysiologischer Grundlage (2 vols., Vienna, 1909).

Bibliography

B. Sich, F. O. (Prague, 1947).

(4) Emanuel Ondříček, violinist and pedagogue; b. Pilsen, Dec. 6, 1882; d. Boston, Dec. 30, 1958. He studied with his father, then with Ševčik at the Prague Cons. (1894–99). After touring Europe, he emigrated to the U.S. (1912), and taught in Boston and N.Y. He publ. The Mastery of Tone Production and Expression on the Violin (1931).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire