* 1931
Born on April 3, 1931, has acquired love for music from his parents and received elementary musical training in his native town of Sobéslav. His attitude to music in general and composition in particular was also shaped by the Czech composers Karel Haba abd Zdenek Hula and the musicologist Eduard Herzog. Between 1952 and 1955 Laburda studied at the Pedagogical Faculty of Prague ‘s Charles University and later on at the Prague Teacher Training College (1957-1960). In 1970 he received the title of doctor of philosophy, his doctoral thesis being entitled “The Syphonies by D.D.Schostakovitch”. His Treatise “Didactic Problems of Modern Textbooks of Harmony”, which completed in 1973 at the end of his academic research project and which now is part of his university textbook called Diatonic Harmony. Jiri Laburda taught at various teacher-training colleges and institutions in Czech towns until he joined the staff of the Pedagogical Faculty of Charles University in Prague. In his early days as a composer Jiri Laburda devoted himself mostly to choral compositions which still assume a pride of place among his works. In composition he draws on traditional means of expression and stylistically he ties on to neo-classicism in particular. As far as modern techniques of composition are concerned, it is the small aleatoric and dodecaphony which are closest to his temperament. Over the years Jiri Laburda has composed an impressive number of works out of which more than 140 compositions have appeared in print so far. Laburda’s compositions are easily understandable and are invariably very well received by the broadest sections of music lovers. The author has always maintained lively contacts with musicians and amateur choirs for which he composed very comprehensible works.
