Václav Blahunek

Col. Václav Blahunek, Ph.D. (*1971 in Olomouc, Czech Republic) graduated from the Music Faculty of the Prague Academy where he first studied clarinet (under prof. Petr Čáp) and then conducting (under professors Radomil Eliška, Josef Kuchinka, František Vajnar, Jiří Chvála, Pavel Pokorný, Leoš Svárovský and Lubomír Mátl). He took part in courses of conducting by prof. Jiří Bělohlávek and prof. Nicolas Parquet at the Prague Academy and Dr. Craig Kirchoff at the American university in Appleeton. Václav Blahunek works with many orchestras and ensembles at home as well as abroad, including the Pilsen Philharmonic, the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK, the Pardubice Chamber Philharmonic, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Zlín, Hradec Králové Philharmonic, Tokio Kosei Wind Orchestra, Northern Illionis Univesity Symphony Orchestra in Chicago and wind ensembles in De Kalb and Dubuque in the USA. He has apperared as guest conductor at the Prague State Opera and the Ústí nad Labem Theatre. In 2010 he has finished his doctorate studies at the Prague Academy in the subject of interpretation and the theory of interpretation, with special emphasis on conducting the symphonic repertoire for wind orchestras.

Col. Václav Blahunek has been conductor of the Prague Castle guard and Czech Police Symphonic Band since 1999, being appointed its director and Chief conductor in 2009. In his repertoire of symphonic wind band music he takes special care to perform original compositions of Czech as well as foreign composers. For instance at the 2005 Prague Spring Festival he conducted the first Czech performance of Karel Husa’s symphony Music for Prague 1968. He is planning a series of concerts called Karel Husa and his Pupils; Czech composers in the USA after 1948 (Karel Boleslav Jirák, Václav Nelhybel, Karel Husa).

As a chairman of the Society of the Czech Wind Music he founded the first Czech National Wind Symphonic Band in Ostrava. He is a member of the Association of the Czech Concert Artits and Scientists and also member of the Board of Directors of the WASBE, World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. 

Col. Blahunek - Symphonic Band Repertory.doc   - download

The Symphonic Wind Band Repertory:

Col. Vaclav Blahunek, Ph.D.

Auber, Daniel                                Die stumme von Portici - overture

Barberan, Theodor                       Asgard – Symphony No. 1 for Wind Band

Beethoven, Ludwig van               Marsch des Yorkschen Corps

Bernstein, Leonard                       Candide – overture

Bernstein, Leonard                       Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Beurden, Bernard van                  Concerto for baritone saxophone and wind orchestra

Blaha,   Ivo                                     Aeroterapie – Heeling by breath for Wind Ensemble

Bolcom,  William                           First Symphony for Band                                                           

Duddell, Joe                                  The Redwood Tree for Symphonic Wind Band 

Dusek, Jan                                     Exclamatio muta for Symphonic Wind Band

Dvorak,  Antonin                           Serenade in D Minor for Wind Instruments, Op. 44

Dvorak,  Antonin                           Symphony No. 8 in G Major

Dvorak,  Antonin                           Symphony No. 9 in E Minor „From the New World“

Filas,  Juraj                                    Fiery Angel        

Filas,  Juraj                                   „Copernicus“ Concerto Grosso for Brass-qintett and Winds

Fucik, Julius                                  Marinarella – overture

Gershwin, George                         Girl Crazy – overture

Gershwin, George                         Rhapsody in Blue

Husa, Karel                                    Cheetah for Concert Band                         

Husa, Karel                                    Smetana Fanfare

Husa, Karel                                    Music for Prague 1968

Husa, Karel                                    Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble   

Jirak, Karel Boleslav                     Symphonic scherzo, Op. 65a

Janacek, Leos                               Sinfonietta

Kinsella, John                                Prelude and Toccata for Wind Ensemble

Lukas, Zdenek                                Musica Boema for Wind Ensemble

Lukas, Zdenek                               Sonata Concertata for Piano and Wind Orchestra

Massak, Franz                                Cavatina for trumpet and millitary band 

Mozart,W.A.                                    Concert Symphony in E flat Major for Violin and Viola, KV364

Musorgsky, Modest P.                  Pictures at an Exhibition

Necasova - Nardelli, Jindra          Spirit of the Lake Michigan for Symphonic Wind Band

Nelhybel, Vaclav                            Concerto for Bass Trombone

Nelhybel, Vaclav                            Trittico

Nelhybel,  Vaclav                            Corsican Lithany

Nelhybel, Vaclav                            Symphonic Movement

Nelhybel, Vaclav                            Sinfonia Resurrectionis

Pavlorek,  Ales                               Jazz Overture                                                                                          

Persichetti, Vincent                       Symphony for Band, No. 6

Schubert, Franz                              Militär-Marsch No. 3 in E flat Major, Op. 51

Stanek, Pavel                                  Minimusic Fantasy

Stanek, Pavel                                  Music for Festival

Strauss, Johann                             Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald

Tepfer,Dan                                      Concerto for Piano and Winds „The View from Orohena“

Vicar Jan                                         Vivat Universitas! for Wind Orchestra

Wagner, Richard                             Einzugsmarsch aus Tannhäuser

Weill, Kurt                                       Konzert für violine und Blasorchester, op. 12

Williams, Ralph V.                          Scherzo alla Marcia

Zamecnik Evzen                             Battle of Austerlitz 1805

Zamecnik, Evzen                            Concertino for Violin and Wind Orchestra

Zamecnik, Evzen                            Musica Morava

 

Czech Popular Repertory for Wind Orchestra

 

 

Dvorak, Antonin                             Festive March

Dvorak, Antonin                             Slavonic Dances No. 1 – 16

Dvorak, Antonin                             Waltz in A Major

Dvorak, Antonin                             Legends

Friml, Rudolf                                   Donkey Serenade

Fucik, Julius                                   Children of Regiment - march

Fucik, Julius                                   Marinarella – overture

Fucik, Julius                                   Entry of Gladiators - march

Fucik, Julius                                   Florentina March

Fucik, Julius                                   Kanisza - march

Fucik, Julius                                   Mirramare – overture

Fucik, Julius                                   Winter’s Storm  – waltz

Massak, Frantisek                          Cavatina for Trumpet

Massak, Frantisek                          Defilier march

Nedbal, Oskar                                 Valse triste

Smetana, Bedrich                           From the Student Life – polka

Smetana, Bedrich                          Skocna – Dance from the Bartered Bride

Smetana, Bedrich                          Galop bajaderek

Smetana, Bedrich                          March of Student Legie

Smetana, Bedrich                          March of the National Guard

Smetana, Bedrich                          Scherzo  – from the Triumphal Symphony

Suk, Josef                                       Fairy Tale

Suk, Josef                                      Toward a New Life – March

 

 

 

Proposed dramaturgy of seven Symphonic Band Music Concerts

Col. Vaclav Blahunek, Ph.D.

 

1.)     Treasures of Czech Music I.

 

Smetana, Bedrich                   Festive Overture C Major

 

Smetana, Bedrich                   Skocna – Dance from the Bartered Bride

 

Dvorak,  Antonin                    Slavonic Dances                   

 

Janacek, Leos                         Lachian Dances                    

 

Novak, Vitezslav                     Slovak Suite

 

Suk, Josef                                Fairy Tale

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Dvorak,  Antonin                    Symphony No. 8 in G Major

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2.)     Antonin Dvorak and his scholars

 

Fucik, Julius                           Entry of Gladiators

Novak, Vitezslav                     Slovak Suite

 

Nedbal, Oskar                        Valse Triste                                                  

 

Dvorak, Antonin                     Legend No. 4 in C Major

Suk, Josef Suk                       Fairy Tale, Op. 16

 

Fucik, Julius                            Marinarella – ouverture                              

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Dvorak,  Antonin                    Symphony No. 9 in E Minor „From the New World“

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3.)     Vaclav Nelhybel – the Follower of Leos Janacek

 

Janacek, Leos                       Sinfonietta

Nelhybel, Vaclav                   Symphonic Movement                                                      

                                               Prelude and Choral for Solo Instrument and Band                       

                                               Festivo                                                                                 

                                               Appassionato                                                                                  

                                               Prelude and Fugue                                                             

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                                               Corsican Litany                                                                   

                                               Sinfonia Ressurectionis 

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4.)     Treasures of Czech Music II.

 

Lukas, Zdenek                        Fanfare for the Prague Castle Guard Band

Lukas, Zdenek                        Musica Boema                                 

Zamecnik, Evzen                    Musica Morava                                

Stanek, Pavel                          Minimusic Fantasy                          

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Stanek, Pavel                          Songs from the East End                 

Filas, Juraj                              Fiery Angel

Zamecnik, Evzen                    Battle of Austerlitz 1805

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5.)     World Masterpieces of Romantism

 

Dvorak, Antonin                                 Vanda –  opera overture                 

 

Saint – Saens, Camille                      Carneval of Animals

 

Tchaikofski, Pyotr Ilyich                    Festive Overture 1812         

 

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Musorgsky, Modest Petrovich           Pictures at an Exhibition

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6.)     My Country

 

Smetana, Bedrich                             My Country   Cycle of the Symphonic Poems 

 

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7.)     The Czech Composers in the USA after 1945

                    > JIRAK – HUSA – NELHYBEL  <

 

Jirak, Karel Boleslav                        Symphonic Scherzo

 

Husa, Karel                                       Cheetah

 

Nelhybel, Vaclav                              Trittico

 

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Husa, Karel                                       Smetana Fanfare

 

Nelhybel, Vaclav                               Sinfonia Resurrectionis

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