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Jan Kubelík (July 5, 1880 – December 5, 1940) was a Czech violinist and composer.
He was born in Michle (now part of Prague) and studied at the conservatory in Prague with Otakar Sevcík. His toured as a soloist from 1898, soon became renowned for his great virtuosity and spot on perfect intonation, and continued to play internationally until his death. He made a number of recordings, and also wrote music, including six violin concertos. However, by the time he reached his 20's, with the advent of Heifetz, his career dwindled. Although his playing was perfect in the note sense, it lacked any emotional depth. As a child, he used to practice 10 to 12 hours a day, or "until my fingers started to bleed." He died in Prague.
Kubelík was featured in a short eponymous poem by Carl Sandburg (published in Chicago Poems, 1916).
Jan Kubelík was the father of the conductor Rafael Kubelík.
External link
- The Jan Kubelik Society (http://www.sdmusic.cz/jankubelik/)