Alena Veselá | |
|---|---|
 Veselá in 2013 | |
| Born | (1923-07-07)7 July 1923 Brno, Czechoslovakia |
| Died | 11 May 2025(2025-05-11) (aged 101) Brno, Czech Republic |
| Occupations |
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| Organizations | Janáček Academy of Performing Arts |
| Awards | Medal of Merit |
Alena Veselá (married nameŠtěpánková;[1] 7 July 1923 – 11 May 2025) was a Czechorganist and academic music teacher, rector of theJanáček Academy of Performing Arts inBrno from 1990 to 1997. She played concerts internationally.
Veselá was born in Brno on 7 July 1923. Her parents were Vítězslav Veselý, a professor of chemistry and his wife Helena; she grew up with a brother, Karel.[2] Her first piano teacher was Zdeňka Illnerová.[3] Veselá studied organ at theBrno Conservatoire during World War II.[2] She studied further at the newly established BrnoJanáček Academy of Music (JAMU) from 1947.[2][4] She studiedmusicology at theMasaryk University in Brno.[5]
From 1952, she worked for almost fifty years at the Academy[1][2] where she was the head of the department of keyboard instruments from 1986 to 1990[6][7] andrector from 1990 to 1997.[2][6][7] She was the first rector after the Soviet period,[2] and the only woman on the post in the academy's history. She pursued a historically informed interpretation of early organ music.[7] Among her students wereVěra Heřmanová [cs],Kamila Klugarová [cs],Petr Kolař, Zdeněk Nováček, and David Postránecký.[7][8] She was responsible for expanding buildings of the JAMU and took care of its organ.[9] She was awarded theMedal of Merit in the field of arts and education in 2020,[2][6] but a ceremony with the President could be held only in 2022.[6]
Veselá gave concerts inCzechoslovakia and abroad,[7] in Europe and the United States.[3] She was permitted to travel, although she was no member of the Communist Party.[2] She managed to discover organ compositions by Czech composers in European archives.[10] She recorded organ music by Czech composers, both historic such asFrantišek Brixi andJiří Ignác Linek and contemporary includingPetr Eben.[5] She played a suite byLouis-Nicolas Clérambault in a concert of the 42nd Brno Organ Festival on her 99th birthday.[7]
She was the chairwoman of the association for the construction of a new concert hall in Brno and participated in the organization of the Brno International Music Festival.[3][9] She played a significant role in completing the reconstruction of the Besední Dom, the seat of theBrno Philharmonic,[3] and took care of its organ.[9] In 2025 she was present, when the cornerstone of a new concert hall was laid.[11]
Veselá was active in sports as a girl, winning a regional slalom and achieving level 5 of 6 in mounting climbing in theHigh Tatras.[9] She married Mirek Štěpánek in 1954. The couple had one child and lived in Brno.[2]
Veselá died on 11 May 2025, aged 101.[1][2][3][11]
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