Ján Levoslav Bella

Ján Levoslav Bella ( born September 4, 1843 in Liptovsky Mikulas ( Liptau Mikuláš ), † May 25, 1936 in Bratislava) was a Slovak composer.

Life and work

After attending high school in Levoca, the allowed him the Zipser Bishop, Bella studied in Banská Bystrica Catholic theology and two years in Vienna on Pazmaneum composition with Simon Sechter, who also Schubert and Bruckner was a teacher.

In 1866 he was ordained a priest in Banská Bystrica. In 1870 he was Kapellmeister in Kremnitz.

From 1881 to 1921 he was city cantor and conductor in Sibiu / Transylvania, where he converted to Protestantism and married. There he composed events like fairs and other sacred music his most important work, the opera ( Kováč Wieland - Wieland the Smith, 1926), a symphonic poem, as well as string quartets and quintets, piano and violin pieces and songs.

In 1921 he moved to Vienna with his daughter Augusta. From 1928 he lived in Bratislava. After the outbreak of a serious illness, he withdrew from the public. He died aged 93.

His granddaughter is the pianist Dagmar Sturli -Bella.

Appreciation

The Conservatory was founded in Banská Bystrica in 1992 was named after Ján Levoslav Bella.

Jan- Levoslav -Bella - Price

Since 1963 works of contemporary composers will be awarded the Jan- Levoslav -Bella - Price in Slovakia. Among the excellent composers are, inter alia, Ján Cikker, Ilya Zeljenka, Vladimír Godár, Roman Berger.