Composer, conductor, band leader, jazz pianist

Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College

www.kjj.cz

Since 1999 Milan Svoboda has held the position of professor of composition and music theory at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College in Prague. At the College, which specializes in jazz studies and was founded alongside the Conservatory in 2005, Svoboda teaches jazz harmony and leads the student big band - Big Band VOŠ KJJ (Prague Conservatory Jazz Orchestra). The College is unique in its own way and the substantial line of young talented jazz musicians who have passed through its walls have very quickly established themselves as professional musicians and trend-setters in contemporary jazz music. A very small sample of graduates includes Libor Šmoldas, Jan Jirucha, Jakub Doležal, Petr Kalfus, Luboš Soukup, Tomáš Hobzek, Ondřej Pivec, Míra Hloucal, Tomáš Liška, Michal Wroblevski and many others. The College specialized in jazz studies offers comprehensive education both theoretical (jazz harmony, arranging, composition, history of jazz, ear training) and practical (instrumental training, vocal training, improvisation, ensemble playing). The College only admits advanced students.

In 2014 Milan Svoboda was appointed head of the College specialized in jazz studies. The faculty consists of skilled, professional musicians well-known on the jazz scene: Libor Šmoldas (guitar, ensemble playing, rhythm training), Rostislav Fraš (saxophone, ensemble playing), Štěpánka Balcarová (trumpet, jazz history), Matěj Benko (piano), Martin Lehký (bass guitar), Rasťo Uhrík (double bass), Martin Šulc (drumset), Agnieszka Twardoch (vocal), Hana Pecková (vocal), František Tomšíček (trumpet), David Dorůžka (improvisation, ensemble playing), Petr Kalfus (ear training, ensemble playing, aesthetics and history class), Marcel Bárta (composition, improvisation, aesthetics and history class), Jakub Doležal (ensemble playing), Martin Brunner (mandatory piano, jazz history), Jakub Zommer (mandatory piano, ear training), Vít Křišťan (composition), Jan Hála (arranging), Milan Svoboda (jazz harmony, big band).

Driven by the need to provide a comprehensive study material for his jazz harmony lectures, Svoboda wrote an extensive textbook entitled Praktická jazzová harmonie (Practical Jazz Harmony) which was first published in 2013, followed by a 2nd edition in 2014. The book substantially complements his lectures. Svoboda also leads a jazz big band composed of students of both the College and the Conservatory. The VOŠ KJJ Big Band (Prague JJ Conservatory Jazz Orchestra) maintains a busy concert schedule, playing frequently in Prague's jazz clubs (Jazz Republic, Reduta, Jazz Dock) and has drawn much praise at jazz festivals both nationally and abroad. In 2007 and 2008 the group was among the finalists in the world-wide competition of student big bands in Monterey, California. The orchestra performed in other countries as well, including Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Taiwan and Vietnam and played at most important jazz festivals in the Czech Republic, e.g. Bohemia Jazz Fest, Jazz Goes To Town - Hradec Králové, MJF Praha, Slánské jazzové dny, Litvínov, Černošice.

Contact:

Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and College

Roškotova 4/1692
Praha 4 - Braník
140 00

Milan Svoboda's consultation hours:

Thursdays 10:30 to 12:00, classroom 212A

jazzman@milansvoboda.com

Director's office secretary: 
Veronika Jeřábková
tel.: 241 046 904
email: jerabkova.veronika@kjj.cz

PR, marketing, promotion and foreign relations: 
Mgr. Aleš Sedlák
tel.: 241 046 916
email: sedlak.ales@kjj.cz

Study department: 
Hana Novotná
tel.: 241 046 918
email: studijni@kjj.cz

Booking and contact

DOUBLE MS AGENCY