An old Czech saying says: “Stop at the best!”
Ústí n. O. – He is the most experienced organizer of the Kocian’s violin celebration. Without his activities, the competition would no longer exist, claims the chairman of the jury Pavel Hůla. We are talking about Pavel Sedláček, the chairman of the Foundation of Maestro Jaroslav Kocian, for whom is this jubilee 60th year his last one in this function. “It is important that co-workers who are a guarantee that the show 
can go on appeared,” he says in an interview that he provided to the competition and festival newsletter that he helped on establishing. “We were printing it under the stage on a spirit apparatus called “Ormig”. While we were at the best, people came running from the stage with a complaint that there is a taproom kind of odor,” he remembers with laugh.
Pavel, can you calculate on how many years of “Kocianka” did you participate as an organizer? I tried and ended up with an astronomical number.
Astronomical number is a little exaggerated, but the fact is that I participated as a co-organizator for the first time in the XII. Year in 1971, which means that this year it is for the 47th time.
What were your beginnings like? I suppose they differed from the present.
I wouldn’t say so. The competition was already set into four age categories. Then, prof. Otakar Stejskal from the Prague conservatory, who was the one to finish the age distribution, was in the lead of the nine-member jury. Of course, there were issues regarding accommodations, but local boarding houses helped us figure out the situation. I as a new member of the organization team suggested to publish a Newsletter during the competition. We were printing it under the stage on a spirit apparatus called “Ormig”. While we were at the best, people came running from the stage with a complaint that there is a taproom kind of odor. We had to move, but the Newsletter came out four times. I don’t even know if at least one copy was preserved. I do not have it, unfortunately. Therefore, this year, the KVC Newsletter has a heading that says, “year 47”.
What do you think about the determination and organization spirit of the “old guard” of the “Kocianka”? And I do not mean only you, but also Jana Dychtrichová, Mrs. Fajtová from the Foundation and others.
A competition with such tradition as KVC must be built on the people for whom it matters the world. I cannot do it only as a duty or just for the financial reward. Organizers like that were always found in Ústí throughout the 60 years. I cannot name all of who would deserve it; starting with the founders and ending with our “old guard”. It is important that there are always people who carry the relay; from Klubcentrum, ZUŠ, functionaries from the town hall or fans of the KVC outside the town. I like to remember all my former co-workers and friends.
Was there any breakthrough year, after which the competition started a completely different chapter?
Primarily, it was the year 1965 when the KVC became an international competition; the number of categories stabilized, and the absolute winner was given the title “laureate of the KVC”. Peter Cočev Delčev from Bulgaria became the first laureate and a year later, the title went to a first Czech contestant Bohuslav Matoušek. The competition also got its logo that we still use today. The author of the dove with the heart in form of a treble clef was a well-known Czech graphic designer Jaroslav Cheben, who is no longer with us.
Which Czech winner or laureate stuck into your memory and why?
That is a very difficult question. Of course, there are more of them because they all seem to me as our children that we are letting go into the world on a musical journey, which is not always easy. After all, I would mention two of them. It is Pavel Eret, a humble boy, who dared to uphold the given title and he remains the only one to achieve that. And then we have Pavel Šporcl and I am not saying it only because he’s been a patron of the competition for three years! He used to come to Ústí with his teacher Mr. Havel for a few years. He was gradually getting awards in different categories; he was getting better with years, but he was still the same little blonde, rather shy boy. When he won the third category in 1986 and got the most points and the title “laureate of the KVC”, nothing changed. He remained the same Pavel that we knew all the years. Simply our “Šporclík” how we used to call him.
How about the foreign ones?
In this case, it is unambiguous. The year 1984, the first category, and the excellent performance of the seven-year-old Stefan Milenkovich from that time’s Yugoslavia. The jury with Václav Snítil in the lead was astonished. Then, when the gained points were counted, we found out that no one else got more. The debate whether it is possible for the winner of the first category to get the laureate title arose. Until then, usually, the absolute winner was from the IV. category. The propositions clearly said that the one who gains the most point becomes a laureate. Václav Snítil also unambiguously said that the performance of Stefan fits the score and a sensation was alive. I am very happy that Stefan returned to Ústí after many years in the “Prolog” of this year’s Kocianovo Ústí.
Pavel Hůla refers to you as the fighter for the competition, without whom it would not exist today. Did this critical situation really occur? If yes, what decided that the competition that carries the name of a famous native from Ústí could go on?
Pavel is exaggerating. A fighter for the competition, yes, but always shielded by the co-workers and especially the Foundation of Maestro Jaroslav Kocian. That was always a certainty, especially on the financial side. When the clouds gathered upon the competition, the sun always came back, and the show went on.
About the jubilee year, does it have some tops for you? Is there anything that you especially do not want to miss?
That would surely be the Ceremonial concert for the 60th anniversary of the KVC, at which the whole parade of the laureates will perform.
Since we are talking about the concerts, are you going to all of them?
Of course, if my health lets me, I am looking forward to all of them. I already mentioned the recital on Stefan Milenkovich and the ending will also surely be enjoyable. After many years, the Ceremonial Mass composed by Jaroslav Kocian in 1905 will be played in the dean’s temple.
Is there any human interaction without which “Kocianka” cannot exist for you? Before, it was surely the long-time chairman of the jury professor Snítil, but he is now looking at us only from the musical Heaven.
Of course, I cannot forget Václav Snítil. However, every year, Ivan Štraus comes to Ústí, usually with some pupil of his. But if you’re asking without whom I couldn’t imagine the KVC, then it is the annual meetings with Ludmila Stránka, a former violin teacher, a member of the first jury of the KVC with the chairman Maestro Bohuš Heran in 1959. Lída hasn’t missed not one competition yet; as an honorable member of the jury, she will come to Ústí for the 60th time. That’s what I call determination!
How do you personally perceive the symbiosis of the competition and the significantly younger festival? Do they harmonize and support each other?
In fact, Kocianovo Ústí is older than the KVC. It was held from the mid-fifties and in 1959, Kocian’s Competition for young violinists became its part. Already in the nineties, there were supplementary concerts within the KVC. Therefore, when Jaroslav Svěcený came with the idea of a supplementary program for the KVC in form of a comprehensive music festival in 2005, the thought was supported and the name “Kocianovo Ústí” was offering itself. In twelve-year time, the festival of course underwent its evolution. Jaroslav Svěcený was making it for the first ten years. Two years ago, the dramaturgy was passed to Pavel Šporcl. Anyway, the competition and the festival are mutually connected and together, they create one whole even though they are two soberly separate events.
What do you think about the support from the town and the approach of its management? Was the relationship always positive, or was it changing in time?
The support of the town in such event as the KVC always develops from the focus of the leading functionaries of the town hall. Some like culture, some sports, some postage stamps, other gardeners. Honestly, I must confirm that the support for the competition was always found at the town hall. Sometimes it was bigger, other times smaller, but with time, the KVC became such a strong tradition that there were always enough hands for financial help. I experienced it myself when I was functioning at the town hall in the leading positions. Of course, we had to remember the culture, but also the sport and other activities. Today, the support from the town hall is very high. The connection with the Foundation of Maestro Jaroslav Kocian proved to be useful, especially in the last years. As the mayor Petr Hájek says – Kocianovo Ústí and the Kocian’s Violin Competition are the town’s flagship.
A new and a very significant face of the competition and the festival is Pavel Šporcl, a man “raised” by “Kociánka”. Do you think that this front Czech virtuoso is right for our competition?
I already praised Pavel in the previous answers. Naturally, his “function” as a patron of the competition prove itself. Pavel Šporcl takes it seriously. The whole week, he is around the competitors; he closely observes their performances and as he says – he is near to dry the tears of happiness or disappointment or to tune the violin of a small Mongolian competitor in the first category when he can’t do it himself. The competition orchestra, which he made, is for sure a great experience for the little violinists. After all, Pavel Šporcl performs with them as a soloist!
What should be changed, improved or adjusted in the next sixty years? Do you prefer essential changes or a conservatory approach?
I think that the essential changes are not needed. The number of categories has proven oneself with the time. The compulsory pieces are chosen by the jury and it is only up to them how difficult is each category going to be. Naturally, it calls for prudence, so the difficulty doesn’t turn against the competition. The competition was mainly established for the Czech promising violinists, but I am little scared that the amount of our children in the greatest category is getting smaller. Learning to play the violin is very difficult and there are many different attractions. We will also have to get used to the fact that even in the children’s competitions, there are financial prizes. In this, I am personally conservative, but it is just something that life brings. We will have to find new sponsors. However, from many years of experience I believe that the competition has a good perspective.
I think that we do not have to conceal the fact that the Foundation of Maestro Jaroslav Kocian, who are you a chairman of for many years, is financing the publication of my book, which will be baptized at the beginning of the competition week. What led you to support this activity?
First, I think that Pavel Hůla deserves this book. For his long-time warm relationship to the competition, Jaroslav Kocian, and our town. Concurrently, we also pay tribute to the anniversary of “Kocianka” with this publication. That is because in the interview with Pavel Hůla reflects the whole history of the competition, on which this excellent violinist participated. Thank you, too, of course, for the initiative that led to writing the whole interview.
Talking about books and writing – you wrote a lot about “Kocianka”. Are you going to complete the almanac texts that could not exist without your effort?
I was the author of the Almanac “Four Decades of the KVC” in 1998 and “Half of a Century of the KVC” in 2008. Those copies are obviously unavailable, but they are available in the electronic form on our www website. Therefore, this year, only an addition to these almanacs will be published in the competition brochure of the KVC. It will only briefly with words and pictures contain the period between 2008 and 2018.
Do you somehow conceal that after this year you are leaving for your “hard earned rest”? Is there any chance that it would change? What led you to this decision?
An old Czech saying says: “Stop at the best!” And I want to follow it. I remember a lot and I see that for making decisions, in many areas, young blood is needed, and I would hate to only become a tolerated barrier. It is important that co-workers who are a guarantee that the show can go on appeared. Of course, I am only leaving the function of the chairman of the Foundation of Maestro Jaroslav Kocian. If there is any further interest of my services on the pages of the chronicles of the competition or sometimes a piece of advice is needed, of course, if my health lets me, I will happily be available.
And finally, if you look back at the decades of dedicated work for the KVC, what did it give and take from you?
Firstly, it gave me hundreds of wonderful memories, meetings, making of many friendships. What could be better than closely observing the birth of our violin stars? After all, the best we have today went through our competition. We still meet some of them today. I won’t stop treasuring the friendship with Václav Snítil until my death. Memories of many excellent people who I encountered at the competition will always stay. What did it take from me? Perhaps only a lot of free time that I had to sacrifice to the preparation and organization, but that is a matter of course. I never neglected my family, quite the opposite, my kids picked up a beautiful relationship to music.
photo: Adam Faltus