My memories of the early years of my involvement with the Kocian Violin Competition in the 1990s (as an editor of the Bulletin) are always connected with the eve of the competition, when I used to meet Professor Václav Snítil in the streets of the town.
Wearing his characteristic beret, he would stroll through Ústí nad Orlicí, recalling times long past, when he used to come here together with his teacher, Jaroslav Kocian.
These meetings with Professor Snítil took place almost every year, and I would always look out for the silhouette of his figure, as it marked, for me, the true beginning of the competition. For newer visitors, it is worth noting that Václav Snítil served as a jury member of the Kocian Violin Competition thirty times, and from 1976 to 2000 he acted as its chairman. The guiding principle of his life as a musician was to preserve and promote the legacy of his teacher Jaroslav Kocian, and he undoubtedly succeeded in doing so on many fronts: through his masterful performances, his pedagogical work, and his activity on the competition jury. His recordings of Kocian’s compositions are also of great value, offering a direct insight and guidance into how the composer himself might have interpreted his works.
If you would like to follow in Jaroslav Kocian’s footsteps through Ústí nad Orlicí, you can visit the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, where the Master once performed with the local St Cecilia Music Society. The most important place, of course, is Jaroslav Kocian’s birthplace. It is easy to find — in the street leading from the square, just behind the Sázava bakery and the pharmacy, you will see a vegetarian restaurant; that is the house. On the first floor, there is a memorial plaque with a portrait commemorating the date of Kocian’s birth, 22 February 1883.
If you have the time and inclination to continue your walk, just outside the town towards Letohrad stands Kocian’s villa. Clearly visible from the road above the Orlice valley, it offers a truly rewarding view. Impossible to miss, it is a genuine landmark of the area. On its gable, you can see large sculpted letters “J K” along with the silhouette of a violin.
After Jaroslav Kocian’s death, the first owners of the villa were the Kudrnáč family. As Mrs Eva Kudrnáčová-Štanclová was a dance teacher at the local music school, nothing prevented music-loving visitors from admiring the place where Kocian had once lived during the competition. Several photographs document visits to the villa from the early 1960s, among those pictured are Professor Václav Snítil and a young competitor, Václav Hudeček. Mrs Kudrnáčová-Štanclová fondly recalled hosting her guests with homemade fruit pastries, which the young Hudeček clearly enjoyed — they disappeared in no time at all!
And the years go by…
Mirek Němec