Centenary of genre-hopping composer Harry Macourek
Harry Macourek, who would have turned 100 this month, was active in various musical genres and styles, scoring pop hits as well as working in the jazz, film score, classical and other fields.
He was born Karel Macourek on 11 April 1923 in Banská Hodruša in Slovakia but studied at the Prague Conservatory and spent much of his life in the Czech lands.
Macourek wrote Socialist Realist songs following the Communist takeover of 1948.
He later worked at Czechoslovak Radio, where he was involved in the establishment of a number of ensembles, including string orchestras. He left the station in 1969.
A conductor by training, he taught at a Prague conservatory and organised events such as Prague’s International Jazz Festival and the Bratislava Lyre competition.
Macourek also co-wrote pop hits for the likes of Marta Kubišová, working with a number of well-known songwriters of the day. He died in 1992 at the age of 68.
