Josef Vejvoda 80

It would be hard to find another Czech musician with such a wide creative scope and such a rich discography as Josef Vejvoda. In 2025, he celebrates his 80th birthday – and yet he remains active, inspiring, and musically vibrant.

His work spans chamber and symphonic music, electronic and pop music, choral and salon repertoire. Josef is a jazzman with polka in his blood – his father composed the famous Beer Barrel Polka. In 1967, he won first prize in a national jazz drumming competition and has repeatedly been featured in the All Stars Band polls. He has performed with nearly all the leading figures of Czech jazz, as well as many international stars. His drumming can be heard on numerous recordings as a member of SHQ, Jazz Cellula, the Czechoslovak Radio Jazz Orchestra (JOČR), and in ensembles led by Jiří Stivín, Karel Růžička, Emil Viklický, and the Prague Super Quartet. In 1987, Vejvoda stepped away from the Czech Radio Big Band and later returned as a guest conductor. In 1998, he formed his own trio and released a number of acclaimed albums, including A Meeting to Build a Dream On (with American trumpeter Benny Bailey), which was named Jazz Album of the Year 2001 by Czech Radio. Vejvoda’s compositions have been performed by top artists such as Josef Suk and Pavel Šporcl. He has collaborated with many symphony orchestras, and his vocal works have been sung by renowned choirs such as the Moravian Teachers’ Choir, Prague Chamber Choir, and Prague Singers. In 2002, he conducted the Castle Guard and Czech Police Music Ensemble in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. As a tribute to his first jazz concert with Jiří Stivín back in 1963 (with the band Jazztet), Vejvoda re-established the ensemble in 2018. The album I Remember captures two concerts held 25 years apart in Hořice – one with the Gustav Brom Big Band and one with his Jazztet – featuring exclusively his original compositions. It stands as yet another testament to the extraordinary musical journey of Josef Vejvoda, a journey that has spanned more than sixty years.

In the first part of the evening, the Josef Vejvoda Jazztet will perform: 

František Tomšíček – trp; Přemysl Tomšíček- trb; Osian Roberts – ts;   Vladimír Strnad – p;  Ondřej Štajnochr – b; Daniel Šoltis – dr.

In the second part, Josef Vejvoda will conduct his big band.

Admission: seated 650 Kč, standing 300 Kč. There is no need to reserve a seat when purchasing a seating ticket. To reserve a specific seat, please write your request in the notes when purchasing your ticket. Fulfillment of your request cannot be guaranteed.

Band website: www.j-vejvoda.cz