User:Jkkolar/Henry Kolar

Henry Kolar ...

Henry Kolar

Henry Kolar (b. 1923), only child of Czech immigrants, Henry and Marie Kolar, has been a lifelong advocate for classical music and a major figure in music in the San Diego, California area. He took his undergraduate degree at DePaul University and received graduate degrees at Northwestern University and University of Colorado. He also worked in the music programs at USC and the Vienna Academy of Music. Dr. Kolar taught music at USD for 35 years, where he founded the USD orchestra and music program. In addition, he served as concertmaster for the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, the Sherwood Hall Orchestra, and the La Jolla Chamber Orchestra, and conductor for both the San Diego Youth Symphony and the La Jolla Civic Orchestra. Between performing, conducting, and teaching, Dr. Kolar has enjoyed a lifetime of music.

Founder of the University of San Diego Symphony and Emeritus Professor of Music at USD, where he chaired the Fine Arts Department, Dr. Kolar has long been active in the musical life of San Diego since 1950. He has held the position of concertmaster with the San Diego Symphony. He has also appeared as violinist with the Alcala Trio and was, for many years, a member of the Modern Arts Quartet. A frequent recitalist, his San Diego performances includes appearances with the Grossmont Concert Association.

Dr. Kolar’s formal music education began in Chicago with Frank Jerabek, former concertmaster of the National Opera in Prague, Czechoslovakia. After WWII, he continued his education at DePaul University, where he studied composition with Leon Stein, then went on to Northwestern University to receive his M.M. in performance/composition.

During 1961-62, he traveled to the Academy of Music in Vienna, Austria, where he studied with Hans Jelinek, the author of the first treatise on 12-tone composition, and also with Alfred Uhl. Dr. Kolar was the violinist for the first performance of his Divertimento for Violin, Horn, and String Bass at the Academy.

Further study was done at the University of Southern California with violinist Eudice Shapiro and in composition under Ingolf Dahl in the doctoral program. Professor Kolar holds a doctorate from the University of Colorado.

An active composer, he has written commissioned works for the San Diego Symphony (1958), as well as for San Diego’s Chapter of “Young Audiences of America” (1968). His Variables for Strings (Kjos, 1990) are widely used by schools nationwide for intermediate/advanced string groups.

Dr. Kolar's father, Henry (Jindra) Kolar, was an active artist in retirement, favoring seascapes of La Jolla and Birdrock and landscapes including the older barns of the Ramona and Julian area. Dr. Kolar, himself, was offered a scholarship to the Chicago Institute of Art as well as a position at the Defense Language Institute after WWII, but turned them down in favor of a career in music.

 Education 

B.M., DePaul University; M.M., Northwestern University; D.M.A., University of Colorado