Emil Stolc | Compositori

Emil Štolc was born in the small town of Chorušice near Mělník and grew up in a musical environment, as his was father was active there as music teacher and folk musician. He followed the normal educational path and went to grade and high school there. After that he attended the Prague organ school in 1903. However, this educational phase did yield positive results, as he never rose above the mark “insufficient”. Quite to the contrary his studies at the conservatory in Prague were quite promising, where he studied flute. Štolc also mastered the fluegelhorn which his father had taught him. He passed his military service  in the 21^st infantry regiment from 1905 to 1908 in Kutná Hora. At that time the regimental band director was Johann Sitter, and his main instrument there was the flute.

Together with his family he moved to Brandýs nad Labem where his father established a music school and a band. He finally took over the baton of his father's band in 1912, but had already acquired the mandatory artist's license for this occupation in 1909. He then moved to Prague-Smíchov in 1912 and also founded a publishing company of his own there. In terms of conductor he was active too, as in 1922 he took over the baton of the local Sokal band. Another important engagement was the position of musical director of the Band of the Citizen's National Guard No. 2 in Prague. Unfortunately, in 1933 he had to cede his conductorship to a successor as he suffered from aggravating hearing and health problems.

Aside from his activities as a publisher he released the so-called “Musical Gazette”, an “information for all friends of music” from 1922 until 1935.

In the course of his life he produced some 1,000 compositions, of which approximately 800 were released by his own publishing company. Until today a large number of his melodious and spirited marches have survived. One of his best-known pieces, however, the 80^th March is not dedicated to the imperial and royal regiment of that name that existed in the Austrian army as assumed by many people. It was rather written for the then Czechoslovak president T.G. Masaryk.

A Czech source tells us much about the personality of Emil Štolc since he is described there as “honest, sincere, no intrigant, very industrious” and “one of the educated composers”.

Emil Štolc passed away in Nový Vestec near Stará Boleslav in 1940; he was buried at the Vinohrady Cemetery in Pague.