Cikker, Jan

Cikker, Jan, eminent Slovak composer and pedagogue; b. Banská Bystrica, July 29, 1911; d. Bratislava, Dec. 21, 1989. He was a student of Kricka (composition), Dëdecek (conducting), and Wiedermann (organ) at the Prague Cons. (1930–35), where he then attended Novak’s master class in composition (1935–36). He concurrently studied musicology at the Univ. of Prague, and then pursued conducting studies with Weingartner in Vienna (1936–37). After settling in Bratislava, he was prof, of theory at the Cons. (1938–51) and prof, of composition at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (1951–81). In 1955, 1963, and 1975 he was awarded state prizes. In 1966 he was named a National Artist by his homeland, and that same year was awarded the Herder Prize of the Univ. of Vienna. In 1979 he received the UNESCO Prize. In a number of his works, Cikker utilized Slovak melodies. In others, he moved toward expressionism and eventually embraced serial procedures. His works for the stage were particularly notable. </