Ladislav Simon (03/04/1929 - 19/05/2011), a Czech (Jazz-) composer, born in Klanovice, died in Čerčany, Prague. He was a solo and chamber pianist until 1970, during which time he concentrated on romantic and modern music. He studied composition under A. Haba. From 1959 to 1970 he was the director of the orchestra at the Vinohrady theater, from 1970 to 1975 he was the director of the orchestra of the players' drama company in the National theater, and from 1974 to 1977 he was the conductor and dramatic adviser for the National theater. He also concentrates on educational activities at the Prague conservatory. He concentrated his composing efforts firstly on dramatic and film music (150 compositions for plays, 500 for television, e.g., theme tunes, the theme for Vecernicek (Good Night Children), and then, in the sixties, mostly chamber music, where he verified techniques for writing New Music (Missa non sacra). Simon's musical phrases are fascinating today because of the interesting contemporary synthesis of classical music with stylized jazz elements. His most popular works include a Concerto for piano, the wind quintet Perokresby (Pen and Ink drawings), the ballet Jennifer, and Requiem za zemrele, pro ktere byla hudba zivotem (Requiem for the dead, for whom music was life), written in 1992.