Hanuš Svoboda (15/06/1876 - 16/12/1964), a Czech composer, organist and teacher. Hanuš (Jan) Svoboda , pseudonym John A. Dobow, born in Příbram, died in Prague.
He graduated from the teachers' institute in Příbram. He then continued in music privately. His teachers were, among others, Josef Förster Jr. and Karel Stecker . He passed the state examinations in singing and playing the violin , piano and organ . In the years 1896 – 1910 , he taught at secondary schools and the teachers' institute in Příbram. He then spent 9 years as a professor at the teachers' institute in Soběslav . In the years 1919 – 1925 , he worked at a teachers' institute in Bratislava . Here he was also appointed associate professor at the Academy of Music . Since 1926lived permanently in Prague. He taught at secondary schools, was choir director and organist in several Prague churches and also worked as a choirmaster.
His son, Jaroslav Svoboda (* April 26 , 1908 in Příbram), also became a musician. He studied violin at the Prague Conservatory and worked as a teacher at the Municipal Music School in Mladá Boleslav , was a violist in the Symphony Orchestra of the Czechoslovak Radio , a violinist in the Czech Philharmonic and was also a member of the Peškov (later Czechoslovak ) Quartet . He is the author of several smaller compositions.
According to his own statement, he composed 900 compositions. His scope was very wide. He wrote chamber music, church music, songs, arrangements of folk songs, but also English songs (under the pseudonym John A. Dobow) and pieces for the brass band.