The mission of the Czech Army Central Band is to provide the musical accompaniment needed for all types of national and private events. It specifically engages in activities related to the President, the Government Office, the Parliament and the Army. Its main activities are centered in the capital and its area of responsibility in Prague. In its professional activities, it performs during the following events:
The army band dates back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Following the First World War, the Ministry of Defense of Czechoslovakia decided to create a medium sized music band. After a number of reorganizations, the band began to serve as the band of the 4th Infantry Regiment in 1945. Just 5 years later on 1 December 1950, the Central Music Service of the Czechoslovak People's Army was founded with close to 160 musicians in its ranks. Its first commander was Colonel Hynek Sluka, with his deputy being Major Karel Stastny. At the time, the Bands of the ČSLA was made up of three smaller groups of musicians. The new band became an independent unit within the 80th Infantry Battalion "The Prague Uprising".
Repertoire and musical training
Besides classical music for the wind orchestra and marching music for the brass band, the army band performs melodies from popular films and songs from musical groups such as Queen and the Beatles. During concert activities, the Czech Army Band uses the works of many Moravian authors. Notable pieces include:
All members of the band are graduates of many military and national conservatories in the country. Most musicians are graduates of the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts or Prague Academy of Performing Arts. The training the band receives from JAMU and AMU is often reflected in the artistic quality of the band and the complexity of their performances.
Collaborations
The band often cooperates with many national organizations that provide musical accompaniment during its events. The most notable Czech organizations the band has worked with includes Czech Radio, where the band often plays Kde domov můj during newshours, as well as the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, of whom the band usually performs in joint concerts. As a NATO member, and a member of the European Union, the band also frequently tours Europe to be participants in many international festivals and performances that are held in countries like Denmark, Poland, Austria, Scotland, Germany, Norway, and Italy. The Band of the ČSLA made its first foreign performance in Brussels at Expo 58.
Ensembles
The band also provides activities of smaller ensembles such as:
