Jan Boleslav Sedivka AM (8 September 191722/23 August 2009) was widely recognised as one of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

's leading violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

ists and teachers. Educated in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

, France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, he made his reputation over overseas as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher before coming to Australia in 1961.

Educated in the Czech Republic (Otakar Ševčík

Otakar Ševcík

Otakar Ševčík was a Czech violinist and influential teacher. He was known as a soloist and an ensemble player, including his occasional performances with Eugène Ysaÿe.-Biography:...

, Prague Conservatoire, J. Kocian), France (École Normale de Musique, Classe Jacques Thibaud) and England (Max Rostal

Max Rostal

Max Rostal was a violinist and a viola player. He was Austrian-born, but later took British citizenship.-Biography:Max Rostal was born in Cieszyn and studied with Carl Flesch. He won the Mendelssohn Scholarship in 1925...

), he made his reputation overseas as a soloist, chamber music player and teacher.

As a performer, Jan Sedivka gained special merit for his efforts on behalf of Australian contemporary music. In this capacity he introduced a number of important works dedicated to him, in particular concertos by Larry Sitsky

Larry Sitsky

Lazar Sitsky AM, usually referred to as Larry Sitsky, born 10 September 1934, is an Australian composer, pianist, and music educator and scholar...

 (Nos. 1, 2, 3 & 4), James Penberthy

James Penberthy

James Penberthy AM was an Australian composer and journalist.He was born Albert James Penberthy in Melbourne in 1917. He served with the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. He then studied at the University of Melbourne, where he obtained first class honours in composition...

, Ian Cugley

Ian Cugley

- Early life:He was born in Melbourne in 1945. He gained early prominence with two orchestral works, Pan, the Lake and Prelude for Orchestra, which were performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1967 and subsequently recorded on EMI...

, Don Kay

Don Kay (composer)

Donald Henry Kay AM is an Australian classical composer.Don Kay attained a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Melbourne after which he taught music at Colac High School, Victoria, 1957-59. He then went on to teach music at Peckham Manor Comprehensive School for Boys, London, UK 1959-64...

, Colin Brumby

Colin Brumby

Colin Brumby is an Australian composer and conductor.He was born in Melbourne and studied at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, from which he graduated in 1957. He went to Spain to study advanced composition with Philipp Jarnach, and to London to study with Alexander Goehr...

, Edward Cowie

Edward Cowie

Edward Cowie is an English composer, author, Natural Scientist, and painter-Biography:Cowie was born in Birmingham, England in 1943 and spent most of his early life in the rural countryside...

 and Eric Gross

Eric Gross

Eric Gross AM was an Austrian-Australian pianist and composer.-Biography:Gross was born in Vienna and emigrated to England in 1938. From the age of fourteen, he worked as a pianist in bands and orchestras...

.

For his services to music Dr. Sedivka received many honours including:

• Member of the Order of Australia
  Order of Australia
  The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
  
   1987
• Honorary Fellow, Trinity College of Music, London
• Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Tasmania
• Honorary Professor, Shanghai Conservatory of Music
• Memorial Gold Medal, Prague Academy of Musical Arts
• Honorary Fellowship in Music Australia
• Honorary Citizen, Royal City of Slany (Czech Republic)
• Sir Bernard Heinze
  Bernard Heinze
  Sir Bernard Thomas Heinze, AC was an Australian Professor of Music, conductor, and Director of the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music....
  
  Memorial Award 1995 (University of Melbourne)
• Honorary Professor University of Tasmania 1995
• Distinguished Service Award Australian Strings Association 1998.