TCHCC Presents Junior Dixieland Band

The Texas Czech Heritage & Cultural Center will proudly host the Junior Dixieland Band from the Czech Republic on Thursday, July 25 beginning at 7 PM. No admission will be charged and the public is invited to this special concert.  The ensemble consists of eight members and two directors for the tour.  They will arrive in New Orleans, Louisiana, travel through Texas for several performances and then back to Louisiana to perform at the Satchmo Summer Fest in New Orleans on August 2-4.   

The Junior Dixieland Band is from the Fryderyk (Frederic) Chopin’s Arts School from the spa town of Mariánské Lázně in the Czech Republic.  This ensemble is well known for its amazing accomplishments.  They have taken part in several jazz festivals in the Czech Republic and abroad as well as The Festival of European Union in Germany, the Competition of Talents in the Berlin Music Festival, The International Music Festival of Purmerend in Holland, Germany, and in the International Jazz Festival in France.  In 2004, the Junior Dixieland Band recorded its first CD and received the highest award in the competition in the Czech Republic.  In 2006, Junior Dixieland took a three-week tour in Australia which included six concerts at a Jazz Festival in Wagga, Wagga.   In 2007, they performed for one week in Hamburg and in 2008, visited Chicago and held six concerts there.  

Fryderyk Chopin’s Arts School, which is located in the western part of the Czech Republic, has a significant influence on cultural life of Mariánské Lázně.  What began as a Town Music Academy with 130 students twenty years ago now has increased to 500.  Students in the school range in age from 12 to 19.  From the beginning, teachers began doing extraordinary work in forming orchestras and ensembles.  They continue to excel and are appreciated by their audiences.  Each year more than 270 events are held by the Fryderyk Chopin’s Arts School.  They include orchestras, ensembles, folk lore groups and art exhibits. Evidence of their success is that many continue with music to become soloists or join professional groups.   

“The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange is pleased to welcome these young Czech musicians to Texas and to provide an opportunity for them to meet people in our area,” said President Chandler.   For more information, contact Mark Hermes, Manager or Retta Chandler, President, info@czechtexas.org.