Alesh Jermar Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth and Family

When one of his students introduced Alesh to synthesizers in the early 1980s, he was inspired to expand his musical focus. Synthesizers offered him a wide spectrum of sounds to be created, such as instruments of a symphony orchestra together with sounds of organ, harp, harpsichord, pealing bells, Spanish guitars, and human voices, They also enabled him to incorporate the sounds of nature, including authentic voices of whales, wolves, and loons. He combined his knowledge of Gregorian Chant and twentieth century classical music with his keen interest in new sounds and contemporary musical styles in order to create his new signature sound. The first piece recorded on synthesizers followed his visit to Norwegian fiords, capturing their peace and tranquility. This was followed by the CD entitled Crossway of Dreams, his first commercial recording since his award-winning Fantasy for the Left Hand and Human Conscience. Crossway of Dreams was inspired by nature, visual images, poems, fairy tales, and paintings of his friend Ivan Dobroruka, who designed the CD’s cover. It could often be heard on the Hearts of Space radio station in the early nineties. Next came the recording entitled the Children of Atlantis, dedicated to children of the past, present and future. Concerned that too much dependence on media can sap children’s ability to think and create, he intended to encourage them to dream, build fantasies, and inspire creativity. Alesh was also fascinated with nature and worried about the environment being polluted and destroyed. His music stands as a testament to his love of nature and concern for all humanity.

In 1975, Alesh settled in New London, Connecticut. He continued to compose music, teach piano to a few selected students, and concertize extensively in prestigious venues in the US and abroad.

Alesh Jermar had a life-long aversion to totalitarian control. His outspokenness, combined with growing international recognition of his musicianship, made him unpopular with the Communist regime that dominated every facet of life in the country. As a result, he experienced incarceration, beating, and betrayal. In 1964, he fled Czechoslovakia via Yugoslavia and Austria and emigrated to the USA, arriving in New York City. In 1971, the American Guild of Organists in New York City noted: “In a short time in the United States, Mr. Jermar has established himself as a musician, composer, and improviser of the highest caliber.”

As a composer, Alesh Jermar favored a strong melody line and stressed melodiousness and creativity. Most of his compositions were spontaneously improvised and once finalized, he was able to keep them in memory and play them during his performances. He would notate his music only when he intended it to be performed by other musicians. His music complements visual imagery and often tells a story; its dramatic quality evokes a wide range of emotions that can easily translate into stage and film productions. As an organist, Alesh had an immense repertoire and, in addition, he could improvise in any style from any period. During his performances he often improvised on four or more random notes taken from the audience. One of his most notable works Fantasie pro lovou ruku a lidské svědomí (Fantasy for left hand and human conscience) was recorded in 1960. This composition inspired film director Pavel Hobl to make a short documentary film in which Otakar Hollmann, a Czech left-handed piano virtuoso, accompanied by the Czechoslovak Film Symphonic orchestra, FISYO, (directed by František Belfín), performed it against the backdrop of falling bombs and scenes of wartime suffering. This film, which carries a potent anti-war message, received prestigious prizes in the international film festivals in Cannes (1960), Leipzig (1961), Munich (1961) and Mexico City (1961). Subsequently, it was played at the film festivals and movie theatres throughout Czechoslovakia. A French recording company Barclay produced a single that was presented as a gift to every attendee of the film’s screening in Cannes Film Festival that year.

After his graduation, Alesh created and taught a course in the Aesthetics of Film Music at FAMU (The Film Faculty of the Academy for Performing Arts) in Prague but, being the son of a pharmaceutical factory owner in a country under communist rule, he was eventually asked to leave this position. After that, he accompanied live broadcasts of a popular television program Zvĕdavá kamera (Curious camera) with his improvisations and began to be noticed by young movie directors, who offered him work in the production of short films. From 1955 to 1964, he held the position of Staff Composer and Music Director in Czechoslovak State Film (ČSF) and Television (ČST). In addition, he often improvised live for children’s marionette programs in Czechoslovak State Television (ČST). Fascinated with marionettes, he obtained a degree in puppetry and began collecting them.

Alesh Jermar was the only child of the distinguished family of Vítĕzslav Viktor Jermář, a musician, chemist, and pharmaceutical manufacturer and Berta Jermářová, a pharmacist. His father’s pharmaceutical factory was nationalized and incorporated into the state owned firm Spofa after February 1948.

From 1947 to 1955, Alesh attended the State Conservatory and Academy of Musical Arts (AMU) in Prague. He concluded his advanced studies in music and film arts with a dissertation entitled Aesthetics of Stage and Film Music and a performance in the Rudolfinum (House of Artists), where he, accompanied by the Prague Symphony, performed his composition for organ and orchestra.

Alesh Jermar (1929–2004) was a Czech post-modernist composer, film music composer, organist, pianist, and synthesizer player. While working in the Czechoslovak film and television industry, he composed music for over 200 short films, some of which received awards in international film festivals. He was also a dazzling performer praised for his interpretative brilliance, instrumental virtuosity, and exceptional improvisational skills.