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University educator, composer, and musicologist Jan Vičar from the Department of Music Education and Culture at the Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia (FPE UWB), travelled to Brazil in June to lecture and perform. His stay culminated in a performance of his symphonic piece Maestoso at the Salão de Atos concert hall of UFRGS, where it was performed by the Orquestra Filarmônica da UFRGS under the baton of Carlos Völker-Fecher in front of an audience of a thousand.

At the universities UFRGS and UERGS, Jan Vičar delivered a series of lectures on 19th- and 20th-century Czech music, musical semiotics and aesthetics, and the use of artificial intelligence in composition. The biggest response came when he demonstrated how he used AI to set a personal greeting to students to music—first in the style of classic rock, then in the rhythm of Latin American samba. He lectured in English, but key information was presented in Brazilian Portuguese via slides. “Professor Vičar demonstrated an excellent ability to engage with both teachers and students. His lecture on AI in music sparked a lively and academically rich discussion,” said Professor Gladis Falavigna, an expert in pedagogy.

Vičar’s Lullabies for violin and piano were also performed at the chamber concert Brasil e República Tcheca. During a composition seminar, he introduced his cantata and choral works and provided commentary and feedback on pieces written by students and doctoral candidates in composition. “His compositions and presentations revealed an exceptional breadth of thought and the ability to move between different musical styles. He impressed the Brazilian audience not only with his expertise but also with his human approach. In addition to profound knowledge, he showed extraordinary teaching skills,” summarized Brazilian conductor and composer Professor Antônio Carlos Borges-Cunha, who co-organized Vičar’s visit.

In addition to the academic program, the trip included a cultural component: learning about the socially focused music project Orquestra Jovem, meeting with the Association of Descendants of Czech Settlers in Nova Petrópolis, and visiting several cultural institutions in Rio de Janeiro.

“Music connected us across the ocean. Brazil is welcoming, dynamic, and inspiring,” Jan Vičar reflected. He now plans to apply the insights gained in Brazil to his teaching and future collaboration at the University of West Bohemia.

Jan Vičar’s two-week trip took place within the framework of the ERASMUS+ programme and the partnership agreement between the University of West Bohemia and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS).