Autographed 3" x 5" postcard original photograph, autographed on the front, with a letter on the verso in 2 hands, one is his, where he signs with a nickname of Jaroslav.  Un-translated to a Willy Kopta, Prauge May 27, 1942.  Wartime correspondence.

Kocian (1883-1950) was one of Otakar Sevcik’s most successful Czech pupils.  He first studied with his Father as a child and then Josef Zabrodsky.  The violinist performed for the first time as a four year old wunderkind.  He later graduated from the Prague Conservatory studying with Sevcik with highest honors. Kocian was also pupil in Antonin Dvorak’s composition class.  He made his professional debut at the age of 18 in 1901 in Prague and then onto Vienna where he received rave reviews.  Kocian reached the United States in 1902 where he was also a huge hit, especially with the Czech immigrant community.  The violinist then spent the next several decades crossing Europe and the United States giving recitals and playing concerts with orchestra. He was Jan Kubelik’s closest competitor.

He later joined the Prague Conservatory faculty where among his pupils was the young Josef Suk and Vaclav Snitl creating violin Masters School program there.  The conservatory in Usti his home town bears his name as well as a string quartet which was founded in the mid 1970’s.  Today there is a violin competition in Prague every Spring which bears his name.

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