About Us

How the Czech Orff Society was founded

In 1995 Czech representatives attended the conference of “Treffen der Nachbarn” under the governance of Herman Regner and Ulrike Jungmair from Orff Forum. This conference gave us the guidelines to build a voluntary, non profit music pedagogical society in a new democratic, post communist, quickly developing educational system.

- Voluntary Associations that focus on Music- and Dance, its artistic and pedagogical representation, follow the original ideas of Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman and try to adapt these ideas for today in their own cultural environment.

 - People who live in this world where social development, new medias, the way of economic thinking has taken place will need artistic and creative work, so that everybody - children as well as adults - will learn to believe in their own abilities.
- Communication problems come from being unable to express what we want to say, what we feel. Besides musical and dance skills everybody should learn to trust, that it is still a human ability to come in an energetic flow experience - where also quality of life comes from.
- Each culture has its specialties through which we feel ourselves, but to experience our own culture and to have something we feel that it is our own, we become able to respect other peoples world their culture and special ways of life.
 - Orff-Schulwerk Associations are able to react quickly to the needs of teachers or other pedagogical professions; they exchange ideas of teaching and try to build up bases for better understanding. So all activities are also work for peace in the world.

Adapted Uli Jungmair

Czech Orff Society

COS was founded by Pavel Jurkovič who influenced generations of teachers and educators, despite not holding an official position at a university, conservatory or prestigious educational institution. Musician, educator, composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, Human Being par excellence, this was Pavel Jurkovič (1933 – 2015).

His light inspired people to think in newly creative educational ways from the late sixties, when he passed his studies at Orff Institute and when the original version of Czech Orff Schulwerk – Česká Orffova škola was composed by Petr Eben and Ilja Hurník.   

Czech Orff Schulwerk  books  (4 volumes) contain  Czech folk songs, rhymes, chants, sayings and proverbs accompanied by Orff instruments and compositions, that brilliantly followed the intentions of the original Orff Schulwerk.

Pavel Jurkovič’s creed:

  1. a humanistic approach - belief in every child
  2. work in an atmosphere of trust and joy, but also with a desire to know more and more
  3. the integration of singing, movement, speech and instruments in one unit
  4. the stimulation of desire and the need to self-express.
  5. the intention to foster creativity, to evolve a well balanced, harmonious personality related to your neighbor
  6. the sum of team work is the result of individual responsibility
  7. lead towards an open door for the development of independent work

2000 - 2014 PhDr. Jarmila Kotůlková led the COS to closer contacts with European and world Orff Schulwerk Associations as well as with ISME music educators.

She managed COS as an independent, voluntary, non-profit association officially accepted by the state authorities. The Ministry of School and Education has recognized the activities of COS as part of professional development for all levels of teachers.

Currently the 5 member board, under the presidency of Paedr. Lenka Pospíšilová  and the1st deputy chairman Mgr. Patricie Windsor Ph.D. must abide by state laws and finance rules governing an association.

The mission of this non profit organization is to spread the philosophy of Orff Schulwerk among the pedagogical and non-pedagogical public. This also means to inspire academic educators at universities and to offer the chance to develop practical music and movement pedagogical skills during conferences, courses and workshops organized by COS, with Czech and international teachers.

Cooperate, Communicate, Create

- The Czech Orff Society cooperates with the Orff Forum, ISME, and its partner Orff Associations all over the world. 

- COS learns from others and is open to sharing our own experiences.

- During the last 20 years COS hosted the prestigious Orff Schulwerk teachers and bearers of Orff Schulwerk ideas from abroad.

Thank you:

Uli Jungmair, Andrea Ostertag, Manuela Widmer, Pierre van Hauwe, Werner Beidinger, Wofgang, Hartman, Cora Crotz, Andrea Sangiorgio, Doug Goodkin, Insuk Lee, Christiane and Ernst  Wieblitz, Soili Perkio, Judith Thomas, Barbara Haselbach, Malina Sarnowska, Ksenija Buric, Uli Mayerholz, Danai Gagne and others.

Great thanks for the generous support from the Orff Foundation  and the Lieselotte Orff Foundation of Diessen.