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1946(?)
Graduated from the Učiteľský ústav v Bánovciach nad Bebravou (Teacher Training Institute in Bánovce nad Bebravou)
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1946 – 1950
Studied at the Filozofická fakulta UK v Bratislave (Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava) – musicology and aesthetics
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1953
Earned the academic title PhDr. (Doctor of Philosophy); doctoral thesis: Zakladatelia českej modernej hudby vo svetle kritiky na Slovensku (Founders of Czech Modern Music in the Light of Criticism in Slovakia)
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1951 – 1960
Worked at Československý rozhlas v Bratislave (Czechoslovak Radio in Bratislava); 1951 – 1953 Music editor in the editorial office of so-called mixed programs; 1954 – 1958 Head editor of the folk music department; 1958 – 1960 Editor of the music-educational editorial team (produced programs about contemporary Slovak music such as Hudba pre všetkých – Music for Everyone)
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1954 – 1969
External lecturer at the Konzervatórium v Bratislave (Bratislava Conservatory), where he taught music history, aesthetics, music analysis, and folk music
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1960 – 1974
Production manager and archivist at the Slovenský hudobný fond (Slovak Music Fund); prepared and produced over 1,000 premiere works across all genres of Slovak music
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1974 – 1981
Head of music work documentation at the Slovenský ochranný zväz autorský (SOZA) (Slovak Performing and Mechanical Rights Society) until retirement
PhDr. Jozef Laborecký was a Slovak musicologist, music archivist, editor, publicist, cultural organizer, and educator. He was one of the first graduates in the field of musicology at the Filozofická fakulta Univerzity Komenského v Bratislave (Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava) after World War II, when Konštantín Hudec revived the teaching of this discipline. His research focused on music criticism and music terminology, as well as the reflection and documentation of Slovak musical works. He made a significant contribution to the development and reception of contemporary Slovak music.
In the 1950s, Jozef Laborecký worked as a music editor at Československý rozhlas v Bratislave (Czechoslovak Radio in Bratislava), where he prepared numerous broadcasts. Among the most successful were programs about Eastern Slovak folklore.
His main professional position was as head of production and archivist at the Slovenský hudobný fond (Slovak Music Fund), where he played an important role in promoting new works by Slovak composers. He was responsible for producing and reproducing sheet music materials, thus facilitating their premieres both in Slovakia and abroad.
He was also active as a music publicist, publishing reviews, critiques, and articles in Slovenská hudba (Slovak Music), Hudební rozhledy (Musical Horizons), Kultúrny život (Cultural Life), and other major periodicals.
Laborecký collaborated with Janko Matuška and Pavol Tonkovič, and actively contributed to the founding of the Súbor ľudovej umeleckej tvorivosti (Folk Art Ensemble). In 1970, together with Ladislav Leng and Viliam Fedor, he co-founded the Slovenská spoločnosť pre hudobnú výchovu (Slovak Society for Music Education) and served as an editor of its journal. He taught music history, aesthetics, music analysis, and folk music at the Konzervatórium v Bratislave (Bratislava Conservatory).
From 1974, he worked as head of music documentation at the Slovenský ochranný zväz autorský (SOZA) (Slovak Performing and Mechanical Rights Society). After retiring, he continued his scientific and publication activities. He compiled the Hudobný terminologický slovník (Music Terminological Dictionary, 1997), and contributed entries to the dictionary 100 slovenských skladateľov (100 Slovak Composers, 1998), as well as approximately 200 entries to the multi-volume publication Osobnosti Slovenska (Figures of Slovakia).