Ladislav Galko

Ladislav Galko was a Slovak ethnomusicologist, conductor, educator, organizer, and publicist active in the fields of research, archiving, and cultural education.

Galko was one of the first Slovak specialists in musical instruments, an organologist who built a music-iconographic archive consisting of thousands of instrument photographs. He processed Slovak musical sources—especially from the 19th century—in the Literary Archive of Matica Slovenská, and he also arranged and completed one of the most valuable 19th-century music archives, the archive of the Slovenský spevokol (Slovak Choral Society).

“His work touched the heritage of our national musical past, which he was able to bring into a contemporary form.” (Oskár Elschek, in Hudobný život 1987, no. 21, p. 7)

During his work at the Central Office of Music Circles in Slovakia within Matica Slovenská, he was responsible for cultural-educational and organizational activities: he founded and supported choirs, music circles, small orchestral ensembles, and other local musical initiatives; provided them with sheet music; organized competitions, showcases, and concerts of amateur musicians; ensured methodological guidance for conductors, music teachers, and ensemble leaders; collaborated with cultural centers, schools, and regional cultural institutions; and documented folk and amateur musical life.

Within this work, he also made use of his compositional abilities. For the needs of entertainment orchestras, he often arranged folk and Soviet songs. He also composed children’s songs published in the magazine Naša práca and set to music Mária Rázusová-Martáková’s verses Na veselej posiedke (1956).

As part of his editorial activities, he prepared for publication Ľudové piesne z Liptova a Oravy podľa zbierky Jánosa Czupru (Folk Songs from Liptov and Orava According to the Collection of János Czupru, 1958) and a re-edition of the most extensive and valuable Slovak song collection of the 19th century, Slovenské spevy.

Ladislav Galko was also an active musician, serving as the conductor of the Folk Choir of Slovak Teachers in Žilina from 1951 to 1953.

He wrote articles on musical ensembles and the history of musical instruments for the magazines Hudba-spev-tanec and Ľudová tvorivosť (1949/51, 1956).

“Musical practice and musical theory always formed a unity for Ladislav Galko; equally, educational, scholarly, collecting, and research activity guided him throughout his life.” (Oskar Elschek, in Hudobný život, 1987, no. 21, p. 7)