Slovak music community mourns loss of two prominent figures

Slovakia and its cultural communities have lost two significant musical figures.

Andrej Soja, a long-time organist and keeper of Slovak musical traditions, passed away at the age of 87 in Kacwina, Poland. For over 80 years, Soja contributed to the preservation of the cultural and musical life of the Slovak minority in Poland. He served as the organist in Kacwina starting in 1964, where he helped maintain Slovak religious songs and traditions through his accompaniment of holy masses. He was also a member of the Association of Slovaks in Poland and a leader in local Slovak brass bands.

Additionally, Anton Viskup, a prominent double bassist, composer, and educator, has died at the age of 73. Viskup was a long-standing figure at the Slovak Philharmonic, where he served as the chief dramaturge from 1985 to 2013. He was highly regarded as an expert on Slovak classical music and a dedicated documentarian of the nation's musical history.