Eduard Ingris facts for kids
Eduard Ingriš (born February 11, 1905 – died January 11, 1991) was a very talented person. He was a Czech-American composer, photographer, conductor, and adventurer.
Eduard was born in a town called Zlonice in a region known as Bohemia. This area is now part of the Czech Republic. In 1947, he left his home country, Czechoslovakia. He moved to South America, living in countries like Brazil and Peru.
He became famous for his amazing raft journeys across the Pacific Ocean. In 1955 and 1959, he led two expeditions called Kantuta and Kantuta II. These trips were similar to the famous Kon-Tiki voyage by Thor Heyerdahl.
Even though Eduard traveled the world and had many careers, music was always his biggest passion. He helped create the famous "Beer Barrel Polka". A composer named Jaromír Vejvoda found the melody, and Eduard helped make it into the song we know. This happened just before World War II started. Czech pilots serving in the Royal Air Force took the song to England. It quickly became a huge hit there and later became very popular in America.
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A Life of Music
Eduard Ingriš studied at important schools. He earned degrees from the Charles University in Prague and the Prague Conservatory. He wrote about 1,000 musical pieces in his lifetime.
Operettas and Symphonies
His works included many operettas and musical comedies. He also composed full operas and symphonies. When he was just 19, he wrote an operetta called "The Capricious Mirror". This show was incredibly popular in Prague. It played for five years and had 1,600 performances. This was a record, even more than many shows on Broadway in New York!
Conducting Orchestras
Eduard also led several orchestras. He directed the Symphony Orchestra of Prague. He also conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru. His musical talents were truly global.
Filming Adventures
Besides music, Eduard Ingriš was also a skilled cameraman. He worked for film studios in Czechoslovakia, Germany, and Peru.
Hollywood Projects
He filmed a series of thirteen travel and adventure movies. These were for an American company in Hollywood. He also worked on "Jungle Sabotage" for Movius Productions. This movie starred Pilar Pallete, who was the wife of actor John Wayne.
Eduard even helped the famous author Ernest Hemingway. He assisted in filming The Old Man and the Sea. This movie was based on Hemingway's novel, which won a Pulitzer Prize. Eduard also wrote music for another Hollywood film called "The Gallant One".
His Own Films
Ingriš created his own adventure films too. "From High C's to High Seas" showed his two balsa raft trips across the Pacific. "Untamed Amazon" and "Sailing the South Seas" were about his return journey. He sailed on a ketch from Tahiti to Lima, Peru. He used his own music for these films. He presented them on lecture tours across the USA, Canada, and Hawaii. Later, these films were made into videos.
Later Life
Eduard Ingriš lived in South Lake Tahoe, California. He passed away there in 1991 when he was 86 years old. Later, his remains were moved back to his hometown, Zlonice.
