1976 - 1981 Studied composition privately with Prof. Miroslav Raichl
1981 - 1985 Studied at the Janácek Academy of Musical Art in Brno (JAMU ), composition with Prof.Zdenek Zouhar as well as electro-acoustic, computer and electronic music and music theory
1983 - 1989 Musical editor and producer for the Czechoslovak Radio Prague
1990 Producer for the Audiostudio (experimental studio) of Czech Radio Prague
since 1990 his works have been internationally performed at the following festivals:
"Synthese 90" Festival in Bourges; "Elektronmusik Festival" Stockholm; "ler Colloque International des jeunes Compositeurs de Musique Electro-accoustique 1991\", UNESCO in Paris; Ars Electronica; Prague Spring Festival; Schleswig - Holstein Festival; "Czechoslovak Night" Munich 1990; Munich Bienale. Also works performed in concert halls in the following cities:
Münster, Vienna, Regensburg, Berlin, Warsaw, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Nürnberg, San Francisco...
since 1991 Commissions for compositions from well-known institutions and performers:
Kulturkreis Gasteig e.V. commissioned "Bread and Circuses" for six percussionists for the Munich Biennale 1992.
Kulturkreis Gasteig e.V. commissioned recomposition of the World War II destroyed composition of Carl Orff ("St. Luke Passion" according to the manuscript of J.S.Bach).
Brandenburg Radio commissioned woodwind quintet
since 1989 he has been invited to various international radio and television discussions and interviews:
Hessen Radio, Bavarian Radio, Czech Radio Prague, Radio Free Europe, Czech Television Prague, Spanish Television Madrid, Ars Electronica Linz (four times), UNESCO Paris, etc.
1991 Won the Czech Musical Foundation Award for the composition "Labyrinth" (for flute, voice and electronics )
1992 Premiere of the composition "Bread and Circuses" (sextet for percussion) at the Munich Biennale Great Hall of the Philharmonic
1992 Musical collaboration for the Czechoslovak pavilion at EXPO 92 in Seville
June 1992 Premiere of a video recording of the composition "Labyrinth" (director Petr Vrána ) at the San Francisco Festival
1993 Theatrical performance "Tower of Babel" (dir. J. Krofta ) with music by Jirásek premiered in Charlesville ( France )
1994 Premiere of the "Missa propria" at the Prague Spring Festival (Spanish Hall, Prague Castle )
1994 Composer-In-Residence, 5 colleges/universities in the USA ( Lehigh University, Moravian College, Muhlenberg College, Lafayette College, State University of New York )
1994 Theatrical performance of "Don Quijote" ( dir. J.Krofta ) with music by Jirásek premiered in Adelaide ( Australia )
1994 Theatrical performance of "Coco-Kaba" (dir. J.Krofta ) with music by Jirásek premiered in Vancouver, WA
1995 The CD "Renaissance of Humanity" released by BMG Classics with music by Jan Jirásek, Arvo Pärt and Hildegard von Bingen
1995 The CD "Renaissance of Humanity" (Jirásek, Pärt, von Bingen) was presented by BMG Classics as "CD of the Month" in Germany
1996 Premiere of the "St. Luke Passion" (recomposition of a piece according to the manuscript of J.S.Bach and concept of Carl Orff) in Gasteig Munich, by Munich Philharmonic on February 25, 1996 and recorded by Bavarian Radio, Munich (Commissioned by the Kulturkreis Gasteig e. V., Munich)
1996 Wrote music for the film "An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World" (dir. Juraj Jakubisko)
1996 Won Fulbright Fellowship and spent the academic year 1996-97 as a visiting professor of composition in USA (Hartt School of Music, University of Colorado at Boulder)
1997 The CD "Bread and Circuses" released by BMG Classics
1997 Premiere of "Voice on Canvas" (for soprano, violin and piano based upon texts of an Anonymous, Lord Alfred Douglas, St. Francis of Assisi and T. G. Masaryk), Merkin Concert Hall, New York City
1997 Awarded the prestigious film music prize " The Czech Lion" for movie "An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World" (dir. Juraj Jakubisko)
1998 The CD "Lucie Bila at the Prague Spring Festival" with Jirásek's orchestral and choral music, produced by Monitor/EMI
1999 Taught at the Colorado College at Colorado Springs
1999 Two performances of the organ piece "Ad unum", by Vera Hermanová at the Prague Spring Festival (at the Prague Castle )
1999 Taught at the International Music Academy Prague-Vienna-Budapest organized by Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna
1999 Premiere of the movie "Melancholic Chicken" (dir. Jaroslav Brabec) with Jirásek's music (in Prague)
1999 The CD "World Festival of Sacred Music Europe" with Jirásek's piece "Kyrie" launched by His Holiness the Dalai-Lama in Germany
2000 The CD "St. Luke Passion" (Bach/Orff/Jirásek) released worldwide by Danish company Classico
2000 United States premiere of "St. Luke Passion" in Ted Man Hall, Minneapolis, USA (Plymouth Music Series, conductor: Philip Brunelle)
2000 Premiere of musical for children "PINOKIO" with Jirásek's music, in Prague (This performance is a combination of musical, opera, theatre and circus.)
2000 Premiere of movie "Kytice" (Bouquet) with Jirásek's music, in Prague
2001 Invited to teach at the International Music Academy Prague-Vienna- Budapest organized by Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna
2001 British premiere of "St. Luke Passion" planned in Liverpool, GB
2001 Signed contract with the publishing house Bärenreiter, Germany.
All pieces by Jirásek will be published by Bärenreiter except those published by Schott Musik Int. Mainz, Germany.
2001 Awarded the prestigious film music prize "The Czech Lion" for the movie "Wild Flowers" (dir. F.A.Brabec)
2001 Wrote a film score for Rajko Grlic´s movie the "Josephine"
2001 Wrote a film score for Jaroslav Brabec´s movie "Samota"(Solitude)
2002 Taught at the International Music Academy Prague-Vienna-Budapest organized by Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna
2002 Wrote music for the "Secrets and Beauties of the Czech Republic" exhibition
2003 Composer-in-residence at the Colorado College at Colorado Springs
2003 Jan Jirasek was commissioned to write a piece for organ and tuba "Viribus unitis" for festival Voor de Wind in Amsterdam
2003 Wrote a film score for Jaroslav Brabec´s movie "PF 77". This movie was awarded with the Czech TV prize ELSA
2004 Taught at the Colorado College at Colorado Springs
2004 Taught a master-class at the Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA, his choral piece "Missa propria" was performed there
2004 Jirasek´s piece "Something Happened" was commissioned and premiered by the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA
2005 Wrote a film score for F.A.Brabec´s movie "Bolero"
2005 Jirásek's piece "Praga mystica" was performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and broadcasted to 15 European countries (EBU)
2006 Jirásek's pieces "Dilemma" (for cello) and "Castles in the Air" (for one percussionist were performed at the festival in Chico, California, USA
2007 Scored music for the international film "Bathory" (dir. Juraj Jakubisko)
2007 Scored music for the TV series "Hrabenky" (17 episodes, produced by the Czech TV Prague)