Classical Music - a chronological overview of Czech and Slovak composers

1545-1616 Jiri Rychnovsky - mayor of Czech town Chrudim, renaissance composer

1550?-1629 Jan Sixt of Lerchenfels - remarkable Czech clergyman and late renaissance composer

1572-1622 Jan Campanus Vodnansky - Czech poet, scholar and composer of late renaissance period

1600-1676 Adam Michna z Otradovic - the first famous Czech baroque composer; author of Czech Songbooks.

1640-1693 Pavel Josef Vejvanovsky - Field Trumpeter in Kromeriz, a remarkable personality of Czech baroque music.

1650-1721 Jan Antonin Losy - Czech lute player and composer with Swiss family roots.

1679-1745 Jan Dismas Zelenka - the most famous Czech baroque composer, appreciated by J.S.Bach himself

1684-1742 Bohuslav Matej Cernohorsky - excellent organ player and top baroque composer

1694-1744 Frantisek Vaclav Mica - late baroque composer and conductor from Jaromerice

1699-1773 Jan Zach - famous organist and violinist in transition from Baroque to Classicism

1709-1786 Frantisek Benda - brilliant violinist and late baroque composer at the court of Prussian King Friedrich II.

1709-1789 Frantisek Xaver Richter - composer, singer, violinist and pedagogue, main representative of Mannheim School

1713-1793 Peter P. Petko - slovakian composer, transition of baroque to classical music

1716-1782 Josef Seger - composer, organist and pedagogue of late baroque period

1717-1757 Jan Vaclav Stamic - pioneer of musical classicism, besides F.X.Richter main representative of Mannheim School

1721-1792 Paulin Bajan - Slovak franciscan priest, baroque composer and organist

1722-1795 Jiri Antonin Benda - famous Czech composer of the early classical period; founder of melodramas

1725-1791 Jiri Ignac Linek - pioneer of Czech classicism, schoolmaster in Bakov nad Jizerou

1731-1799 Frantisek Xaver Dusek - piano virtuoso and composer, friend of W.A.Mozart and his host in Prague

1732-1771 Frantisek Xaver Brixi - top Czech composer of early classicism, bandmaster at St.Vitus Cathedral

1734-1789 Jozef Pantaleon Roskovsky - slovak composer and musician on the transition of baroque to classical period

1737-1781 Josef Myslivecek - probably the most famous Czech composer of 18th century. He worked in Italy ("Divine Czech")

1739-1813 Jan Krtitel Vanhal - famous Czech composer and pedagogue, representative of Vienna Classicism

1739-1818 Gaudentius Dettelbach - Slovak composer of the break of baroque and classical perionds; Franciscan monk, teacher and organist.

1746-1801 Karl Stamic - son of Jan Vaclav Stamic, excellent violinist, continuator of the Mannheim School tradition

1748-1816 Josef Fiala - prominent personality of European musical classicism; Mozart's friend, reputable cello and oboe virtuoso.

1751-1829 Jan Krtitel Kuchar - top organ player, composer, friend and propagator of W.A.Mozart

1752-1795 Josef Rejcha - excellent cello player, composer and conductor, continuator of Mannheim School tradition

1756-1785 Karel Blazej Kopriva - excellent organist and composer from Citoliby Manor

1756-1808 Pavel Vranicky - violinist and important composer, friend of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven

1758-1825 Josef Jelinek - excellent piano player, Haydn's and Mozart's friend.

1760-1812 Jan Ladislav Dusik - piano virtuoso and great composer of the transition of classicism to romantism

1761-1820 Antonin Vranicky - excellent violinist, composer (disciple of Haydn and Mozart) and pedagogue

1765-1815 Jakub Jan Ryba - schoolmaster from Rozmital, author of the popular Czech Christmas Mass (Hey, master!)

1770-1836 Antonin Rejcha - Czech composer of Classical and Early Romantic periods; Beethoven's friend, pioneer in usage of wind instruments

1774-1850 Jan Vaclav Tomasek - composer and pedagogue, leading personality of Prague musical life in the 1st half of 19th century

1778-1837 Johann Nepomuk Hummel - Austrian composer, piano virtuoso and teacher born in Slovakia; child prodigy, pupil of Mozart and Haydn's

1791-1825 Jan Vaclav Hugo Vorisek - composer and musician, representative of the Austrian branch of Czech emigration of the transition of Classicism to Romanticism

1801-1862 Frantisek Skroup - musician, singer, conductor and composer of the Czech National Revival period, author of Czech national anthem

1806-1833 Josef Slavík - composer and excellent violinist, nicknamed Czech Paganini

1824-1884 Bedrich Smetana - Czech national composer

1834-1874 Vilem Blodek - Czech romantic composer, author of popular opera In the Well

1838-1897 Karel Bendl - Czech romantic composer, singer, conductor and teacher

1841-1904 Antonin Dvorak - the most popular Czech composer ever; director of National Conservatory in New York

1850-1900 Zdenek Fibich - important Cech romantic composer

1854-1928 Leos Janacek - together with A. Dvorak, the most appreciated Chech composer ever

1855-1937 Josef Klicka - composer of Late Romanticism, organ professor at Prague Conservatory

1859-1951 Josef Bohuslav Foerster - composer of the romantic period and its continuation in modern music of 20th century

1862-1920 Karel Kovarovic - composer and excellent conductor that made the Czech National Theatre Opera famous all over the world

1874-1935 Josef Suk - composer of the transition of romanticism to modern music of XX.Century, disciple and son-in-law of A.Dvorak

1890-1959 Martinu, Bohuslav - together with Janacek the most important Czech composer of the 20th Century. Sample: Serenade No.2 (I.Allegro)

1890-1949 Novak Vitezslav - Dvorak's disciple, pioneer of Czech music of the 20th Century. Influence of Dvorak, Schumann, Brahms and Moravian and Slovak folk song.

1893-19?? Haba, Alois - disciple of V.Novak, one of the most progressive composers of Czech music. Well known as a founder of "quarter-tone music".

1904-1959 Burian, Emil Frantisek - important Czech modern music composer, disciple of J.B.Foerstr, also famous writer and movie director

1906-1942 Jezek, Jaroslav - important person of Czech musical avantgarde before World War I. Disciple of Josef Suk, inspired by jazz, besides progressive and hard-to-follow classical works he also composed popular songs and dances, particularly for Voskovec & Werich's Liberated Theatre.

1907-1983 Vaclav Trojan - czech composer, musican and pedagogue, pupil of V.Novak and A. Haba.

* 1911 Cikker, Jan - co-founder of modern Slovak music. Born in Banska Bystrica, extensive musical education, disciple of V.Novak. Before World War II mainly instrumental compositions, after the war operas, folk songs adaptations, scenic music and movie soundtracks etc. Sample: Memories for Five Wind Instruments and String Orchestra,1947 (II. Molto moderato)

* 1922 Hurnik, Ilja - contemporary music composer, important musical pedagogue (author of etudas). Sample (WMA): Odvod (folk song adaptation from Cursed War, a cycle of mixed choirs,1975)

* 1929 Eben, Petr - author of choirs, organ & piano concertos etc..., excellent melodious invention. Sample: De Angelis (sung by children's chorus Jitro)

* 1936 Martincek, Dusan - Slovak composer and pianist. Studied at Musical College Bratislava by Jan Cikker. Sample: Elegy

If you want to know more about Czech classical contemporary music, visit the musica.cz wonderful musical server.