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

1843-1913 David Popper - Czech cello player and composer of Jewish origin

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 Bohuslav Martinu - together with Janacek the most important Czech composer of the 20th Century.

1890-1949 Vitezslav Novak - one of the founders of Czech modern music, disciple of A.Dvorak

1893-1973 Alois Haba - pupil of V.Novak, one of the most courrageous avantgardists of Czech music ever.

1904-1959 Emil František Burian - poet, stage director, composets of many styles and faces, pupil of J.B.Foerster

1906-1942 Jaroslav Jezek - pupil of Josef Suk, author of the most famous songs of the Liberated Theatre and avant-garde works in classical style.

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

1911-1989 Jan Cikker - co-founder of modern Slovak music.

1922-2006 Otmar Macha - important composer of Czech contemporary music.

* 1922 Ilja Hurnik - prominent contemporary Czech composer, writer, pedagogue and popularizer

1929-2007 Petr Eben - internationally recognized composer of contemporary music (often on religious and children's themes)

1936-2006 Dusan Martincek - recognized Slovak contemporary composer, pianist and pedagogue

*1945 Stepan Rak - excellent Czech guitarist and composer

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