Antonin Dvořák was born on September 8, 1841 in Nelahozeves, a small village near Prague. From the age of five he played the violin in his father's family inn. The village teacher taught him organ, piano and viola. After studying at the Prague Organ School, he joined the orchestra of the Prague National Theatre as a violinist, where he remained until 1871. His experience as an orchestral musician gave him an insider's view of a vast classical and contemporary repertoire. He played under the direction of Bedřich Smetana and Richard Wagner, among others. His first compositions date from this period, including his first two symphonies, his first chamber music works, and his first songs. From 1871 to 1878 he lived in poverty as the organist of St. Adalbert's Church in Prague, devoting himself entirely to composition. A meeting with Brahms brought him into contact with the publisher Simrock, who published his famous Slavonic Dances in Berlin in 1878, opening doors for Dvořák all over the world, especially in England, where he conducted nine times and even received an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University. Dvořák also conducted in Germany, Hungary, and Russia.In 1892, he accepted an invitation from the National Conservatory in New York, where he taught until 1895.Upon his return to Prague, he resumed his professorship at the Conservatory and became its director in 1901. Towards the end of his life he devoted himself mainly to opera. He died suddenly of a stroke on May 1, 1904 in Prague. Dvořák's oeuvre is rich, showing constant inspiration from Czech folklore and the influence of Brahms and Liszt. It includes ten operas (including Dimitri, Le Jacobin, Le Diable, and Catherine), numerous symphonies (including the famous Symphony No. 9, known as the "New World" Symphony, composed during his stay in the United States), religious works (the Stabat Mater), chamber music, and more. He tackled every genre except ballet.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;