(1915-1940)
Vítězslava Kaprálová, the first Czech female composer and conductor, an extremely talented musician. She learned conducting from Václav Talich, a great personality of Czech music and the chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic for more than two decades. She composed Military Sinfonietta which was performed under her direction by the London BBC Orchestra at the opening of the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival in 1938. During her scholarship stay in Paris, the composer Bohuslav Martinů looked after her. The relationship between the married teacher and his student soon developed into a love affair. She eventually married the writer Jiří Mucha, son of the painter Alfons Mucha. Her brilliant career ended by an early death at the age of only 25 due to tuberculosis.The first Czech female composer and conductor, an extremely talented musician. She learned conducting from Václav Talich, a great personality of Czech music and the chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic for more than two decades. She composed Military Sinfonietta which was performed under her direction by the London BBC Orchestra at the opening of the International Society for Contemporary Music Festival in 1938. During her scholarship stay in Paris, the composer Bohuslav Martinů looked after her. The relationship between the married teacher and his student soon developed into a love affair. She eventually married the writer Jiří Mucha, son of the painter Alfons Mucha. Her brilliant career ended by an early death at the age of only 25 due to tuberculosis.