Bedrich Smetana was a bohemian composer born in Litomysl, Bohemia, today in the Czech Republic, founder of the Czech national music school. Initially guided by his father, an amateur violinist, he soon started taking piano lessons and gave his first concert at the age of six. Later, he became a teacher and, encouraged by Liszt, opened a piano school in Prague (1848). First outstanding composer of the Bohemian nationalist current. He composed most of his works for piano, which constitute an important contribution to the piano repertoire.
