Josef Marek, graduated in singing from Prague Music Conservatory. For a short period, he joined the Karlín Music-Hall Theatre; during 1974-2004 he was a member of Prague Philharmonic Choir. Having taken up composition as an autodidact at first, he later studied the discipline at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Václav Riedlbauch. He authored a number of remarkable orchestral, chamber and vocal pieces many of which have been appreciated at composer competitions both at home and abroad. His favourably-received compositions include the premiered cantata to Hebrew texts from the Books of Moses (Pentateuch), symphonic piece Cantus tristis - Requiem for orchestra (which won Gideon Klein Foundation Award), concert symphonic melodrama Commentary, King David Comments on Pentateuch, madrigals Amor omnia vincit for solos, mixed choir, oboe and harp, and, above all, Cantus hominis - Ad memoriam Gideon Klein for wind quintet, harp and strings, dedicated to Eliška Kleinová, sister of the composer who had been tortured to death in a Nazi concentration camp. Marek also composes melodramas, collaborating on their interpretation with leading Czech actors. He has served as member in a number of both composer and performer contest juries. In his composerwise capacity, he is in high demand among top soloists and ensembles for whom he has written a number of pieces. During 2004-2005, he held the post of contemporary & vocal music editor with Editio Bärenreiter Prague. At present, he collaborates as a freelance editor with a number of Czech and foreign publishers. As regard his collaboration with Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Marek was partly involved in repertory counselling while having been fully engaged in organising contemporary music festivals,Prague Premieres (2004-2009).