Klement Slavicky grew up in the rich musical environment of his family. His father, pupil of Janacek at the Organ School in Brno, was a choirmaster, violinist and organist. The musical talent of the future composer was developed from his childhood in the family, in the church and at school. The discovery of Josef Suk' s music was the crucial moment in his life. Since then his one desire was to meet Suk and become his pupil. This dream was fulfilled years later. In 1927 Slavicky entered the Prague Conservatory to study composition (with K.B.Jirak), conducting, piano and viola. From 1931 to 1933 he continued his studies in advanced class of Josef Suk and Vaclav Talich. Slavicky's first significant compositions date back to these years: the "Fantasy for Orchestra and Solo Piano" (1931, a graduation work from the Conservatory), and his first "String quartet"(1932). Both compositions showed that the young composer had a musical personality capable of original creative ideas. They bore features that later determined the individual character of Slavicky's music - energy, sense for dramatic expression, and accomplished instrumental technique. After finishing his studies. Klement Slavicky worked in the Radio, first as a music director and conductor and later as an executive director and instructor. In that time Slavicky wrote his Wind Trio (1937), a work with echoes of Moravian folklore, which had an extraordinarily successful premiere at the 1947 International Festival of Contemporary Music in Copenhagen. Another composition from this time was the First Sinfonietta, subtitled "Impetus" (1940), which was awarded the Prize of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1941. In addition he wrote songs based on folk poetry, entitled " A Song for My Homeland", and a male chorus "To My Mother" (1942) written to words by J.V.Sladek. During the World War II Klement Slavicky leaned mainly towards Czech patriotic themes and his compositions expressed protest against the oppression. In the postwar period he returned to historical themes with the double chorus for male voices, "Lidice" (1945) set to words by Frantisek Halas. This work was waiting for its premiere for 15 years. In 1947 he wrote a masterpiece. the "Three Compositions for Piano", premiered at the 1947 Prague Spring International Festival. However, in 1949 this exquisite work was condemned by the official Communist authorities as formalistic and the whole edition was destroyed. Later the "Three Compositions" became a part of contemporary piano repertoire and have been performed repeatedly at home and abroad. The year 1951 was a turning point in Slavicky's life. Because of his political stand he was forced to leave his post in the Radio. After refusing membership of the Communist Party, he was expelled from the Union of Czechoslovak Composers and deprived of any public musical life. In that painful period he returned to the origins of his creativity, the Moravian themes. He withdrew into writing songs and vocal works. Moravian folklore, which Slavicky knew so well, was his source of reassurance and hope. Duringhis life he never wrote any song in honour of the political regime. In that creative period he composed the popular "Moravian Dance Fantasies" for orchestra (1951), which were performed also many times abroad, including during the tour of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra with Karel Ancerl to the Holland Festival and in England in 1956 as well as the "Rhapsodic Variations" for orchestra (1953), which were performed during the tour of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra with Eduard Flipps and songs on folk poems, such as "Oh, My Heart" (1954). Folklore elements were a recurrent feature of Slavicky's work. These appeared in his earlier compositions, like the "Song For My Homeland" written during the war, or the cycle of love songs on folk poems called "Sohaje‚" ( 1948), as well as in later works. In the fifties this characteristic feature reached its peak. During the short political easing after 1956, Klement Slavicky returned to his original artistic direction and created technically demanding compositions with intensive artistic message and deep philosophical thoughts. That period opened with the "Frescoes for Organ" (1957) and the Sonata for piano "Meditation on Life" (1958), whose premiere was such a great success that its interpreter Antonin Jemelik had to play it twice that evening. Then followed a series of instrumental compositions which expressed the very essence of the individual instruments: "Suite for Oboe and Piano","Partita for Solo Violin", "Etudes and Essays for Piano" and "Capricci for Horn and Piano". In the seventies Slavicky wrote a Sonata for violin and piano entitled "Friendship", dedicated to the memory of Albert Schweitzter and others. The chamber "Madrigals" (1959), based on folk poems and a number of songs and choruses for children broadened his vocal output. To his orchestral works were added further Sinfoniettas, which are in fact symphonies: the "Second" (1962), "Third" (1980) and "Fourth" ( 1984), the last being called "Pax hominibus in universo orbi". In 1985 the composer was awarded the UN Gold Commemorative Medal with a personal letter from the former UN General Secretary Javier Perez de Cuellar for dedicating this composition to the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations Organization. In the same year he was given the Gold Commemorative Medal by the Palacky University of Olomouc on the occasion of his 75th birthday. After the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact in 1968 he had to pass through another period of disfavour and isolation. Again he was on the list of officially shunned persons and separated from musical life. For a further ten years he was deprived of membership of the Union of Czech Composers and his works were not performed. During that period Slavicky wrote "Psalms" for soli. mixed choir and organ, which had its premiere in St. Paul's Cathedral, London. String quartet No.2, dedicated to the memory of Ladislav Vycpalek. "Musica monologica" for harp and other compositions. In the beginning of 1989 his nomination for the National Artist title was approved but he refused it in protest against the savage repression of the commemorative rally held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Jan Palach's sacrifice in Prague's Wenceslas Square. In November 1989, when a new era opened for the whole of Czech society Klement Slavicky celebrated his comeback to public life as the President of the Suk's Society and Chairman of the revived artists organization Umelecka beseda. Klement Slavicky's great output is again fully accessible to the public with its deep human and artistic message and will remain a treasure in Czech music.