Václav Dobiáš, was a native of Radčice, a small village in the foothills of the Giant Moutains in the North of Bohemia. He was born into a family of village and folk musicians, and he studied at first for the career of a schoolmaster. He showed musical gift early in his life and found an outlet for it in the bands of folk musicians active in his native region. Later on he studied violin playing and, when he came to Prague, composition with J. B. Foerster. In 1939 he graduated from Vitezslav Novák's master class of composition at the Prague Conservatory with a Chamber Symphony. During the period of German occupation of Czechoslovakia (1939 - 45) Dobiáš showed his ability to forge a strong contact with his audience, and after the liberation of Czechoslovakia - he unfolded a wide-ranging and significant activity in the field of cultural politics both as chairman of the Czechoslovak Composers Union as well as member of the National Assembly. He made his mark in topical forms of the day with his songs for mass singing which he was writing between 1945 and 1956, and which became very popular in those days. He was appointed a professor of composition at the Prague Academy of Music and Performing Arts (from 1950). In 1950s Dobias became twice a laureate of the State Prize and a laureate of the International Peace Prize (1961). His pupils included J. Dvořáček, Jar. Rybář, I. Kurz, V. Riedlbauch, Jar. Smolka, J. Stivín a.o. Since 1970 he presided over the Prague Spring Festival, and was made National Artist in 1976.