Zbynek Mateju belongs to the foremost Czech composers of his generation. He is a graduate of the Prague Conservatoire as well as the Academy of Performing and Performing  Arts (graduated in 1985). Hardly any other Czech composer could match Mateju's Zbynek's successful career, in terms of awards bestowed, as well as a truly wide-ranging musical work. At an early age of 15, he was already the winner of a national composers' competition hosted by Radio Czechoslovakia. Up to date, his professional career as composer has yielded as many as 15 major awards, both Czechoslovakian and international. His interest in music theatre is manifested in the continuous collaboration with several leading stage direcotrs, choreographers, librettists and script-writers. The outcome is a rich volume of compositions for music theatre, for ballet, film and TV. During 1991, at the age of 33, Mateju attained Professorship at the Prague Conservatory. In the years 93/94 he taught at the Conservatory of Tours, France, and also composed for the local 'Ensemble Fractal', by commission. Following his winning the first prize at the International Composers Competition 'Donauballett' in 1994, he was awarded a commission with the Holland Dance Festival - composing music for the choreographer Martin Muller, Nederlands Dans Theater. That same year, he also won the Prix Radio Bohemia, on account of his music for Pierre-Henri Cami's 'Minicomedies'. In 1999 he got the Prize of UNESCO via the Czech Music Council for his stage works. Among his professional achievements in Germany, the two most prominent are a commission from the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, as well as him being selected as the contemporary adaptor of the baroque opera 'Ezio' by J. H. Hasse, performed at the 250th anniversary celebration of the Markgräfliches Opernhaus in Bayreuth. The success of his full-evening chamber ballet Komboloi brought him an order for the new ballet, The Wizzard of Oz, at the National Theatre of Brno and full length ballet IBBUR (performed in the National Theatre in Prague). Zbynek Mateju is a full-time composer, and is married to Barbora Vachalova, herself an accomplished harp-soloist. They live in Prague and have three children. On 8th June 2011 he was appointed director of the Brno Philharmonic by Brno City Council members (resigned next year in November).