Composer of the Month 12/2009: Josef Bohuslav Foerster   (selected by Peter van Dessel / Belgium)

Czechoslovakia 12.5.1957 Josef Bohuslav Foerster was born in Prague on December 30th, 1859. After his studies at the Prague conservatory he moved to Hamburg where he worked as critic and music teacher on the conservatory. In Hamburg he met Gustav Mahler to which he soon had a close friendship. From 1903 to 1918 Foerster lived in Vienna as critic and teacher. In 1918 he got a job at the conservatory in Prague. In 1921 he became a professor for composition and was the director of the conservatory from 1922 to 1931. Foerster composed operas, symphonies, symphonic poems, suites, overtures, one cello and two violin concertos, chamber music works, spiritual choir works, motets and songs. Josef Bohuslav Foerster died in Nový Vestec on May 29th, 1951. His birthday comes up again for the 150th time in December 2009. The video shows the IV. movement of Foerster's symphony No. 4 performed by the "Young Symphony Orchestra Brno" conducted by Tomás Krejci. More composers in the members only section