Antonin Dvorak
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904), Czech composer. He began composing in the 1860s and in 1875 was awarded a grant to work in Vienna. There he met Brahms, who greatly encouraged him in his career. His Moravian Duets (1876) and Slavonic Dances (1878) show the influence of native folk music and earned him world acclaim. He visited England and the US and became artistic director of the New York Conservatory in 1892. Here he wrote the last of his nine symphonies, From the New World (1893). He also composed religious music, such as Stabat Mater (1883), and operas, including Russalka (1900).