Václav Smetáček

Václav Smetáček (* June 30, 1906 in Brno, † February 18, 1986 in Prague) was a Czech conductor, composer and oboist. Smetáček studied from 1922 at the Prague Conservatory Piano, Oboe, music theory and conducting. His dortiger oboe teacher was Ladislav Skuhrovský. 1928-1932 He continued his studies at Prague's Charles University. With Conservatory colleagues he founded in 1928, the Prague Wind Quintet, for which he also composed and arranged, and whose member he remained until 1960.

1930 Smetáček entered as an oboist in the Czech Philharmonic. After military service he worked from 1934 to 1943 at the Czech Radio as conductor and music director. In 1942 he became head of the Prague Symphony Orchestra. As their conductor, he sat down for a particularly Slavic music and works of the 20th century, but was re-discoverer of works such as the Oboe Concerto, Op 37 by Franz Krommer or symphonies of Joseph Mysliveček. On foreign trips he made as an opera conductor a name. Since 1945 he also taught as a professor at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

Under Smetaceks compositions can be found in particular etudes and textbooks for oboe, but also music for wind quintet, such as the 1932 published Suite From the Life of Insects.