Bohuslav Martinů, born on December 8, 1890, in Polička, was one of the leading Czech composers of the 20th century and had a special relationship with the violin. As a young man, he gained his first musical experience in his hometown, where he debuted as a violinist and captivated audiences. This led to the city council awarding him a scholarship to the Prague Conservatory. He began studying violin there in 1906, but his studies were marked by several expulsions due to a lack of discipline. In 1910, he was finally expelled from the conservatory for "incorrigible dissoluteness," whereupon he devoted himself intensively to composition. Within a few months, he produced numerous songs as well as two orchestral cycles. Later, Martinů continued his studies with Josef Suk in Prague and eventually moved to Paris to study with Albert Roussel.[5][2][3]
