Libor Pešek

Libor Pešek (22 June 1933 – 23 October 2022) was a Czech conductor. He was among the most famous conductors of his time, working regularly across Europe as chief conductor of orchestras in Prague, but also for ten years with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. His career spanned more than 70 years during which he won awards from Great Britain and others. He conducted Czech music by composers such as Vítězslav Novák, Josef Suk and Pavel Josef Vejvanovský better known by performances and recordings.

Life and career Pešek was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, on 22 June 1933. He attended a grammar school, where he established his own jazz band. He then studied conducting, piano, cello and trombone at the Academy of Musical Arts, with Václav Smetáček and Karel Ančerl among his teachers. He led the orchestra in 1993 to open the Prague Spring festival, the first foreign orchestra to be invited. During his time with the RLPO, it was dubbed "the best Czech orchestra outside Prague".

Beginning in 2007, Pešek was the chief conductor of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. He stood down from this position at the close of the 2018–2019 season.

On 23 October 2022, Jan Hasenöhrl, a Czech trumpeter, announced Pesek´s death, Pesek was 89.

Awards and honours Pešek was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1996, on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to Prague.