Václav Suk

Birth house of V. Suk in main street of Kladno (90 Masaryk Street). Václav Suk (16 November 186112 January 1933) was an Austrian-born violinist, conductor and composer who operated in the Russian Empire. He was also known as Váša Suk, Vyacheslav Suk, Vyacheslav Ivanovich (Вячеслав Иванович Сук) and Vjačeslav Ivanovič Suk.

Biography Suk was born in Kladno, Bohemia, Austrian Empire. He is said to have been related to the composer Joseph Suk. From 1873 to 1879 Suk studied violin at the Prague Conservatory as a pupil of Antonín Bennewitz. Concurrently he studied also counterpoint with Josef Krejčí, and, privately, composition with Zdeněk Fibich. In 1880 he went to Warsaw as a violinist in the Warsaw Philharmonic, but a short while later he was already engaged as a concert master in the Imperial Orchestra of Kiev (from 1880 to 1882). In 1885 his career as an opera conductor began with the Philharmonic Society in Moscow, where from 1882 he had served as a violinist with the Bolshoi orchestra, but he proved his abilities as kapellmeister of the opera in Kharkiv (1885–1886). Tchaikovsky recommended him to Saint Petersburg, but Suk went to Taganrog instead, where he began to also conduct symphonic works. His later employment with a private opera orchestra in Vilnius lasted from 1890 to 1894, and this was followed by guest performances or shorter engagements in many of the larger places in Russia, e.g. in Kharkiv, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, and Saratov. He conducted there for more than 25 years, until 1932, Suk, who had a reputation of being an authentic interpreter of Tchaikovsky's music and of Rimsky-Korsakov's operas, some of which he premiered, was awarded many more honours during his Russian career. He died, aged 71, in Moscow, and the "orchestral foyer" in the Great Theatre was posthumously named after him.

Selected works Piano Two Czech Dances, Op. 2 Four Pieces, Op. 3 Variations to the words of Czech Folksong

Chamber Czech Folksongs - for string quartet Four Pieces - for violin and piano

Symphonic Jan Hus - symphonic poem Symphony, Op. 13 Festive March to the Memory of Richard Wagner Serenade in E-flat major Serenade in D major - for string orchestra

Songs Czech Songs - for voice and piano My Wish