Emil Hájek
Emil Hájek (3 March 1886 – 17 March 1974) was a Czech and Serbian pianist, music educator, music teacher, and composer. He was born in Hradec Králové, in the Kingdom of Bohemia, and died in Belgrade.
Hájek graduated from the Prague Conservatory in 1908, where he studied piano with Josef Jiránek and composition with Antonín Dvořák. He subsequently refined his performance skills in Germany under Konrad Ansorge. From 1904 to 1908 he directed the choir at Prague's Church of Saint Gall.
He gave concerts in Finland alongside his elder brother, the violinist Jaroslav Hájek. In 1909 he followed his brother to Saratov, where he pursued both concert and teaching work. In 1913 he gave Saratov's first performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto. He taught at the Saratov Music School, later transformed into the Saratov Conservatory, becoming professor of piano; he served as acting director from 1917 and as director from 1919 to 1921.
Hájek left Russia in 1921 and settled in Prague. He worked as accompanist to Jan Kubelík and toured internationally with him. In 1928 he moved to Belgrade, directing the Stanković Music School from 1929 to 1935. In 1937 he became a founder of the Belgrade Music Academy, led its piano department until 1963, and continued to perform as a soloist and ensemble musician. He also served on the jury of the Chopin Piano Competition in 1955 and 1960.