Vaclav Snitil
Vaclav Snitil was a Czech violinist and music educator. He was born in Hradec Králové on March 1, 1928, and died in Prague on July 19, 2015.
He studied violin with Jaroslav Kocian and composition with Vítězslav Novák at the Prague Conservatory. In 1953, he graduated with distinction from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where he studied with Jaroslav Pekelský. He later taught at the academy and became a professor in 1964. His students included Bohuslav Matoušek and Jan Talich Jr.
From 1957 to 1970, Snitil was a member of the Josef Vlach Quartet. He led the Czech Nonet from 1975 to 1988 and also performed with the early-music ensemble Ars rediviva. Among his notable recordings was a complete set of Mozart’s violin sonatas, made in 1974–75 with pianist Jan Panenka.
He served on the juries of several international competitions, including the Tchaikovsky Competition.