(ˈbɛ drʒɪx ˈsmɛ tɑ nɑ)
Born Tuesday, March 2, 1824
Died Monday, May 12, 1884
Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style which became closely identified with his country's aspirations to independent statehood. He has been regarded in his homeland as the father of Czech music. Internationally he is best known for his opera The Bartered Bride and for the symphonic cycle Má vlast, which portrays the history, legends and landscape of the composer's native land.