Bedřich Smetana was a 19th century composer who is regarded as the father of Czech music. He learned to play music from his father at a very young age, presented his first recital at six and began composing by the age of eight. At 20, he began to study music from Josef Proksch while financing his education by teaching piano. Thereafter, he opened a successful piano school in Prague, concurrently being appointed as the court pianist at the Prague Castle. But a series of personal losses made him move to Sweden, where he found immediate success. For the next five years, he moved between Gothenburg and Prague, finally settling down in Prague at the age of 37. In the year 1866, his operas ‘The Bartered Bride’ and ‘The Brandenburgers in Bohemia’ were premiered. After their success, he was appointed as the conductor at the Prague Provisional Theatre, holding the position until he lost his hearing ability at 50. Even after that, he continued to compose, soon being hailed as the pioneer of Czech music.