Prague Conservatory

The others included Czech-born scientist and best-selling author Václav Smil, known for explaining complex scientific topics to a wider audience, and Tomáš Cihlár, an antiviral researcher who helped develop a long-acting drug to prevent HIV.

Among those honoured who live in Czechia were Daniel Vavra, co-creator of the video game Kingdom Come Deliverance, and pianist Ivo Kahánek, director of the Prague Conservatory.

I think we are a really special country, because we are a very small country, but the Czech composers in all the ages are the best brand that we can promote.

From Jandis Mazelenka through Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, of course, Leoš Janáček.

The 13 laureates include Czech-born Canadian scientist Václav Smil, an internationally recognized expert on energy technology and the environment, and Tomáš Cihlář, a Czech virologist and senior executive at the U.S. pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, who contributed to the development of HIV drugs.

The award also went to pianist Ivo Kahanec, director of the Prague Conservatory and a BBC Music Magazine Award winner, British historian Tom Dolezal, who documents the wartime service of Czechoslovak airmen in the Royal Air Force, and Geraldine Anna Manois, head of the British Memorial Association for Free Czechoslovak Veterans.

Among this year's recipient was also game developer Daniel Vavra, creator of the 2002 cult classic Mafia and the Kingdom Come Deliverance series.

The Czech Chamber of Deputies will continue its debate on the 2027 state budget on Thursday.

On today's date in 1950, Karl Ancherl was named the artistic director of the Czech Philharmonic, a position he would hold for the next 18 years.

Ancherl had first conducted the Philharmonic back in 1930 when, upon graduation from the Prague Conservatory, he led the orchestra in one of his own compositions.

For a time, Ancherl debated whether to be a composer or a conductor.

He opted for the latter and demonstrated a mastery of both classical and contemporary scores with other orchestras in Czechoslovakia.

And then I went through schools.

The first was the Prague Conservatory.

I was a bassoonist of all instruments because they needed bassoons.

So I said, okay, I'll start a bassoon.