Rafael Kubelík

The Czech composer Rafael Kubelik was born into an artistic Bohemian family; his father was a famous violinist and his mother was a Hungarian countess who had eight children, five of whom became violinists. After studying at the Prague Conservatory Kubelik graduated in 1933 and later embarked on a tour of the US with his father in 1935. After returning to Czechoslovakia he took up a position as musical director of the Brno Opera, a position he held until the Nazis shut it down in 1941. Kubelik managed to continue with his musical career whilst the country was under occupation but his outspoken criticism of the Nazis made his position increasingly untenable. Finally in 1944 he was forced to go into hiding following his refusal to conduct any of Wagner's compositions. Kubelik's privileged upbringing with its rich cultural influences is possibly what caused him to be a vociferous opponent of the communist Czech government when they came to power after the World War II. He went into self-imposed exile during a trip to the UK but eventually became a Swiss citizen in 1967 although subsequently much of his professional life spent in the US working with the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony and the New York Philharmonic. He was forced to retire in 1985 due to arthritis but did return to perform in Czechoslovakia following the fall of communism. He died in his adopted home of Switzerland in 1996 aged 82.

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