SUK, Josef – All Classical Research

Born in Křečovice, Jan 4, 1874
Died in Benešov, nr Prague, May 29, 1935

Josef Suk was the child of a choirmaster/ schoolmaster, from whom he learned to play piano, violin, and organ. In 1885 (age 11), Suk entered the Prague Conservatory. He stayed on an extra year after graduation to study composition with Antonín Dvořák, becoming the composer’s favorite pupil.
- Fun fact: in 1898, Suk married Dvořák’s daughter, Otilie (Otilka).
- In 1922, Suk himself became a professor of composition at the Prague Conservatory.
As a composer, Suk was most at home with instrumental music. He was seen by many as Dvořák’s musical successor. His earlier works display qualities of sensuous late romanticism. Following the deaths of his father-in-law in 1904 and his wife in 1905, Suk’s music took a dramatic turn towards more complexity, introspection, and even polytonality.
Unlike many of his Czech predecessors, Suk almost never drew on folk music or literary sources for inspiration.
In addition to composition, Suk led a distinguished international career as a violinist in the Czech Quartet until he retired from performing in 1933.¹

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Biography from Seattle Chamber Music Society