Looking back in time at the great composers of the world, only one foreign composer stands out for his many contributions to classical music and in helping America to find its own music. Antonin Leopold Dvorak was born on September 8th, 1841, in a small village of Nelahozeves in Bohemia that lies on the bank of the Mauldau River. The village Dvorak was born into was in good company and surroundings however also retained much of its native luster even through the worst times of political oppression (1).Dvorak grew up around much political discussion within his fathers Inn, however he was never interested in politics, he was more interested in crops just as the other sensible folk in his village. When Dvorak was eight he attended the village for two years, and there he met Josef Spitz whom was the schoolmaster/village/organist that young Dvorak studied the violin from. He soon played well enough to sit beside his father at the Inn and play when the village band went into action (6). Antonin was often called upon to exhibit his talent to the villagers under the proud eye of his father. Unfortunately, facts about his early training that might have been passed down were lost when the old schoolhouse burned down in 1885 (1). At the end of 1853 Antonins father sent him to Zlonice to extend his studies, and that he did studying with Antonin Liehmann, whom he learned the organ, piano and viola, as well as continuing his violin studies. With Liehmann he also began studying harmony leading him into composition, for Liehmann has his own orchestra to play them in return. Dvoraks family soon moved to Zlonice at the insistence of their Uncle, then Dvorak was sent of to intensely study the German language without distractions. At this time Dvorak had been maturing quickly as a musician and for that he was taken in as an understudy at St. Jacobs Church. At the age of sixteen, Dvorak was sent off again, this time to the Organ School in Pragu...
