Composer Vadim Petrov dies at 88

Composer, pianist and music teacher Vadim Petrov has died at the age of 88. Petrov created over 1,400 compositions in the course of his career, from symphonies to film and theatre music as well as music for children’s cartoons and fairy tales.

Petrov taught several generations of Czech musicians. He founded the People's Conservatory in Prague in the 1960s, today's the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory, where he worked as its first director.

When he was forced to leave the position after 1968 due to persecution by the communist regime, he worked at the Jan Deyl Conservatory and the Prague Conservatory.

Petrov's pupils included, for example, composer and pianist Petr Malásek, opera singer Dagmar Pecková and singer Anna K.

In 2018 he was awarded a Medal of Merit by President Miloš Zeman.