Czech bandleader Václav Hybš dies at 90

Václav Hybš, a renowned Czech trumpeter, conductor and bandleader, has died at the age of 90. He began his musical career in his father’s band and later founded the Orchestra of Václav Hybš, which accompanied many leading Czech pop singers, including Waldemar Matuška who later emmigrated to the USA. Hybš was a familiar face on Czechoslovak television, especially in entertainment shows such as Televarieté, and hosted the radio programme Šlágry od srdce between 2011 and 2017. Over his career, he recorded dozens of albums and more than a thousand singles, earning a Golden Record from Supraphon and a cultural award from the Czech Culture Ministry.