Biography (read more)
Štěpán Rák (born 8 August 1945, originally Štěpán Slivka) is a Czech classical guitarist and composer. Adopted as a child by Marie and Josef Rák, he studied at the Prague Conservatory from 1965 to 1970 and later studied composition at the Prague Academy of Arts from 1975. In 2000 he was named the first-ever Professor of Guitar in the Czech Republic, a title conferred by President Václav Havel.
Rák’s orchestral work Hiroshima won second prize at a Czechoslovak competition for young composers in 1973, and he has performed in more than 70 countries. He is known for technical innovations in his guitar writing and remains a leading figure of Czech guitar composition and pedagogy.
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