Los Angeles Marks Dvořák's 170th Birthday!

On September 8, 2011, the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles, Michal Sedláček, hosted a Garden Party at his residence in honor of the 170th anniversary of the birth of classical composer Antonín Dvořák. The event was marked by a musical performance of Dvořák's works, lectures by esteemed music scholars, and a sneak peek at an upcoming film called Spillville, about Dvořák's inspirational trip to Iowa. To take a look at a list of upcoming events honoring Dvořák in Los Angeles, please click here.

During the event, the Salastina Music Society and the Walden String Quartet presented samples of Dvořák's work. Music professors Robert Winter of of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Nick Stimple of the University of Southern California (USC) spoke of the importance of Dvořák in American music.

The event also included a preview of an upcoming film project, Spillville, by film producer and actor Lenora May and Emmy award-winner Craig Heller. The indepent film is based on the true story of Dvořák's inspirational 1893 trip to Spillville, Iowa.