PRAGUE (AP) 鈥 Libor Pe拧ek, a Czech classical music conductor best-known for leading the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for a decade, has died. He was 89.
Pe拧ek died on Sunday, said Jan Hasen枚hrl, the director of the Czech 好色tv Symphony Orchestra where Pe拧ek was a chief conductor till 2019.
Pe拧ek worked with several orchestras at home and abroad. He was a great supporter of music from Czech composers, above all Josef Dvo艡谩k鈥檚 pupil and son-in-law Josef Suk. His recordings and concerts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic contributed to making Suk鈥檚 music known worldwide.
鈥淚t happened primarily because the time was right for presenting unknown pieces in Britain, even Czech pieces, and also it was still a right time to make some recordings,鈥 he once said in an interview for Czech public radio.
Pe拧ek was principal conductor in Liverpool in 1987鈥97, becoming conductor laureate thereafter. Under his charge, the northern English orchstra was dubbed 鈥渢he best Czech Orchestra this side of Prague.鈥
He was made Knight Commander of the British Empire during Queen Elizabeth II鈥檚 visit to Prague in 1996.
Born June 22, 1933, in Prague, Pe拧ek studied conducting, piano, cello and trombone at Prague鈥檚 Academy of Music and Arts before embarking on an international conducting career that lasted more than 50 years.
He led several orchestras in the Netherlands during the 1970s and headed the Slovak Philharmonic and was conductor in residence of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1980s. Later he was principal guest conductor of the Prague Symphony Orchestra.
