Miroslav Šmíd

He devoted a great deal of his creative energy to the artistic ensemble Lúčnica. Together with the choreographer Štefan Nosáľ and the choirmaster Štefan Klim he sought and formed the group’s profile. Presenting compositions by  A. Moyzes, J. Cikker, T. Andrašovan, B. Urbanec, L. Burlas, Z. Mikula and especially  S. Stračina, he gradually established Lúčnica’s fundamental repertoire. There he presented the premieres of more than 400 compositions by Slovak composers and many by Czech composers also. He played an important part in building the orchestra in the Jozef Gregor Tajovský Theatre Opera in Banská Bystrica. Apart from Lúčnica and the orchestra of what is now the State Opera in Banská Bystrica, he collaborated with further bodies also: the Moravian Teachers’ Choir (1952 – 1958), Slovak Philharmonic, Slovak National Theatre Opera, State Philharmonic Košice, Workers’ Philharmonic (today’s Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, Zlín), South Bohemian Theatre Opera in České Budějovice, SĽUK, Folk Instruments Orchestra, Bratislave etc. Also important is Šmídova’s long-term collaboration with the Film Symphony Orchestra in Prague, where from 1965 he recorded music for more than 70 films. For his last 11 years he conducted the Youth Orchestra at the Ľudovít Rajter Primary Art School in Bratislava. Apart from conducting, he was active in composing and arranging.