The Czech composer and pianist was the head of the composition department at Prague's Academy of the Performing Arts

Born in Prague in 1960, Czech composer Hanuš Bartoň enrolled at the Prague Conservatory of Music in 1975, where he studied composition with Ilja Hurník and piano with Emil Leichner. He then continued on to the Academy of Performing Arts (HAMU) in Prague, where he was taught by Jiří Pauer (composition) and Jan Panenka (piano).

Much of Bartoň's output was comprised of instrumental music, though he also wrote vocal works and electroacoustic music. In addition, he was the composer of incidental music for more than 20 theater works.

Bartoň was a founding member of the contemporary ensemble MoEns, as well as a member of the contemporary-music association Ateliér ’90. As a pianist, he frequently gave premieres of new music at festivals in Europe and beyond.

Bartoň was also a dedicated pedagogue and had held a professorship at HAMU — where he became the head of the composition department in 2010.

Our condolences to Bartoň's family, friends and colleagues. You can hear him performing his own work, Ballad for Piano, below.