Jan Nepomuk Maýr

Jan Nepomuk Maýr (sometimes spelled Mayr, Mayer, or Maier) (17 February 1818 – 25 October 1888) was a Czech operatic tenor, opera director, conductor, composer, and music educator.

At the behest of František Ladislav Rieger, he returned to Prague in 1846 to become a principal singer at the Estates Theatre.

By 1851 Maýr was no longer appearing in opera roles, but was now working as a conductor of a number of different musical ensembles in Prague; including choirs in various cathedrals in the city (such as the Our Lady of the Snows Basilica).

In the autumn of 1862, Maýr was appointed the first director/principal conductor of the Provisional Theatre, to the disappointment of Bedřich Smetana, who had hoped for the position himself.

[1] The theatre opened on 18 November 1862, with a performance of Vítězslav Hálek's tragic drama King Vakusin.