Otto Albert Tichý was born in Martínkov, Moravia, in a Catholic family of a provincial teacher.
However, he interrupted his study to work nine years at the most spiritual publisher of this time, Josef Florian, solely for room and board.
In 1919 he resumed his study as a pupil of French composer and teacher Vincent d'Indy at the Schola Cantorum.
He spent six years in France and after his marriage moved to Lausanne with his family, where he worked as organist in cathedral Notre Dame and as professor of music at Dominican gymnasium.
His best known pieces are the Missa festival in honorem Sti Alberti Magni, Missa pastoralis in honorem Jesu Infantis in Praga or A Notre-Dame du Chene, and Tantum ergo sacramentum, and Ave Maria, and some other vocal compositions and very nice compositions for small chamber brass or string ensembles.