Pavol Zelenay (15 April 1928 – 8 July 2024) was a Slovak swing composer, producer, musician, and music critic who was best known as a co-founder of the Bratislavská lýra popular song contest.
[3] After high school, he enrolled in the construction engineering program at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava while simultaneously studying clarinet play.
Between 1967 and 1984, Zelenay was the head of the popular music department at the Slovenský rozhlas, where he played a crucial role in providing platform for new bands and starting musicians.
The festival helped to launch the careers of future starts of Slovak pop music, including Elán, Modus and Marika Gombitová.
[8] In 2011, Zelenay was awarded the Order of Ľudovít Štúr, 3rd class by the president of Slovakia Ivan Gašparovič for his lifelong contribution to development of Slovak music.