Váša Příhoda

Váša studied privately with Jan Mařák (a student of Otakar Ševčík), making his first public concert at age 13, playing the 4th Violin Concerto by Mozart.

At age 19 a tour of Italy proved unsuccessful; poverty-stricken, he joined the orchestra of the Café Grand'Italia[10] in Milan to earn money.

[clarification needed] Příhoda gave concerts extensively all over the world and made a number of recordings when the industry was in its infancy.

As he had continued to perform in Germany and German-occupied territories after the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia, he was briefly charged with collaboration after the war, and censured by the Czech government.

[1][9] He later taught at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna, where his students included Friedrich Cerha.

[citation needed] After 1950, he dedicated most of his time to teaching and he also composed small chamber works, which are no longer played.