Rafael Kubelik

I met Rafael Kubelik for the first time in Rome, Sunday, March 27, 1949. Together with his friend Vaclav Stancl, also exiled member of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra we spend some time talking with Rafael Kubelik in a hotel coffee bar. Maestro invited us to his concert in the evening. He gave us two tickets and remarked that to his knowledge at the concert will be also the communist Czech ambassador to Italy. "Your tickets are in the first row, so I hope you will have better seats then comrade ambassador." Said Maestro Kubelik with a grinn. The photo was taken by my very old camera in front of hotel Regina, if my memory serves me well. Imposing Rafael Kubelik is in the centre, Vaclav Stancl is on the right.

Rafael Jeroným Kubelík ( Born on June 24, 1914 in Bychory, near Kolin in Bohemia - Died: August 11, 1996 in Luzern, Switzerland) was a Czech conductor and composer.

He was the son of the violinist Jan Kubelik. He studied at the conservatoire in Prague. Profesori Pavel Dedecek a Jindrich FeldFrom 1936 to 1939 and again from 1942 to 1948 he was conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. After the Communist Coup in 1948, he left Czechoslovakia and became a citizen of Switzerland in 1973. He was condcutor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1953, music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 1955 to 1958, of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1961 to 1979, and of the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, from 1972 to 1974.

Among his compositions are five operas, a number of symphonies, and chamber music.