Martin Smolka, born 1959 in Prague. Studied composition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and with Marek Kopelent. Co-founder, Agon Ensemble, 1983. Research and theoretical writing on Czech avant-garde movements, publications on graphic notation. Composition commissions from festivals including Warsaw Autumn, Donaueschingen Festival, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, musica viva Munich and Prague Spring. Alfred Radok Prize for the opera Nagano, 2004. Instructor at the Janáček Academy in Brno since 2003.