My last visit to the traditional ‘Prague Spring’ Music Festival was a great event in my life. I had thought I knew Czech music fairly well, but in Prague I realised that my knowledge was in fact quite scanty, and mainly restricted to the past. What I heard at the Festival surpassed all my expectations. I was impressed by the flourishing of modern Czech music, which is taking on a truly national character and confidently continuing the best traditions of the Czech classics. I shall always remember my friendly meetings with three talented composers – the Czech Václav Dobiaš and the Bulgarians Pancho Vladigerov and Lyubomir Pipkov.