Martin Turnovský was a Czech conductor born on September 29, 1928, in Prague, Czechoslovakia. His early piano studies were interrupted by World War II and his imprisonment in a concentration camp. After the war, Turnovský studied conducting at the Prague Academy of Music under Karel Ančerl. In 1958, he won first prize at the International Conductors Competition in Besançon. Turnovský held chief conductor roles with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Plzeň (1963–1966), the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (1966–1968), the Norwegian National Opera (1975–1980), and the Bonn Opera (1979–1983). Following the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, he emigrated to Austria and conducted ensembles including the New York Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra. Turnovský returned to Prague in 1989 and led the Prague Symphony Orchestra from 1992 to 1995. His recordings include the albums Martinu: Symphony Number 4, Piano Concerto Number 4 & 3 Ricercari and Martin Turnovsky, Direction. Turnovský died on May 19, 2021, in Vienna.
