"Don't be surprised if I'm so religious. An artist who isn't couldn't produce anything like this." (-Antonio Dvorak) A person of humble origins and ways and of deep faith, Antonio Dvořák often attributed his musical talent as "a gift from God". His Bohemian nationalist music stimulated generations of folk and romantic music to continue well into the 19th century. He followed God's path and it showed in his music. To further understand the totality of Dvorak's life, we must examine his personal life, career, and legacy. Born on September 8, 1841 in the Bohemian village of Nelahozeves, near Prague, in what was then Bohemia, Antonio Dvorak was inundated with Bohemian culture. nationalist popular music from a young age. His father, who played the zither, first exposed the young Dvorak to the music that would launch his career. At the age of six he began studying music and attended Prague's only organ school, graduating with proficiency in many instruments including organ, violin, viola and piano. In the 1860s he began teaching piano lessons, and it was through them that he ...