Antonin Dvorak is considered one of the greatest musical composers to have ever lived. Over his time composing, he wrote symphonies, operas, choral works, almost every kind of piece. In total, he composed more than two hundred pieces in his lifetime. Dvorak was born in rural Bohemia in 1841. His father was a butcher and owned a small inn; his family was not wealthy, just the opposite. Dvorak was the eldest of the other eight children in his family. He attended the school in his village, where he was encouraged to sing and was taught violin by the schoolteacher, Josef Spitz, who was the cantor at the synagogue nearby. Music came naturally to Dvorak, and by the age of ten, was extremely involved with the musical life in his neighborhood. He would accompany hymns at church, and also played in the village band.  He learned how to play waltzes, polkas and marches. His parents saw his true talent, and sent him to the nearby town of Zionice to continue his studies. There, he learned German, and received musical lessons from Josef Toman and Antonin Liehmann. Through their lessons, he learned music theory and became proficient with many instruments, including piano and violin. After graduating, he enrolled in the German Municipal School at Ceska Kamenice for a year, and then moved on to the Prague Organ School. There, he played viola in the orchestra, and graduated second best student in his year. Soon after, he became a viola player in the Provisional Theatre Orchestra. This is where he met director and conductor Bedrich Smetana, who encouraged Dvorak to compose. Under Smetana's guidance, Dvorak composed several pieces. In 1892, Dvorak traveled to the United States of America, specifically to New York City. He arrived on October 12th, and soon after, began work at the National Conservatory of Music.  This is where his interest in Native American and, more importantly, African-American music began.  Jeanette Thurber, a wealthy and philanthropic woman