Petr Fiala (b. 1943) founded the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno in 1990, and for the past 50 years he has devoted himself intensively to the work of a choir director and conductor. Under his direction, the choir has risen to the ranks of the best European choirs and has also been named a prize-winner at ECHO Klassik three times.
Petr Fiala is a graduate of the Janáček Academy of Music in Brno (in the class of Prof. Jan Kapr) in piano, composition and conducting. In his compositional studies he was inspired by the work of great artists, including Honegger, Bartók, Prokofjev, Martinů and Janáček. His oeuvre includes over 180 compositions, solo pieces for piano, accordion, viola and others, three symphonies, oratorios, cantatas and two music dramas. He also wrote the ballet "The Burning Stone" and the opera "Beauty and the Beast" based on the play by František Hrubín.
As a composer and conductor, he is the winner of many competitions, gives master classes and is a member of international juries. He regularly participates in performances of vocal-instrumental works, among others together with Riccardo Chailly in Amsterdam (Janáček - "Glagolitic Mass").
Petr Fiala received the Order of St. Cyril and Methodius for special merits from the Czech Bishops' Conference in 2009. He was made an honorary citizen of the city of Brno.