Bedřich Smetana was a Czech composer who is mostly known from his opera Prodaná nevěsta (The Bartered Bride) and his cycle of six symphonic poems Má Vlast (My Homeland). The latter includes the renowned Vltava, which describes the river running through Prague and ends up in river Elbe. It is Smetana's best known and internationally most popular orchestral piece.
Together with Antonín Dvořák and Leoš Janáček, Smetana is one of the most influential composers from the Czech Republic.