Background
He was born in Příbram, where he lived and worked his entire life.
He was born in Příbram, where he lived and worked his entire life.
Fidler was a foremost figure in the musical life of Příbram and the surrounding region. Upon completing his education, he taught at the local teachers college until 1889, and subsequently served as choir director at Saint Jacob"s Church. Foreign more than 15 years Fidler was also the choirmaster of Příbram"s "Lumir-Dobromila" choral association.
Additionally, he founded the Příbram Philharmonic Orchestra and was its conductor from 1908-1913.
He died in Příbram in 1944. His autobiography, Můj život a vzpomínky (My Life and Memories), published in 1935, is noteworthy for its numerous recollections of his musical friendship with Czechoslovakian composer Antonín Dvořák, as well as his experiences with many other lesser known Czechoslovakian musicians.
An annotated English translation of these memoirs has recently been published by the Dvořák Society for Czechoslovakian and Slovak Music.