Saša Večtomov was a Czechoslovak cellist and music pedagogue who was born as Alexandr Večtomov in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1930. He achieved early professional recognition after establishing the Suk Trio in 1951 with Josef Suk and Jiří Hubička and is famous for his acclaimed interpretations of the works of Bohuslav Martinů and for his inimitably sweet tone. Večtomov studied at the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague before completing graduate studies at the Moscow Conservatory (1957). In 1956, he joined the Czech Trio, with whom he performed and recorded for over 30 years. He also established the Prague String Duo with his brother, guitarist Vladimír Večtomov. Večtomov’s discography includes recordings of Martinů’s Cello Concerto No. 2 (1965) and Variations on a Slovak Folk Song. He won prizes in 14 international contests, including the first prize at the 1955 Prague Spring International Music Competition. In 1970, he was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque for his recording of Martinů’s Cello Concerto No. 2. Večtomov died in 1989.
