The year 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of composer Josef Suk. On this occasion, a half-ounce gold medal of the Czech Mint has been created, which is part of a free cycle of the most beautiful unrealised designs entered into the Czech National Bank's competitions.

Josef Suk the Elder was one of the greatest European composers at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. His life and work were fatefully linked with the personality of another Czech musical genius - Antonín Dvořák, who was Suk's teacher, inspiration and father-in-law. Suk initially lyricised the influence of his mentor in a distinctive way, and in the era of late Romanticism he fully exercised the sensitivity, sonic colour and melodicism of his musical thinking. His seminal work of this period was the incidental music for Julius Zeyer's dramatic fairy tale Radúz and Mahulena. The intensity of Suk's works was a reflection of his fulfilled family life - his loving relationship with his wife Otilia, who bore him a son, Josef. But then tragedy happened to him. First of all, Antonín Dvořák died, and then Otilie. The devastated Suk turned to new means of expression, which he transformed into a demanding progressive style. Through music, he dealt with questions of fate, death and the meaning of existence, and his meditative symphonic works Asrael, Fairy Tale of Summer, Maturation and Epilogue made him the founder of 20th century Czech musical modernism... Josef Suk was also a first-class violinist. He founded the Czech Quartet, which represented a milestone in Czech chamber music performance, and played over four thousand concerts with it around the world.

The design by the academic sculptor Zbyněk Fojtů was used as a template for the commemorative medal. The obverse side presents a portrait of Josef Suk in profile and the musical notation of his Village Serenade. The reverse side is also dominated by the composer's violin.

The issue run is only 99 pieces. Each medal is also hand numbered on the edge.