Antonin Dvorak was one of the leading composers of the Late Romantic period and one of many composers who used parts of music from different ethnic and cultural in his compositions. The idea of ​​musical nationalism is found in several of his works, notably in his Symphony no. 9 in E minor “from the New World”, which incorporates ideas from American culture. Antonin Dvorak was born on September 8, 1841 in the small village of Nelahozeves. Dvorak began his training in music education at the age of eight at the local school in his village. At the age of 14, he trained under the church choir director in the nearby town of ZIonce. At the age of 16 he studied briefly at the German municipal school and a year later, in 1857, he began his studies at the Prague organ school, where he graduated in 1859. (Stefan 25-30). On March 9, 1873, with the premiere of his patriotic cantata for male voices. (Doge) Boasting of his success, Dvorak would then begin work on his opera, King and Charcoal Burner, with the Provisional Theater. (Doge) This piece was unfortunately not premiered and was removed from the program because it exceeded the capabilities of the Czech orchestra. This event, however, constitutes a pivotal moment in Dvorak's compositional process, as he begins to critically evaluate his work and branch out in new directions (Doge). It was there that he began to explore ideas of musical nationalism, with his compositions moving away from German influence and being more influenced by elements of Slavic folklore. During this period, Dvorak composed a few additional string quartets and a new version of his King and Charcoal Burner, which ended up having a very successful premiere in November...... middle of paper ..... .of American heritage and this is why Antonin Dvorak and his “New World” Symphony constitute a very important part of the late Romantic musical period among nationalist composers. Works Cited Beckerman, Michael. Largo “New World” by Dvořák and “The Song of Hiawatha”. Music of the 19th Century, Vol. 16, no. 1 (summer 1992), pp. 35-48Karl Kroeger. “Fisherman, William Arms.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Internet. April 18, 2014..Klaus Döge. “Dvořák, Antonin.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Internet. April 18, 2014..Stefan, Paul. Anton Dvořák. New York: Da Capo Press, 1971. Print. Tibbetts, John C.. Dvořák in America, 1892-1895. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1993. Print.