A protege of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, Marek Štilec is a rising star among the younger generation of Czech conductors. Štilec studied with Oliver von Dohnányi and Leos Svárovský, and at age 17, he founded his own ensemble, the Quattro Chamber Orchestra. A breakthrough came in 2010 in the form of an invitation from Tilson Thomas to study with him under the San Francisco Symphony's auspices. Štilec has conducted various orchestras in the Czech Republic and elsewhere. It is with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra that Štilec's name has been most widely distributed on recordings. In 2014, he issued Zdenek Fibich's overtures and ballet music from Hedy, which immediately led to more recording opportunities for Štilec. With the Czech Chamber Orchestra Pardubice, he conducted the album Eduard Strauss I: A Centenary Celebration, Vol. 3, released in 2024.