The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation was established on 16 October 1975 under the Czech Music Fund. The legislative framework under the totalitarian regime did not allow for an independent Bohuslav Martinů Foundation to be founded, as explained to Mrs. Martinů by the then lawyer of the Czech Music Fund, Dr. Richard Klos. Thanks to her trust in the then director of the Czech Music Fund, Vladimír Ševčík, and other influences from her personal friends (special mention should be made of Prof. Josef Páleníček, who had a profound influence on Charlotte Martinů), she bequeathed in her will dated 12 January 1977 all worldwide copyright rights to the works of Bohuslav Martinů to the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation under the Czech Music Fund. A small exception is a portion of the copyright rights from the use of Bohuslav Martinů's works in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and partially Austria, which belongs to the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation based in Basel, Switzerland.
A fundamental change occurred only after 1989. On 21 June 1990, the board of the Czech Music Fund (hereinafter ČHF) decided to establish a new legal entity, the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation (hereinafter the Foundation). It appointed prominent figures from the Czech cultural community who were already clearly connected with the person and work of Bohuslav Martinů.
These were: Dr. Viktor Kalabis, who became chairman, Prof. Ivan Štraus, violinist and pedagogue as vice-chairman (who replaced V. Kalabis as chairman in 2004), Dr. Jan Kapusta, former director of the Bohuslav Martinů Memorial in Polička, composer Oldřich František Korte, pianist Prof. Emil Leichner, ČHF director Vladimír Ševčík, specialist from the Czech Museum of Music Dr. Kateřina Maýrová, and Czechoslovak Radio editor Dr. Stanislava Střelcová.
The legal advisor was the long-time ČHF lawyer and close friend of Mrs. Charlotte Martinů, Dr. Richard Klos (Prof. Páleníček was no longer appointed due to health reasons – he passed away in 1991). The Foundation always had only one secretary, who managed all foundation agenda.
