 He studied composition from 1899 to 1904 with Antonín Dvořák and organ with Josef Klička in Prague.In Prague, he took part in the resistance and in March 1943 was arrested.After being interned at Pankrác for two years (1943–1945) Karel was sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp (often used as a transit point to Auschwitz but used as the "model camp" where the arts were to some extent tolerated; a number of artists and composers, among the latter Pavel Haas, Viktor Ullmann, Hans Krása and Gideon Klein also arrived there), where after one month he died of dysentery.