The roots of the ensemble date back to the mid-1960s in Veľká Lehôtka, where a group of young enthusiasts, not only from Prievidza but also from the surrounding villages, together with the cimbal band Zábojnikovci, laid the foundation for the creation of a folklore ensemble that was later named Vtáčnik.
Currently, the leader of the ensemble is Ján Antol, who, after many years of being member of the ensemble, has continued the tradition of the previous leaders in an effort to not only maintain awareness of public about ensemble itself, but also the friendly bonds that have been created thanks to it for several generations.
In 2017, dancer and pedagogue Tomáš Bakyta took over as the artistic director of the Vtáčnik folklore ensemble. A passionate dancer and member by heart, he took on the ensemble with great responsibility. In a short time, new dances were added to the repertoire, not only from the region but also from other parts of Slovakia. Under his leadership, the ensemble celebrated its 50th anniversary with the special program Košeľa, košeľa.
In February 1997, a new artistic director, Ľubomír Macek, joined the ensemble. His arrival brought several changes, not only in the organization, but also in the musical component, thanks to the young musician and violinist, Janko Strmenský. During the following 20 years under the leadership of Ľubomír Macek, the ensemble performed countless times, not only in Slovakia but also abroad. They traveled Europe from north to south, from east to west, literally.
In 1987, Alena Meszárošová, a former dancer of the Trenčan folklore ensemble from Trenčín and the Technik ensemble from Bratislava, took over the artistic direction of the ensemble. She was assisted in the choreography by Eliška Hrbíková, the leader of the children's ensemble. The vocal preparation in this period was taken care of by Iveta Pršová, a former singer of the ensemble. At the beginning of this period, the folk music was initially led by Anton Pršo and then by other famous names, such as Luboš Hrdý and Daniel Kubizna. This vibrant and creative period brought many important collaborations to the ensemble, resulting in new inspirations, full-length programs and choreographies such as V Poluvsí na zábave.
The following period was marked by the change of several leaders of the ensemble. During this short but intensive period, Vtáčnik was led by artists such as Jozef Kováč, Mr. Gajdoš, Otto Melo, and Eva Petríková-Matiašková, who is still a dance pedagogue of the ensemble. Since 1984, Jozef Strečanský, the leader of the Lubená folklore group and a significant personality of the Horná Nitra folklore, started to cooperate with the ensemble. He contributed to the creation of new dances from the region.
In 1981, the Vtáčnik Folklore Ensemble became part of the Municipal Cultural Center of Gustáv. A year later, Štefan Sekula took over the leadership of the ensemble. He expanded the ensemble's repertoire to include the Horehronie region and especially dances from the ensemble's home region of Horná Nitra. His work was positively influenced by the collaboration with Dr. Vlastita Tóthová from the Hornonitrianske Museum. The first performance under the new leader took place on May 1, 1982, at the town square in Prievidza. The ensemble presented itself to the audience with a new choreography from the Horehronie dance region, and its name was simple and typical of its character: Šorový.
The arrival of Milan Chvastek, a seasoned cultural worker, passionate singer, musician, and dancer, marked a shift from spontaneity to systematic work. During his 13 years of leading the ensemble, there were hundreds of performances, 18 dances, and over 160 young people who performed in the ensemble. At his instigation, the children's folklore ensemble Malý Vtáčnik was also founded in 1974, led by Mrs. Cecília Habšudová and Barbara Valentová.