Many gifted musicians start playing at an early age, and Vitous began playing the violin at the age of six. He subsequently played the piano at the age of 10, before settling on the bass at 14. He studied under F. Posta at the Prague Conservatory in Czechoslovakia. 

During this time he played in a trio with his brother Alan, and Jan Hammer. After winning a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he went  to the U.S. A.  A year later in 1966, Miroslav moved to New York & collaborated with musicians such as Bob Brookmeyer, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, Art Farmer, Stan Getz, Charlie Mariano, and Herbie Mann.

In 1970, the group Weather Report was formed along with Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul. Three years later, he formed the Miroslav Vitous Group with John Surman, Kenny Kirkland and Jon Christensen. In 1979 Vitous became the director of the Jazz Department at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

In 1982 Vitous reunites Chick Corea and Roy Haynes,  tours the world and produces 2 albums for  the ECM label. He had  several performances witht the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra and at the Music of Viva in Boston. In 1988 he left the academy in order to focus all his energy on composing and performing. Around this time, he returned to Prague and recorded an album with his brother. Since then he has  lived in Europe. After a long period of composing, he has recently come back on  stage with his solo projects above all. 

Selected solo discography
Infinite Search, 1969
Purple, 1970
Magical Shepherd, 1976
Miroslav, 1977
Guardian Angels, 1978
First Meeting, 1979
Miroslav Vitous Group, 1980
Journey's End, 1982
Emergence, 1985
Return, 1989
Universal Syncopations, 2003