Dates, locations, programs, concerts, performers and orchestras for Czech music festivals:
The Antonin Dvorak Music Festival runs from mid- to late-May in Pribram City concert halls, the Antonin Dvorak Monument in Vysoka's neo-Renaissance chateau, the Svata Hora Basilica and the Frantisek Drtikol Gallery at Ernestina chateau. Past performances have included the North Bohemian Philharmonic Teplice and the Suk Chamber Orchestra.
The dates for the Czech Republic Dvorak's Olomouc International Music Festival are from mid-May to early-June. Previous entertainment included Vaclav Hudecek, Eugen Prochac and the Jazz Rudolfinum Big Band, led by Milan Svoboda. The Metropol Cinema screens classic silent films, accompanied by orchestra music.
The dates for the Prague Spring International Music Festival are also mid-May to early-June. The festival hosts concerts, theater performances and competition concerts in various Prague locations: Municipal House, Rudolfinum, Church of SS Simon and Jude, National Theatre, State Opera, Star Summer Palace and the Church of St Luke in Krecovice.
Performances have included the Czech Philharmonic, the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, cellist Stephen Isserlis, trumpeter Alison Balsom, pianist Andrei Gavril and the Czech sopranos, Gabriela Benackova and Eva Urbanova.
Finals for the Prague Spring International Music Competition on conductorship take place in mid-May at the Rudolfinum.
In late-May and early-June, Ostrava hosts the Czech Republic's annual Janaceks May International Music Festival. Performance locations include Ostrava Castle, Landek Mining Museum, Church of St Nicholas and Ostrava Puppet Theatre. Highlights have included violinist, Gidon Kremer, and his Kremerata Baltica Ensemble and The City of Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK.
The border between the Czech Republic and Germany is the location for the annual Mitte Europa Festival, from mid-June to late-July. Performers have included cellist, Jiris Barta and the Prague Chamber Philharmonic, the Tolzer Knabenchor boys choir, the NeoBarock ensemble and the Hot Club Harmonists.
The dates for the Hluboka Summer of Music Festival in the Czech Republic are mid-June to mid-September. Musical concerts take place in the Ales South Bohemian Gallery in Hluboka nad Vltavou.
The Summer of Music takes place between June and late-August. Past performers have included Bena Havlu on the xylophone, the M. Nostitz Quartet, pianist Ondrej Hubacek, Musica dolce vita, Camael, the female vocal trio Trina and instrumental quintet, led by violinist Pavel Fischer and guitarist, Lubomisr Brabec.
Czech Republic's largest open-air classical music festival, Smetana's Litomysl International Opera Festival takes place from mid-June to early-July, at the UNESCO renaissance chateau in Litomysl.
Children's performances have included the operas The Animals and the Thieves, by Otmar Macha, The Emperor's New Clothes, by Jiri Teml, and The Little Sweep, by Benjamin Britten. Music from fairytales, children's stories, films and serials were performed at the Request Concert.
Highlights of the Czech Republic music festival have included soprano Eva Urbanova and tenor, Torsten Kerl. The Smetana's Litomyal Festival (Opera NDM Ostrava) has featured Puccini's famous Manon Lescaut, the Czech premiere of Christ's Touch by Vitazoslav Kubicka and John Fiore conducting A Ring without Words by The National Theatre Orchestra. Other concerts have included Dvorak's Saint Ludmila Oratorio and Orff's cantata, Carmina Burana, The Wandering Fiddler, by Zuzana Lapcikova and by The Czaldy-Waldy Quartet.
Kutna Hora Opera Week, in late-June, has featured a Musical Cocktail from the musicals, Verdi's Requiem Mass in the Cathedral of St. Barbara, and Puccini's Manon Lescaut, performed by Maria Haan.
The dates for the Cesky Krumlov International Music Festival are early-July to late-August. The classical music Czech festival takes place in the UNESCO-designated historical town centre. Concerts feature music from the Gothic period to the 21st century, including jazz, folk and traditional Irish and French music.
Premieres have included Ars Antiqua, by the Schola Gregoriana Pragensis, in the Kajov parish church. Italian pianist Roberto Prosseda has performed newly discovered music from Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. The world premiere of Sonata Berounka, by composer Domeniconi, was performed in the chateau's Masquerade Hall. The Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak Chamber Orchestra, the New York Voices and Cechomor have also performed at this Czech music festival.
The Czech National Symphonic Orchestra's Prague Proms International Music Festival takes place mid- to late-July. Classic film music concerts are held at Smetana Hall in Municipal House, in the Hybernia Palace and the Prague Congress Centre.
This Czech music festival has featured choirs, soloists and the CNSO conducted by Libor Pesek, who conducted the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Other performers have included pianist Garrick Ohlsson, cellist Milos Jahoda and Czech soprano Eva Urbanova.
The dates for the Spilberk International Music Festival are mid- to late-August. The entirely symphonic Czech summer music festival has featured the Brno Philharmonic and conductor Petr Altrichter, the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, from Zlin, conducted by Jakub Hrusa and the Prague Chamber Philharmonic.
Fall Czech music festivals include the Prague Autumn International Music Festival from mid-September to mid-October, the Moravian Autumn International Music Festival, from late-September to early-October and the Autumn Festival of Spiritual Music in Olomouc from late-September to mid-October.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
