If you like first class performances of classical music, jazz, and world music, you should not miss the 71st edition of the Prague Spring International Music Festival. It is the oldest, most famous, and biggest festival in to the number of concerts in the Czech Republic. In 2016, it will offer an excellent blend of tradition and experiment.
The 1946 – 2016 jubilee will be celebrated on 12 May with the opening concert in the Smetana Hall, at the Municipal House. The traditional My Country by Bedřich Smetana will resound under the baton of Paavo Järvi from Estonia, conducting the Czech Philharmonic who stood at the birth of the festival, in 1946.
The cornerstone of the program dwells traditionally on great personalities of the world music scene, and top-class orchestras: Daniel Barenboim & Staatskapelle Berlin, Gil Shaham & Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Maurizio Pollini, Andreas Scholl & Collegium 1704, Murray Perahia & Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sakari Oramo & BBC Symphony Orchestra, New London Consort, etc.
If you prefer the southern temperament, do not miss the Spanish set, featuring baroque compositions of Spanish and Italian composers discovered in South and Central America, and performed by awarded Al Ayre Español and the soprano Raquel Andueza. The Flamenco legends La Lupi and Antonio Canales, the singer Gabriel de la Tomasa, and other participants of the RETOrno project, will take you to a breathtaking journey through the centuries, to the very roots of traditional flamenco, while the pianist Javier Perianes will perform in the Noches en los jardines de España by Falla, nominated for the Latin Grammy for its recording in 2012.
The 71st edition of the Prague Spring Festival is organized under the auspices of the President of the Czech Republic.
The cornerstone of the program dwells traditionally on great personalities of the world music scene, and top-class orchestras: Daniel Barenboim & Staatskapelle Berlin, Gil Shaham & Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Maurizio Pollini, Andreas Scholl & Collegium 1704, Murray Perahia & Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sakari Oramo & BBC Symphony Orchestra, New London Consort, etc.
The Baltic and Spanish accent
This edition’s specialty is the emphasis on music from the Baltic countries, together with introduction to a three-year series focusing on music productions from Spain and Latin America, who are sending excellent representatives. The Baltic region will be represented by Baiba & Lauma Skride, the mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the Kaunas State Choir, and the Čiurlionis Quartet, who will be bringing music from this unique artistic region.If you prefer the southern temperament, do not miss the Spanish set, featuring baroque compositions of Spanish and Italian composers discovered in South and Central America, and performed by awarded Al Ayre Español and the soprano Raquel Andueza. The Flamenco legends La Lupi and Antonio Canales, the singer Gabriel de la Tomasa, and other participants of the RETOrno project, will take you to a breathtaking journey through the centuries, to the very roots of traditional flamenco, while the pianist Javier Perianes will perform in the Noches en los jardines de España by Falla, nominated for the Latin Grammy for its recording in 2012.
Specialties of Prague Spring 2016
Visitors with a taste for the exotic can look forward to a unique two hour show by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, who won the national Chinese competition of Chinese opera in 2014. The festival will present Seong-Jin Cho, the fresh winner of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. A true treat awaits all jazz lovers: 18 years old guitarist Andreas Varády. The visionary Quincy Jones marked him as one of the most talented musicians on Earth. His Prague debut is scheduled for 30 May, in the unique rooms of Forum Karlin.Homage to Charles IV
Prague Spring won’t forget the significant 700th anniversary of the birth of Charles IV. The walls of the St Agnesʼ Convent will resound with monastic music from the Charles IV era, presented by the Tiburtina Ensemble, on 18 May. One day later, this project will be carried on by the excellent Belgian ensemble Graindelavoix, who will bring a unique program from 15th century Cyprus.Prague Spring 2016 Debut
The Prague Spring 2016 Debut has been assigned to the baton of a young Czech conductor, Jiří Rožeň, the laureate of the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival of Young Conductors Award 2015, and Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition 2014. The concert will also feature 18-year old South Korean flutist Yubeen Kim, the winner of the Prague Spring International Music Competition 2015, and the Geneva Competition 2014.Metamorphoses of Romanticism
Chamber music enthusiasts can enjoy the third edition of the Chamber Music Weekend, this time themed as “Metamorphoses of Romanticism”. The program features Opernhaus Zürich soloist Martina Janková, with the pianist Gérard Wyss; the Guarneri Trio Prague; the first clarinetist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Thomas Martin; the harpist Kateřina Englichová; fama Q, violinist Ivan Ženatý; the Armida Quartett – winner of the ARD International Competition 2012 – and others. Visitors can look forward once again to unusual and beautiful concert locations like the Dvořák and Suk Halls at Rudolfinum, the New Town Hall, Liechtenstein Palace, the St Agnesʼ Convent, and other places.The 71st edition of the Prague Spring Festival is organized under the auspices of the President of the Czech Republic.
