The Czech Republic has a long and lively tradition of classical music. Famous composers, such as Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Gustav Mahler, Josef Suk and Bohuslav Martinů were born here. Every year, there are many concerts and festivals that commemorate composers. Most festivals are organised internationally and have a good reputation throughout the world. We have prepared a list of the best festivals you can visit in 2017.
Brno Easter Festival of Sacred Music
09/04 – 23/04 BrnoThe Easter Festival of Sacred Music pays tribute to the most important Christian holiday of the year as well as the beauty of Brno churches and temples.
Dvořák’s Olomouc
05/05 – 12/05 OlomoucThe Olomouc festival presents the work of Antonín Dvořák as well as other Czech composers – Josef Suk and Leoš Janáček. Every year, the festival offers famous pieces by Dvořák and compositions by other Czech authors.
Martinů Fest
07/05 – 28/05 PoličkaMay is traditionally devoted to the remembrance of one of the most important Czech music composers, Bohuslav Martinů, in this small East Bohemian town of Polička. Concerts take place in Tyl’s house. This year, you can look forward to a performance of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductor Jiří Bělohlávek.
Prague Spring
15/05 –02/06 PrahaPrague Spring, an international music festival, is the largest and oldest Czech festival of classical music. Running since 1946, today you can visit concerts at several places all around Prague. You can hear both classical music, such as My Country by Bedřich Smetana, and innovative pieces that experiment with the borders of classical music.
International Music Festival Janáček
May22/05 – 09/06 Ostrava
Janáček May is the musical event of the year in North Moravia. This year, Ostrava will host the 42nd classical music festival. The festival programme includes symphonic and chamber concerts accompanied by a traditional jazz weekend.
Summer Baroque Festival
09/06 – 19/08 West Bohemia2017 Summer Baroque Festival invites visitors to eight Baroque festivities in prominent Baroque localities in West Bohemia. The festival includes eight major events in the following Baroque localities: Mariánská Týnice 09/06 – 10/06, Klatovy – 23/06, Zelená Hora – 08/07, Tachov – 14/07, Plasy – 21/07 – 22/07, Hrádek u Sušice – 04/08, Kladruby – 05/08, Manětín – 19/08.
Smetana’s Litomyšl International Opera Festival
11/06 – 06/07 LitomyšlThe main programme of one of the oldest festivals of classical music in the Czech Republic consist of opera productions, gala concerts, cantatas, songbook events and ballet performances. The festival takes place in the courtyard of the Litomyšl Chateau, a site registered on the UNESCO list.
International Music Festival Janáček Hukvaldy
23/06 – 09/07 Hukvaldy
The concerts of the music festival take place in the beautiful surroundings of the Hukvaldy Castle and in the nearby game reserve, the childhood playground of composer Leoš Janáček.
Kuks Musical Summer
24/06 – 19/08 KuksThe Kuks Musical Summer is a festival of classical music that takes place in the Holy Trinity Church in the unique Baroque area of the Kuks Hospital. The festival traditionally presents pieces in modern premieres. These primarily include compositions from the Kuks archive founded by the order of Brothers of Mercy in the middle of the 18th century.
International Music Festival of Český Krumlov
14/07 – 05/08 Český KrumlovThis year, there will be twenty-two performances that will take place in the historical town of Český Krumlov, registered as a UNESCO site. In addition to classical music, you can look forward to a mixture of other music genres: jazz, musical, film scores or chansons.
Teatrum Kuks
23/08 – 27/08 KuksTheatrum Kuks is a festival of Baroque culture primarily comprising music, theatre and dance. The festival also includes professional seminars, workshops, installations, exhibitions and other activities. The concerts and performances take place in the beautiful Baroque premises of the Kuks Hospital and its surroundings.
St. Wenceslas Music Festival
04/09 – 28/09 Ostrava, Havířov, Opava, Hlučín, OrlováDozens of churches in several cities of North Moravia and Silesia will sound with musical gems from a period starting in the Middle Ages up to the 20th century. The programme primarily includes sacred Baroque and organ music.
Dvořák’s Prague
07/09 – 23/09 PrahaThe tenth year of the festival pays tribute to the Czech genius, Antonín Dvořák. Prague will welcome leading orchestras and soloists from the Czech Republic as well as top musical bodies and renowned musicians from all over the world. Dvořák’s Prague mostly takes place in the historic Rudolfinum building in the centre of the city and it is one of the most frequently visited classical music festivals in the Czech Republic.
Strings of Autumn
20/10 – 06/11 PrahaThe Prague Festival Strings of Autumn is a crossroads between genres. The festival programme presents a selection of jazz, classical music, sophisticated crossover, ancient music and world music performed by the most distinct personalities on the contemporary international music scene.
.jpg?width=1619&height=1080&ext=.jpg)
