The Besední House in Brno

From its foundation in the 19th century, the Besední House was the cultural and social centre of the Moravian metropolis and it has maintained its significance until today. It was the residence of the first Czech theatre and of the most important Czech theatre groups and it was here that Janáček led the music school “Beseda brněnská” as a choirmaster. The concerts that took place there turned the Besední House into the musical centre of all Moravia.

The Neo-Renaissance house, inspired by Ancient Roman architecture and London’s Classicist clubs, is one of the buildings surrounding the Komenského Square and it adjoins the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts (JAMU), founded in 1947 in the building of the former German grammar school and named in honour of the composer. The Brno Philharmonic currently resides in the Besední House and the building is still considered a cultural sanctuary. The best occasion to see and marvel at its beauties is during one of the concerts.