Events

Bluegrass evening with the bands Sakrapes and Veget.

"Close your eyes, most of you can see better..." The famous film musical comedy by director Jan Hřebejk and screenwriter Petr Jarchovský from 1993, based on the story of the same name by Petr Šabach, does not present a realistic picture of the Czech 1950s. Rather, she builds, with admitted exaggeration, a monument "to honor the heroes who once drove people mad," as she sings in her final song. It attempts to embody the dream of freedom and independence that every generation needs.

Folk songs from Bohemia, Moravia and other parts of Europe in musical arrangements by A. Dvořák, L. Janáček, B. Bartók, V. Tormis, J. Rutter, H. Havrylets, etc. Jitka Houfová - piano Gaudeamus Brno Choir conducted by Daša Karasová, Martina Kirová, Yana Shcherbii and Tomáš Křemen Admission voluntary.

The Brno band BACKSIGHT is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Pekárna with guests. It has been active on the blues scene since 2004 and its repertoire includes various genres, mostly related to blues. The band's repertoire mainly includes its own work and some blues standards. The special feature of the band is that the drums are shared between two band members. The guitarist plays the bass drum and tambourine with his feet, and the accordionist plays the rhythm drum. The band has repeatedly made it to the finals of the European Blues Aperitif festival in Šumperk. This time, for its 20th anniversary, it will invite a few friends and former members to the stage.

A phenomenal ensemble that pushes the boundaries of chamber classical music to a perfectly staged recessional show. The basis is brilliant playing technique, control of a wide repertoire from classics to rock hits and the indisputable acting talent of the protagonists. The ensemble's main attribute is the concept of a concert as a complex artistic project. On the basis of technically refined interpretation, which ranks the ensemble among the world's best, an almost cabaret spectacle is built, which brings into the performance fascinating moments of various bravura full of intelligent humor and leaves the audience in no doubt that they are witnessing perfect musical entertainment without having to compromise on the demands of a visitor to a classical concert. On the other hand, with this concept, they open a wide door to all laymen who have been afraid of a classical music concert until today.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

KURT SCHWERTSIK Muertes en Relajo op. 126, Czech premiere

PHILIP GLASS / arr. MICHAEL RIESMAN Mishima Concerto for piano and orchestra, co-commissioned by the Brno Philharmonic, Czech premiere

Maki Namekawa piano

Brno Philharmonic

conductor Dennis Russell Davies

Our interpretation is not a classic telling of the story of The Little Prince. It is an original combination of music and words that will allow the viewer to indulge in their imagination and caress their soul. The well-known actor Jan Cina excels in the recital, who will guide us through a magical world where everything that is important is invisible to the eyes. Together with singer Vendula Příhodová, he will present original songs by Kryštof Marek, accompanied by piano and the string quartet Unique Quartet. The performance is suitable for viewers of all ages.

Metal evening at the Stará Pekárna club.

After several years, Lenka Nová returns to her hometown with her solo performance. A big birthday concert on the occasion of celebrating her birthday with special guest Ondřej Ruml will take place on May 30, 2025 in the Mahen Theater. The concert will be accompanied by Petr Malásek and his band. The brand new concert program will feature songs that have already firmly established themselves in Lenka Nová's repertoire, as well as new songs from her upcoming album.

LEONARD BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

KURT SCHWERTSIK Muertes en Relajo op. 126, Czech premiere

PHILIP GLASS / arr. MICHAEL RIESMAN Mishima Concerto for piano and orchestra, co-commissioned by the Brno Philharmonic, Czech premiere

Maki Namekawa piano

Brno Philharmonic

conductor Dennis Russell Davies

An evening of Irish music.

Erik Satie's music in the streets of Brno. Brno Contemporary Orchestra (BCO) / Pavel Šnajdr, Jaroslav Šťastný (CZ), Isama Zing (SK), Milan Osadský (SK), Nikita Kadesnikov (UA) 14:00 Café Plovárna on Mendlovu náměstí – Satie's piano pieces 14:30 – 16:30 historical tram – Satie performed by accordionists En route: Moravské náměstí pod Joštěm – DJ plays Satie Římské náměstí – BCO plays Satie You don't need to buy tickets for the event. Just come and listen.

PETER GRAHAM Méditation avant les Messe des pauvres (Meditation before the Mass of the Poor) – world premiere ERIK SATIE Messe des pauvres (Mass of the Poor) BAS Pavel Šnajdr choirmaster Jaroslav Šťastný organ After several hours of musical movement in the streets of Brno as part of the SATIE CITY project, the space becomes quiet. In the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, the world premiere of the organ meditation entitled Méditation avant la Messe des pauvres by composer Peter Graham will be heard, followed by the mysterious Messe des pauvres (Mass of the Poor) by Erik Satie. This composition, full of mystery and meditative power, was created for deep concentration and inner contemplation. Organist Jaroslav Šťastný and the Brno Academic Choir under the direction of Pavel Šnajdr will bring the audience an unforgettable spiritual experience in which the past meets the present.

Worse than a scar on the face are scars on the soul. Her Shepherdess is one of Janáček's most famous works and is a permanent part of the repertoire of the Brno Opera. It started with a realistic drama by Gabriela Preissová, which the composer himself adapted into the form of an opera libretto. Although he had to significantly shorten the text of the drama, he succeeded in deepening the effect of the tragic story from the Moravian countryside. The spendthrift and fickle Števa, the fierce and yet at heart kind Laca, and above all the inexorable Kostelnička, whose efforts to maintain her position and respect in the village community will lead her to murder the child of her shelter, Jenůfa. Janáček (1854–1928) captured the individual characters in a masterly dramatic shorthand that is chilling and at the same time evokes compassion and understanding in us. The final form of the work, marked by the death of the composer's daughter Olga, led to a long and thorny road. After the successful premiere in Brno in 1904, her pastor had to wait twelve long years before Janáček's efforts were crowned with well-deserved success on other domestic and foreign stages.

19:30 - 20:30 LIVE MUSIC BY - 39db

21:00 - 21:30 IMPERFEKTUM LIVE

22:00 - 0:00 DJ SET BY ANIE IMPERFEKTUM: SUMA SUMARUM

IMPERFEKTUM is a musical project whose main motif is imperfection, which is connected to the album on two levels. The first meaning of this motif refers to the author's self-reflection. This is his first major artistic project, which also includes his first rap, singing and recitation recordings, which can be considered amateur or beginner. The second meaning of imperfection is represented by the family, which, according to the author, is perceived as an artificial construct built by society, and may not always be functional. The theme of family is reflected in the lyrics, where the author poetically and non-specifically uses metaphors to approach the realities of his family background. Other compositions then relate to other personal experiences from life - e.g. time frustration, melancholic relationship to nostalgia, or criticism of homophobia. The album and its overall aesthetic is tuned to a mystical atmosphere, which was inspired by the book The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

Graindelavoix
Teodora Tommasi
Florencia Menconi
Andrew Hallock
Albert Riera
Marius Peterson
Tomàs Maxé
Arnout Malfliet
Björn Schmelzer / artistic direction

Programme:
Guillaume de Machaut
Sanctus (Messe de Nostre Dame)

Solage
Fumeux fume

Matteo da Perugia
Hélas Avril

Mattheus de Sancto Johanne
Science na nul annemi

Guillaume de Machaut
Agnus Dei (Messe de Nostre Dame)

Jacob de Senleches
Je me merveil

Johannes Ciconia
Le ray au soleyl

Galiot (Giangaleazzo Visconti?)
En atendant d’amer

Jean Hanelle
Hodie puer nascitur/Homo Mortalis

Polyphony Anno 1400
The concerts of Graindelavoix are always adventures and time travel, rock’n roll and archaic ritual at the same time. The ensemble and its director Björn Schmelzer understand the late Middle Ages as a highly modern era. The Belgian chamber choir dedicates itself to the untapped treasures of a musical epoch that seems both infinitely distant and very close, with unearthly perfect harmony and highly individual voices. Guillaume de Machaut is still the best known of these masters of early polyphony, whose almost »unnatural« rhythmic and harmonic experiments opened the gates of music history wide open.

Anne LaBerge, DJ Gäp, Michal Indrák, Martin Ožvold, Otto Wanke, JAMU students – world premiere Michal Indrák, Otto Wank – sound engineers Department of Composition HF JAMU (CZ) Although Erik Satie was not taken very seriously during his lifetime and aroused many doubts and even rejection in the musical community, in the following decades it turned out that he was one of the most influential figures of the first half of the twentieth century (in the list of his followers we would find such artistically and generationally distant personalities as John Cage or Alphex Twin). And so the project will pay tribute to this tireless inspirer with music that will be (as John Cage predicted more than eighty years ago) “created by electrical devices.

Jean-Luc Fafchamps Les amours de madame Tchabaï / Lásky paní Čabajová Luciano Berio Les mots sont allés Georg Crumb Apparition, Elegiac songs and vocalises Leoš Janáček Fairy tale Dmitri Shostakovich Ophelia's song (from: 7 romances on poems by Alexander Blok, op. 127) Leoš Janáček In the mists

Workshop for 1st – 5th grade elementary school What, but especially who, is needed to create an opera performance? And what would it be like if children became set designers, costume designers, or even an orchestra for a while? We will find out together at the workshop How Opera is Made! So what will we experience together: Getting to know the opera genre and some opera works. We will find out who works in the opera. We will try out some professions. We will learn selected theatrical terms. We will sing.

We are from Bohemia and you ask if we can sing? An unknown couple from abroad arrives in a small Czech village and most of the locals watch them with distrust. Only the old teacher Benda, a music lover, opens his door to them, only to discover that the foreigners are closer to them than one might think. Music in the main role, this is how Dvořák's opera Jacobin could be summarized, because it is precisely music that can change the fate of all the characters in the opera. At the same time, Dvořák created a charming picture of a Czech town from the Enlightenment period populated by the peculiar figures of the music-loving teacher Benda, his stubborn daughter Terinka in love with the teacher's young man Jiřík, or the pompous burgrave Filip. Perhaps it was a fond memory of the circumstances of his own youth that brought so many charming, rich melodies, both playful and melancholic, to Dvořák's music, whether it be the famous scene of the school cantata, the duet "We Wandered Abroad" or Juliet's Lullaby. What better opera to start the season of the Year of Czech Music than Jacobin, Dvořák's tribute to Czech music and the people who love it above all else?

We are celebrating 140 years since the opening of the National Theatre in Brno! Tours of theatre buildings are very popular among visitors. In all buildings of the National Theatre Brno, knowledgeable guides are available to you, who will not only introduce you to their history and construction development, but will also tell you various interesting facts and tidbits that you will not just hear. You will also get to places inaccessible to ordinary spectators, such as backstage or the technical rooms of the theatre. The tour begins at the MAIN ENTRANCE to the Janáček Theatre.

PEAR-SHAPED PIECES_new edit Martin Burlas, Tomáš Boroš, Petr Cígler, David Dramm, Hauke ​​Harder, František Chaloupka, Robert Kolář, Michal Nejtek, Piet-Jan van Rossum, Vít Zouhar – world premiere Tomáš Boroš, Ivan Šiller (SK) "…morceaux en forme de poire" (1995) In 1995, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Satie's death, a project (introduced by none other than John Tilbury) was world premiered at the Bratislava festival EVENINGS OF NEW MUSIC, in which the composers addressed responded in various ways to Satie's charming four-hand "pear-pieces" (i.e. Trois morceaux en forme de poire). Thirty years after this event, the creators of this year's New Music Expo decided to reach out to other composers to contribute their own "pieces" to this breathtaking collection. A selection from that 1995 project will be performed, enriched with compositions commissioned by the New Music Expo 2025 festival, which will be given their world premiere.

Program: Gilles Binchois Agnus Dei Johannes Ockeghem Mort tu as navré / Déploration sur la mort de Binchois Alma Redemptoris mater Josquin Desprez O admirabile commercium Quando natus est Jacob Obrecht Salve regina Josquin Desprez Sanctus (Missa pange Lingua) Loyset Compère Verbum supernum / O salutaris hostia Josquin Desprez Agnus Dei (Missa Pange lingua)

Workshop for 1st – 5th grade elementary school What, but especially who, is needed to create an opera performance? And what would it be like if children became set designers, costume designers, or even an orchestra for a while? We will find out together at the workshop How Opera is Made! So what will we experience together: Getting to know the opera genre and some opera works. We will find out who works in the opera. We will try out some professions. We will learn selected theatrical terms. We will sing.

The story of visionary creativity that changed the way women dress. Coco Chanel as fearlessness, ferocity and risk, as well as taste, philosophy and brand. A contemporary ballet by Mário Radačovský about a woman who fundamentally influenced the world of fashion. The second, spring premiere of the 2023/2024 season, completes the ten-year tenure of artistic director Mário Radačovský at the head of the NdB Ballet company. As a choreographer, he has in the past enjoyed working on full-length titles inspired by the life and work of great figures in human cultural history. We can recall the titles of the ballets Warhol, Beethoven, Michelangelo.

Director Stanislav Moša is staging Nezval's text for the second time, having first done so in 1995, when the theatre celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with this production in the newly renovated hall on Lidická Street. At the time, the director and manager wrote about Nezval's text: "There is little Czech theatre literature that can be said to be a poem. Through it speaks a true passion bound by an amazing form enchanted in the beauty of the Czech language." Moša's adaptation of Manon Lescaut, which was subtitled "lyrical drama-confession", broke away from the linear narrative of the well-known story and created a timeless parable. The old abbé de Grieux recalls his fateful relationship with a sinful saint, which gives the originally lyrical story dramatic dimensions and brings to life long-ago secrets, hints and loves in the memories of a man at the end of his life.

Dooušek - poetry in the cotton of jazzfolk. The voice of Maria Vrbová - an alto that caresses you, or at least runs down your back. And around it, music that doesn't look perfect, but has a soul. Folk, blues, Latin American rhythms, a little acoustic, a little electric - just what any poem needs. Guitarist Jirka Vrba is behind the original songs, the colors are added by Radek Přibyl's saxophone and transverse flute, Zuzana Křížová's accordion, the rhythm is maintained by Pavel Jaroš's drums and Leo Javora's fretless bass guitar.

A reunion of the legendary tramp band Ozvěna - acoustically.

Erik Satie CHAT NOIR, SPORTS ET DIVERTISSEMENTS Hana Hána, Sára Medková (CZ) Erik Satie made his living as a pianist in Parisian cabarets. He therefore also wrote a lot of practical music for this environment. His songs, which to a large extent shaped the typical Parisian atmosphere, were very popular in their time and retain their charm to this day. The program will also be complemented by a selection from the piano cycle Sports et Divertissements (Sports and Entertainments), which Satie accompanied with humorous anecdotes, which were originally intended only for players, as a kind of "conceptual pastime", since the pieces were intended for home music making. However, so that the audience does not miss Satie's amusing comments, they will be performed by singer Hana Hána.

Program: Heinrich Isaac - Missa "Chargé de deul" Kyrie, Gloria Johannes Tourout O gloriosa regina mundi O florence rosa Johannes Tourout - Missa 'sine Kyrie' Credo Anonymous - Ave Maria-Ave ancilla Johannes Tourout - Virgo restauratrix Johannes Tourout - Missa 'sine Kyrie' Sanctus Gaspar van Weerbeke - O lumen Johannes Tourout About castitatis lilium O generosa nata David Anonymous - Michael praepositus Anonymous - About Altissime Johannes Ghiselin - O gloriosa domina Gaspar van Weerbeke - Salus eterna Johannes Tourout – Nova instant cantica

The music of Bizet's Carmen hides French esprit and Spanish passion. After all, who doesn't know immortal opera hits - the famous Habanera, or the aria of the bullfighter Escamillo. But what if there's something more hidden behind the story of the fleeting nature of love? At the beginning was a short novel by the French writer Prosper Merimée about Don José, who deserted the army because of a foolish passion for a wild gypsy, became a smuggler and a murderer. Carmen, directed by Tomáš Pilar, returns to the original story and reveals additional layers of individual characters - the characters here are mainly people who came from completely different backgrounds. It's not just about Carmen's fleeting and unbridled love, which the jealous José cannot cope with. It is a clash of two worlds – the orderly, neat world of José and Micaëla, bound by predetermined rules, and the world of gypsies and smugglers living day to day, without laws and governed by momentary impulses. Their worlds suddenly intersect, but this difference creates tension and a clash that leads to the complete destruction of both of them. Neither of them is able to prevent it, because neither is willing or able to back down.

The story of visionary creativity that changed the way women dress. Coco Chanel as fearlessness, ferocity and risk, as well as taste, philosophy and brand. A contemporary ballet by Mário Radačovský about a woman who fundamentally influenced the world of fashion. The second, spring premiere of the 2023/2024 season, completes the ten-year tenure of artistic director Mário Radačovský at the head of the NdB Ballet company. As a choreographer, he has in the past enjoyed working on full-length titles inspired by the life and work of great figures in human cultural history. We can recall the titles of the ballets Warhol, Beethoven, Michelangelo.

Director Stanislav Moša is staging Nezval's text for the second time, having first done so in 1995, when the theatre celebrated its fiftieth anniversary with this production in the newly renovated hall on Lidická Street. At the time, the director and manager wrote about Nezval's text: "There is little Czech theatre literature that can be said to be a poem. Through it speaks a true passion bound by an amazing form enchanted in the beauty of the Czech language." Moša's adaptation of Manon Lescaut, which was subtitled "lyrical drama-confession", broke away from the linear narrative of the well-known story and created a timeless parable. The old abbé de Grieux recalls his fateful relationship with a sinful saint, which gives the originally lyrical story dramatic dimensions and brings to life long-ago secrets, hints and loves in the memories of a man at the end of his life.

EXXASENS, a post-rock, instrumental-rock, and cosmic-rock band from Barcelona, ​​began as a DIY project by Jordi Ruiz in 2007. Initially a solo effort, EXXASENS became a full band in 2011 with the release of ELEVEN MILES. Since then, they have released seven studio albums, with their eighth arriving in 8th November 2024. Their sound blends atmospheric guitars, expansive synthesizers, and powerful bass lines, influenced by bands like Pink Floyd, U2, The Cure, and instrumental icons such as Explosions in the Sky and Porcupine Tree. This unique mix of post-rock and progressive elements has made EXXASENS a standout in the genre. After solidifying their sound, the band embarked on tours across Europe, Russia, and Spain, sharing stages with influential acts like Toundra, Maybeshewill, and 65daysofstatic. EXXASENS has also performed at major festivals, including Primavera Sound, Dunk! Festival, and Arctangent, and has been featured in leading music magazines such as Prog! (UK) and Visions (Germany). "EXXASENS' sound captures the grandeur of space, with intricate guitar work that transcends the boundaries of post-rock." — Visions Magazine In 2016, EXXASENS paused after years of touring, but in 2019, Jordi Ruiz revived the project with the release of their sixth album, REVOLUTION. Despite the pandemic delaying their reunion tour, they returned in 2022 with a refreshed lineup and a new album. Notable Concerts: Primavera Sound (Barcelona) Dunk! Festival (Belgium) Astral Fest (Russia) Arctangent (UK) Festival Cruïlla (Barcelona) Bilbao BBK Live (Bilbao) AMFest (Barcelona) ProgPower (Netherlands) Concretion Fest (Italy)

Erik Satie PARADE, John Cage CHEAP IMITATION, MUSICIRCUS BCO, conductor Pavel Šnajdr closing reception for performers and audience An orchestral version of a unique composition by one of the greatest figures of 20th-century world music, based on the structure of Satie's enigmatic work Socrates (which Cage conceived as a kind of "cheap imitation"). The performance of this composition will be followed by a closing reception for all participants (i.e. performers and audience), which will include a performance of Musicircus, another iconic Cage project. Nothing better can be imagined at the end of the Satie year of the Exposition of New Music.

Program: Ignazio Albertini Sonata V in A major Nicolaus à Kempis Symphony VI. Domenico Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli Sonata Sixth: La Sabbatina in C major Domenico Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli Sonata Terza: La Melana in D major Ignazio Albertini Sonata VI. in D major Domenico Giovanni Antonio Pandolfi Mealli Sonata Quinte: La Clemente in E minor Nicolaus à Kempis Symphony II. Ignazio Albertini Sonata X in E minor

The Ornis string jazz trio will perform, consisting of Aneta Wirth - violin and vocals, Max Wittmann - guitar, Juraj Valach - double bass. The program will feature pleasant jazz, sung standards, and original compositions by Max Wittmann.

The musical was based on the legendary film Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe. It is unbelievable, but the aforementioned film was first shown almost sixty years ago, in 1959. The musical of the same name then achieved extraordinary success worldwide, and in December 2008 it was brought to the stage of the Municipal Theatre in Ljubljana, Slovenia, by director Stanislav Moša. He has now also taken on the direction of the production in our theatre. Two poor musicians accidentally get caught up in a war between mafia gangs. They are being hunted and have no choice but to hide safely. They change into women's clothes and get hired by a band going on tour to Miami Beach. Florida becomes a unique opportunity for the homeless musicians to disappear from the mafia's sight... However, their crazy adventure is far from over! Their disguises lead them into countless comical situations, and to top it all off, both our heroes fall in love with a charming singer and ukulele player named Sugar. As if all this weren't enough, one of our charming musicians, dressed in a woman's dress, is proposed to by an elderly millionaire...

The cult industrial-metal band COMBICHRIST, led by Andy LaPlegua, will bring a whirlwind of aggressive beats and uncompromising riffs with their new album CMBCRST. Dark progressive metal with film arrangements performed by CRIMSON VEIL will provide a hypnotic atmosphere. The evening will be opened by ESOTERIK, an American duo that combines gothic mysticism, 80’s synthpop and rock into a distinctive Pagan-Synth style.