Events

7. SUBSCRIBER CONCERT – SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2026, Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul FINAL CONCERT Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: Symphony-oratorio Lobgesang Aleš Briscein tenor, Barbora Perná – soprano, Jana Hrochová mezzo-soprano Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, choirmaster Petr Fiala Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor Chuhei Iwasaki The start of the concert has been postponed to 8:15 p.m. due to the live broadcast of the concert by Czech Television. Thank you for your understanding.

Čolek is a young man who finds himself in the vortex of chaos of today's world and his own thoughts and is looking for answers to how to live in a world overwhelmed by the climate crisis, economic pressures, housing shortages and generational prejudices. Through Čolek's journey between the real world, his own head and bizarre situations, the frustrations, anxieties and desires of a generation that is often described as lazy and oversensitive are revealed. It is certain that the world has gone crazy, the only question left is how to live and survive in such a world. A rap musical by DF students based on songs from the album of the same name by the Shizzle Orchestra group.

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 to Make an Opera! 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.

Would you also like to know what it's like with the bride seller? Smetana's The Bartered Bride is one of the iconic opera pieces, but this time we decided to bring it closer to children in particular. And because comic opera should really be fun, the members of the Janáček Opera NdB ensemble have invited the best possible guides to join them. In the new family program, you will be taken directly to The Bartered Bride and the world of opera by the famous puppet characters Spejbl, Hurvínek and Mánička. Žeryk will not be missing either, and the best musical pieces will also be included, because the popular puppets will be assisted by the soloists of the Janáček Opera NdB together with our special Smetana mini-orchestra.

Would you also like to know what it's like with the bride seller? Smetana's The Bartered Bride is one of the iconic opera pieces, but this time we decided to bring it closer to children in particular. And because comic opera should really be fun, the members of the Janáček Opera NdB ensemble have invited the best possible guides to join them. In the new family program, you will be taken directly to The Bartered Bride and the world of opera by the famous puppet characters Spejbl, Hurvínek and Mánička. Žeryk will not be missing either, and the best musical pieces will also be included, because the popular puppets will be assisted by the soloists of the Janáček Opera NdB together with our special Smetana mini-orchestra.

The junior company will present its second premiere in the 2025/2026 season in February under the title NdB 2: Dispute / Archa /Inside. The eighth premiere evening will present three original choreographies created specifically for NdB2. In a dramaturgically diverse triptych, three different authorial perspectives meet, which develop the interpretive abilities of young dancers and at the same time respond to the themes that accompany them on their path to adult artistic expression.

At the concert "U2 Unplugged by Candles", we are pleased to present you with a tribute band that will transport you to the atmosphere of the legendary band U2. This will not be just a concert, but an authentic experience with musicians who perfectly capture the spirit and sound of the original songs. During the evening, only U2 songs will be played in acoustic arrangements that will reveal new layers of emotions. Vocals, acoustic guitars, piano and gentle accompanying instruments will create an unforgettable atmosphere where U2's music will seem alive. The magical atmosphere of candles and the power of U2's music. The soft light of candles will add romance and intimacy to the concert, while the energy and emotions of U2's songs will fortunately remain very strong and moving. The setlist is composed in such a way as to vibrate all the strings of the human soul - from love, happiness and nostalgia to inner search and the desire to overcome obstacles. This evening will offer you the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, allowing you to immerse yourself in the world of the iconic music of U2 and forget about your worries. Come and enjoy this special evening with friends, family or a loved one.

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 to Make an Opera! 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 approach Gilgamesh, the Sumerian king, who dives to the bottom of the ocean for the plant of eternal life. What will he return with from his distant pilgrimage? Cathartic situations create a spark, the necessary intensity that allows us to gain insight into the inner world. Diving into unknown depths requires courage. But being courageous does not mean not being afraid. It becomes inevitable to search for what was in the beginning and in the process find passion but also the beauty of the ordinary, vibrating unrest, pleasure and death, humility and cohesion. An ancient epic broken in half. Quieter heroes emerge from the cracks. Sensitive hearts. Brave souls who fall deep to take off. The performance is recommended for audiences 15+. It also warns viewers that the performance uses a strobe light and loud music.

Suk's Quartet Daniel Matejča, Natálie Toperczerová / violin Bohumil Bondarenko / viola Jakub William Gráf / cello

Interactive workshop for parents and children – ideal as a first encounter with theatre, opera music and theatre creation. At the workshop we will reveal what “opera” is all about — we will introduce participants to the opera genre, introduce professions (scenographer, director, singers…). Children and their parents will learn basic theatre terms and get a glimpse into the workings of an opera theatre. We will also take a look behind the scenes, try on theatre costumes and also meet a soprano who will show us how she works with her voice and sing just for us. The workshop is suitable for children attending the 2nd grade of primary school. The workshop takes place mainly in the foyer of the Janáček Theatre – enter through the main entrance, where the lecturer will pick up the participants.

There are not many important and famous ballets of the classical and romantic era that our company does not have in its repertoire. The pinnacle of ballet romanticism, Giselle, is without exaggeration one of the cornerstones of the DNA of ballet literature. In 1841, the premiere of the new ballet Giselle took place in Paris and was such a huge success that within a decade it appeared on all the major stages of the ballet world of that time. The theme was provided by the German poet Heinrich Heine in his collection De l’Allemagne. The story of girls who died of betrayed love before their wedding and now cannot find peace in their graves was taken up by Théophile Gautier, a great theorist of romantic theatre and librettist Jules Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges. The captivating, lovely and melodic music, filled with French charm, was created by A. CH. Adam. The first performer of the fragile Giselle was one of the greatest dancers of Romanticism, Carlotta Grisi, for whom this ballet was created by choreographers Jean Corrali and Jules Perrot. In the Czech lands, Giselle gained popularity among the audience only slowly. It only reached the Brno stage in the late 1960s, when it was first performed there by choreographer Miroslav Kůra (1968). The audience will certainly remember Jiří Blažek's 1983 grand prix production with the unforgettable ethereal ballerina Soňa Zejdová and later Jana Kosíková in the title role.

Apollo Musagète Quartet Paweł Zalejski, Bartosz Zachłod / violin Piotr Szumieł / viola Piotr Skweres / cello

PEKKA KOSTIAINEN Revontulet PETR EBEN About Swallows and Girls PETR FIALA Mountain Songs (selection from the cycle) MARTIN JAKUBÍČEK Riddles LADISLAV NĚMEC What Spring Smells Like PETR HANOUSEK Spring Songs ANTONÍN TUČAPSKÝ, CTIRAD KOHOUTEK, PAVEL JURKOVIČ, OTMAR MÁCHA Magdalenka, Kantilénka and Kantiléna choirmasters Veronika Novosádová and Michal Jančík

Pavel Haas Quartet resident ensemble of the 31st year of the festival Veronika Jarůšková, Marek Zwiebel / violin Šimon Truszka / viola Peter Jarůšek / cello

Pavel Haas Quartet resident ensemble of the 31st year of the festival Veronika Jarůšková, Marek Zwiebel / violin Šimon Truszka / viola Peter Jarůšek / cello

Vision String Quartet (DE) Florian Willeitner, Daniel Stoll / violin Sander Stuart / viola Leonard Disselhorst / cello

Graindelavoix (BE) Andrew Hallock / alto Albert Riera / tenor Marius Peterson / tenor Arnout Malfliet / bass Björn Schmelzer / artistic director

Vision String Quartet (DE) Florian Willeitner, Daniel Stoll / violin Sander Stuart / viola Leonard Disselhorst / cello

Cello Republic Petr Špaček / Matej Štěpánek / Jan Zemen / Ivan Vokáč

Love knows no bounds, my guilt will fall into oblivion, but my love will not die... No human weakness is foreign to the beautiful Manon - she would like the love of the young knight Des Grieux and a life of luxury and wealth, which only the old banker Géront can provide her... But everything has its price and not even love can save everything.

Doric String Quartet (UK) Maia Cabeza, Ying Xue / violin Emma Wernig / viola John Myerscough / cello Program: Benjamin Britten String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25 String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36

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 to Make an Opera! 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 desire to experiment and explore all kinds of genres has given the Clarinet Factory ensemble the opportunity to create a very specific style of music that is completely unmistakable. Four very diverse musicians, who have been playing together since 2007, benefit from their virtuoso and sonically perfect mastery of their instruments and, in addition to excellent interplay and human and musical connection, they present themselves as improvisers, composers, lyricists and singers. Their current work innovatively tries to use the possibilities of modern technology; the musicians cooperate and compete with their electronic image and are inspired by virtual possibilities. Percussionist Milan Cimfe supports the band with rhythmic patterns and records, loops and surprises in real time with unique layers of new recordings directly on stage.

Jindřich Pavliš, Vojtěch Nýdl, Luděk Boura and Petr “Pepíno” Valášek permanent guest: Milan Cimfe / percussion

Our audience's favorite group, the Belgian BL!NDMAN [sax], bring four of Bach's choral partitas in a unique arrangement by Eric Sleichim. It is said that Bach wrote these cycles of organ variations when he was only 15 years old, but later reworked them - so perfect are they. The distinctive sound spectrum of the four saxophones breathes a similar color as some baroque organs, so the choice of performing the choral partitas in an arrangement for these instruments is completely natural.

Pieter Pellens / soprano saxophone Hendrik Pellens / alto saxophone Piet Rebel / tenor saxophone Sebastiaan Cooman / baritone saxophone Eric Sleichim / artistic director and arranger

FRANTIŠEK ŠKROUP The Tinkerer, overture to the opera GABRIEL FAURÉ Sicilienne from the Pelléas and Mélisande suite GIUSEPPE VERDI La traviata, overture to the opera LUIGI BASSI / arr. NICOLAI PFFEFER Concert Fantasia on Themes from Verdi's Rigoletto for Clarinet and Orchestra SERGEI PROKOFIEV The Montagues and Capulets from the Ballet Romeo and Juliet ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK Hansel and Gretel, Overture to the Opera ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK "Erlöst befreit...", Aria and Children's Choir from Act 3 of Hansel and Gretel WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART "Ricevete, o padroncina...", Chorus from Act 3 of Scene 11 of The Marriage of Figaro FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY Song with Chorus and Finale from A Midsummer Night's Dream GEORGES BIZET "Avec la garde montante..." from Act 3 of Carmen PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Dance of the Snowflakes from Act 2 of The Nutcracker Cantiléna, Children's and Youth Choir at the Philharmonic Brno choirmaster Michal Jančík Brno Philharmonic and the “young Mozarts” (instrumentalists and singers) of the South Moravian Regional Art School and the Brno Conservatory conductor Robert Kružík moderated by Kristýna Drášilová

There are not many important and famous ballets of the classical and romantic era that our company does not have in its repertoire. The pinnacle of ballet romanticism, Giselle, is without exaggeration one of the cornerstones of the DNA of ballet literature. In 1841, the premiere of the new ballet Giselle took place in Paris and was such a huge success that within a decade it appeared on all the major stages of the ballet world of that time. The theme was provided by the German poet Heinrich Heine in his collection De l’Allemagne. The story of girls who died of betrayed love before their wedding and now cannot find peace in their graves was taken up by Théophile Gautier, a great theorist of romantic theatre and librettist Jules Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges. The captivating, lovely and melodic music, filled with French charm, was created by A. CH. Adam. The first performer of the fragile Giselle was one of the greatest dancers of Romanticism, Carlotta Grisi, for whom this ballet was created by choreographers Jean Corrali and Jules Perrot. In the Czech lands, Giselle gained popularity among the audience only slowly. It only reached the Brno stage in the late 1960s, when it was first performed there by choreographer Miroslav Kůra (1968). The audience will certainly remember Jiří Blažek's 1983 grand prix production with the unforgettable ethereal ballerina Soňa Zejdová and later Jana Kosíková in the title role.

The Brno Philharmonic Hall will welcome orchestral colleagues from Prague, this time in chamber roles: in the Besední dům, the Czech Philharmonic Quartet will perform a Dvořák program together with pianist David Mareček; the evening will feature a special guest: Schumann's Five Folk Songs will be performed by cellist Lukáš Mareček accompanied by his father on piano. The young virtuoso will thus pay symbolic tribute to the composer, who fell in love with the beauty of the cello sound so much that he introduced it as a solo instrument in his compositions.

Czech Philharmonic Quartet Irena Jakubcová, Petra Brabcová / violin Eva Krestová / viola Václav Petr / cello

Lukáš Mareček / cello

David Mareček / piano

rock folk musical

Tell the mountains, forests and valleys/ that the greatest of bandits was the only one… Thus begins one of the most famous variants of the often-told story of the Slovak bandit Juraj Jánošík, a folk-rock musical, which was brought to the world in 1970 under the title Na skle malované by two Polish creators – composer Katarzyna Gärtnerová and librettist Ernest Bryll.

Its definition may sound complicated, but the Fibonacci sequence is ubiquitous: a numerical sequence where each number is the sum of the two previous ones (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…) is related to the golden ratio, a symbol of harmony and natural beauty. We see it in the arrangement of flower petals, sunflower seeds or in the spirals on seashells. It also catches our eye on the snails of the instruments of the musicians who make up the Fibonacci Quartet. The achievements of the four young artists are astounding: in 2024 they won both the first prize and the audience prize at the prestigious Premio Paolo Borciani competition, they are the resident quartet at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Grand Résident ensemble at ProQuartet in Paris for the 2025–2027 seasons. They will bring to Valtice the program Letters and Landscapes, referring to the title of Janáček's famous work and Bartók's love for the music of various landscapes, in the case of the fifth quartet, the Bulgarian one.

This year, the 25-year-old prominent Finnish quartet Meta4 returns to our festival with a brand new program, Polarkr(e)is. Meta4 pays homage to the sound world of the Arctic Circle through a pair of works by Finnish composers: the one-movement composition Fleurs de neige (Snow Flowers) was inspired by the glitter and structural symmetry of snow and was created especially for Meta4 by the famous Kaija Saariaho; the piece has no bar lines, constantly floats in the air, and all performances are unique – just like snowflakes. Sibelius’s quartet Voces intimae is one of the most famous Finnish chamber works. The string quartet Stringar was composed by the Italian-Indian composer and Norwegian Hardanger fiddler Krishna Nagaraj, combining the old and the new through Nordic folk dance melodies and became a real hit at Meta4 concerts. Where is the environmental theme Polarkr(e)is, declared in the title, reflected in this program? "The nature that surrounds us is the core of our culture. If we lose nature as it was and is, we will also lose the culture that created the songs and thoughts of the people who created these melodies," Meta4 state.

rock folk musical

Tell the mountains, forests and valleys/ that the greatest of bandits was the only one… Thus begins one of the most famous variants of the often-told story of the Slovak bandit Juraj Jánošík, a folk-rock musical, which was brought to the world in 1970 under the title Na skle malované by two Polish creators – composer Katarzyna Gärtnerová and librettist Ernest Bryll.

The meeting of violist Avri Levitan and the young ambitious musicians who make up the successful Trio Bohémo took place two years ago in Berlin during the unique educational project Musethica, which Avri built with the conviction that the teaching of music itself can be an act of communication between musicians and the audience. The perfect harmony between the master teacher and the talented student occurs not only on the level of interpretation, but we can also hear it in selected compositions: Dvořák composed his magnificent Piano Quartet in E flat major shortly before he accepted a professorship at the Prague Conservatory. And it was the piano quartet form that seventeen-year-old Josef Suk chose for his first excellent composition in the master's composition class.

Those expecting an octet made up of two quartets will be surprised by the unusual instrument combination on stage: the string quartet is complemented by a clarinet, French horn, bassoon and double bass! Schubert's masterpiece pushed the boundaries of chamber music, magnificent and intimate at the same time, a six-movement gem for all music lovers, which Schubert composed two hundred years ago at the request of the Viennese nobleman Ferdinand Troyer, an enthusiastic clarinetist. At its fourth residency concert, the Pavel Haas Quartet will perform it together with four musical friends, masters of their instruments.

rock folk musical

Tell the mountains, forests and valleys/ that the greatest of bandits was the only one… Thus begins one of the most famous variants of the often-told story of the Slovak bandit Juraj Jánošík, a folk-rock musical, which was brought to the world in 1970 under the title Na skle malované by two Polish creators – composer Katarzyna Gärtnerová and librettist Ernest Bryll.

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 to Make an Opera! 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.

Program 8

The junior company will present its second premiere in the 2025/2026 season in February under the title NdB 2: Dispute / Archa /Inside. The eighth premiere evening will present three original choreographies created specifically for NdB 2. In a dramaturgically diverse triptych, three different authorial perspectives meet, which develop the interpretive abilities of young dancers and at the same time respond to the themes that accompany them on their path to adult artistic expression.

The Ellaboration project by singer Dasha and the Epoque Quartet refers to the American music legend Ella Fitzgerald. It is the songs made famous by this jazz icon that the artists develop or elaborate into new, fresh positions. The specific and amazingly complex sound of the combination of a string quartet with various percussion instruments (hangdrum, vibraphone, cajon), with which Šimon Veselý excels, gives our lead singer Dasha the space to demonstrate her uniqueness in a slightly different field than we are used to. The author of most of the arrangements is the arranger wizard and violist of the quartet, Alexej Aslamas.

rock folk musical

Tell the mountains, forests and valleys/ that the greatest of bandits was the only one… Thus begins one of the most famous variants of the often-told story of the Slovak bandit Juraj Jánošík, a folk-rock musical, which was brought to the world in 1970 under the title Na skle malované by two Polish creators – composer Katarzyna Gärtnerová and librettist Ernest Bryll.