The Antonín Dvořák Music Festival boasts a long tradition, during which its organizers managed to establish it among high-level cultural events and, in the venues, of paramount importance. It was established in 1969 on the initiative of the Antonín Dvořák Society (then chaired by Dr. Karel Mikys) and the District Cultural Center in Příbram, to which the Ministry of Culture promised financial support at the time. And the support was by no means small, because at that time it made it possible to invite such orchestras as the Czech Philharmonic, the FOK Symphony Orchestra of the Capital City of Prague, the PKO, the Slovak Philharmonic or the Film Symphony Orchestra. During these years, however, the festival also included a number of excellent ensembles from abroad. The people of Příbram were also able to witness top performances such as the Leningrad Philharmonic and the Moscow State Philharmonic, and last but not least, the Warsaw State Philharmonic or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London with conductors Mark Emler, Charles Groves, Arvid Jansons and Dimitri Kitajen. After 1989, however, similarly as in the whole cultural sphere, significant organizational changes took place here. Since 1990, the organization Příbram Theater has taken over its organization, where (perhaps) due to the lack of financial resources, the festival stuck to three to five concerts, mostly only chamber music.
Hudební léto Kuks je mezinárodní festival klasické hudby konaný v kostele Nejsvětější Trojice v Kuksu.
V minulých letech zde již účinkovali:
houslisté Ivan Ženatý, Václav Hudeček, Josef Špaček, Gabriela Demeterová, basbarytonisté Adam Plachetka, Markus Flaig (Německo), Ivan Kusnjer, kontratenorista David Erler (Německo), sopranistky Martina Janková, Michiyo Keiko (Japonsko), Natalia Rubiś (Polsko), Jana Jonášová, Kateřina Kněžíková, mezzosopranistka Dagmar Pecková, tenorista Virgil Hartinger (Rakousko), violoncellista Jiří Bárta, hornista Radek Baborák, trumpetisté Otto Sauter (Německo), Miroslav Kejmar, harfistka Jana Boušková, varhaníci Jaroslav Tůma, Aleš Bárta a Wacław Golonka (Polsko), cembalisté Vojtěch Spurný, Barbara Maria Willi, hobojista Vilém Veverka, klarinetisté Claudio Mansutti (Itálie) a Ludmila Peterková, kytaristé Marco Socías (Španělsko), Carlo Domeniconi (Itálie) a Pavel Steidl;
orchestry a soubory: Filharmonie Hradec Králové, Severočeská filharmonie Teplice, Komorní filharmonie Pardubice, Collegium 1704, Ensemble Inégal, Musica Florea, Collegium Marianum, Bennewitz Quartet, Wihanovo kvarteto, Schola Gregoriana Pragensis, Český filharmonický sbor Brno, Martinů Voices, Český chlapecký sbor Boni pueri;
dirigenti a umělečtí vedoucí: Vojtěch Spurný, Marek Šedivý, Marek Štryncl, Václav Luks, Adam Viktora, David Eben, Petr Fiala, Jana Semerádová a další.
V rámci festivalu jsou rovněž uváděny skladby v novodobých premiérách. Jde především o kompozice z kukského archivu (Wernera Hymbra, Josepha Faltise, Maxima Jantschara, Wernera Zicha a Stephana Sailera), který založili v polovině 18. století členové řádu milosrdných bratří. Provedeny byly i novodobé premiéry z jiných pramenů, šlo např. o díla Václava Vodičky nebo Jakuba Jana Ryby.
Kuks Music Summer is an international festival of classical music held in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Kuks.
In recent years, the following have performed here:
violinists Ivan Ženatý, Václav Hudeček, Josef Špaček, Gabriela Demeterová, bass baritone Adam Plachetka, Markus Flaig (Germany), Ivan Kusnjer, countertenor David Erler (Germany), sopranos Martina Janková, Michiyo Keiko (Japan), Natalia Rubiś (Poland), Jana Jonášová, Kateřina Kněžíková, mezzo-soprano Dagmar Pecková, tenor Virgil Hartinger (Austria), cellist Jiří Bárta, horn player Radek Baborák, trumpet players Otto Sauter (Germany), Miroslav Kejmar, harpist Jana Boušková, organists Jaroslav Tůma, Aleš Bárta and Wacław Golon , harpsichordists Vojtěch Spurný, Barbara Maria Willi, oboist Vilém Veverka, clarinetists Claudio Mansutti (Italy) and Ludmila Peterková, guitarists Marco Socías (Spain), Carlo Domeniconi (Italy) and Pavel Steidl;
orchestras and ensembles: Hradec Králové Philharmonic, North Bohemian Philharmonic Teplice, Pardubice Chamber Philharmonic, Collegium 1704, Ensemble Inégal, Musica Florea, Collegium Marianum, Bennewitz Quartet, Wihan Quartet, Schola Gregoriana Pragensis, Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, Martinů Voicesi Czech Guy leather;
conductors and artistic leaders: Vojtěch Spurný, Marek Šedivý, Marek Štryncl, Václav Luks, Adam Viktora, David Eben, Petr Fiala, Jana Semerádová and others.
The festival also presents compositions in modern premieres. These are mainly compositions from the Kuk archives (Werner Hymbre, Joseph Faltis, Maxim Jantschar, Werner Stier and Stephan Sailer), which were founded in the middle of the 18th century by members of the Order of Merciful Brothers. Modern premieres from other sources were also performed, such as the works of Václav Vodička or Jakub Jan Ryba.
MetalGate Czech Death Fest OpenAir is a twin-day summer metal festival, which takes place in Autocamp Brodský in the city of Červený Kostelec (Czech Republic). Dramaturgy-wise, the festival combines on one hand a cross-selection of metal styles and subgenres, which has been the hallmark of MetalGate OpenAir, and on the other hand a closer focus on death metal and grindcore, which formed the cornerstone of Czech Death Fest.
The Kutná Hora International Music Festival is one of the most important chamber music festivals in the Czech Republic. The creator of the dramaturgy and the selection of artists is the artistic director - cellist Jiří Bárta.
Unfortunately, even this year 2021 is associated with covid uncertainty. Last year we managed to hold the festival, albeit on a shifted date, with drapes and all hygienic measures. We all hope and believe in the improvement of the situation, and that is why we are preparing another, already the 14th year of the Kutná Hora festival.
MFKH has become an inseparable part of cultural events in the city with high attendance from all over the Czech Republic and abroad. Since we could not invite foreign artists last year, we decided to move the performance of all of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas in Konstantin Lifschitz's masterful interpretation to this year. This very significant work of art will be divided into 8 evenings. This increases the total number of chamber music concerts to 16 concerts. We believe that not only for Kutná Hora, this festival will be something truly exceptional this year. In addition to this important project, compositions of classical chamber literature by world-famous authors (Haydn, Mozart, Vivaldi, etc.) will be heard, as well as contemporary and rarely mentioned authors (Tartini, Barber, Kabeláč, Klusák, Górecki, etc.).
Jiří Bárta traditionally connects chamber music concerts and complements them with projects at the crossroads of genres. He included Bach's cantata Ich habe genug (I already have enough of everything) in the program of the 14th Kutná Hora festival for solo bass, oboe and strings connected with an epic poem by Arnošt Lustig performed by Vilma Cibulková, Jiří Lábus and Vilém Udatný entitled "Cantata - Dance of the Mad". The theme of the musical-lyrical band is death as liberation from a world permeated with misery and despair and is an indictment of the most horrific crime in human history.
The Olomouc International Organ Festival was established in 1969 and takes place every year in September in the Church of St. Mořice.
The founder of the festival was prof. Antonín Schindler (1925 - 2010), who worked as an organist in the church of St. Mořice. Here he had at his disposal a unique instrument by Michael Engler from 1745, which was, however, considerably dilapidated. On the initiative of prof. Schindler's organ was generally repaired and expanded, and it was this reconstruction that prompted the establishment of an organ festival with an international level.
The Olomouc International Organ Festival has become a household name in the organ world, and its quality and level are evidenced by a number of the world's top organists who have performed at the festival. The festival is organized by the Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc.
The Obscene Extreme festival, shortened as OEF, is an annual music festival in the Czech Republic, that focuses on extreme metal subgenres grindcore and death metal, as well as hardcore punk. It was found in 1999 as a birthday party by Miloslav "Čurby" Urbanec. It was described by Vice as "Europe's craziest grindcore party". It is noted by the Czech Radio for its "exceptionally tolerant and friendly atmosphere". The festival offers exclusively vegetarian and vegan food within its premises since its inception.
Several well-known metal bands have performed at OEF over the years, such as: Napalm Death, Possessed, Obituary, Sodom, Immolation, Grave, Suffocation, Vader, Incantation, Terrorizer, Exhumed, Asphyx, Morgoth, Brujeria, Sinister, Nuclear Assault, Hirax, Vital Remains, Eyehategod, Krisiun, and Municipal Waste to name a few.
The Autumn Festival of Sacred Music was founded in 1994 and over the twenty-six years of its existence has become a major cultural event in Olomouc. Under the auspices of the archbishop of Olomouc and Moravian metropolitan Msgre Jan Graubner the Festival is organised by MUSICA VIVA in co-operation with the City of Olomouc, the Regional Authority of the Olomouc Region and the Czech Ministry of Culture. The prominent Czech conductor Stanislav Macura was the Festival’s co-founder and over a period of fifteen years served as its artistic director and conductor significantly influencing the Festival’s unique character. The dramaturgy draws upon the immensely rich heritage of brilliant composers of all nations without ignoring contemporary modern sacred music and observes ecumenical principles. The Festival has been recognised for the outstanding artistic quality of guest soloists and internationally renowned quality of vocal and instrumental ensembles. Radio recordings were made from the Festival concerts by Czech Radio, Radio Niederoesterreich (ORF), Slovak Radio and Polish Radio; concerts were broadcasted across Europe via international radio network of EBU. Twenty-five concerts were recorded and broadcasted in co-operation with Czech Television and TV Noe.
Rock for People (RfP) is one of the largest open-air summer music festivals in the Czech Republic. The festival began in 1995 in the town Český Brod, and in 2007 it was moved to an unused airport in Hradec Králové. The festival features Czech and international acts of various genres, most prominently alternative rock, pop rock, punk rock, and EDM, and has also featured various workshops and recreational activities. Headlining acts have included Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Arctic Monkeys, My Chemical Romance, the Offspring, the Killers, Paramore, and Massive Attack.
