International Music Festival Český Krumlov

• Programme

The opening concert of the fifth year was an unforgettable experience for many festival-goers. The impressive evening took place on the Southern Terraces of the Krumlov castle, where a podium was placed above the Vltava river, which the audience watched from the opposite bank. The program consisted of the spectacular world premiere of the work of František Xaver Thuri – Water Music for Český Krumlov, which was composed for the International Music Festival Český Krumlov. Many other famous artists participated in the cantata in the honor of four noble families. The text by Jan Šmíd was recited by Jan Kačer and sung by Dagmar Vaňkátová – soprano, Marta Beňačková – alto and Jiří Sulženko – bass. Also participating in the event were: Schola Gregoriana Pragensis – artistic director David Eben; Czech chamber ensemble, orchestra of the Virtuosi di Praga – artistic director and concert master Oldřich Vlček and conductor Jacques-Francis Manzone from France. Opera arias from Czech and Italian repertoires sung by the soprano Eva Urbanová accompanied by the Prague National Theater Orchestra was a wonderful experience. The Piano Festival became part of the International Music Festival this year, during which the Czech virtuosos Jan Simon, František Maxián, Jan Novotný, Jaromír Klepáč, Radoslav Kvapil, Milan Langer and Igor Ardašev performed.