In 2024 we celebrated the Year of Czech Music – and the celebration is far from over.
Czech music, classical and beyond, continues to inspire and amaze audiences worldwide. From legendary composers such as Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, and Leoš Janáček to world-renowned artists like mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená and the Czech Philharmonic, Czechia, the country in the heart of Europe, has shared sounds with the world that rank among the very finest.
Czech Music that Inspires the World
To name but a few: genius composer Bedřich Smetana, the divine voice of Emmy Destinn, Antonín Dvořák, the legendary creator of Rusalka, and the greatest contemporary conductor Jakub Hrůša.
Tribute was paid to the Year of Czech Music 2024 and the related project Smetana 200. Besides the great anniversary of Bedřich Smetana, who was born on 2 March 1824, we will be commemorating a myriad of stars in the musical sky: Leoš Janáček, Antonín Dvořák, Emmy Destinn, Josef Mysliveček, Dagmar Pecková or Ondřej Pivec.
Join us in exploring the places where W. A. Mozart and Richard Wagner lived and worked, where world-famous director Miloš Forman shot his cult film Amadeus, how the famous Czech Petrof pianos are made, or where the world's most sought-after LPs are produced. And let’s not forget the ever-famous drinking song Beer Barrel Polka, which originated in Czechia but has since been appropriated by many other nations.
Making music and Czech musicianship have always been seen as something remarkable around the world, and not only in classical music, which here we sometimes call serious music, but it doesn't have to be serious at all. It can sound cheerful, wild, wistful. So welcome! The doors are opening to a world of high notes and deep voices, a world of romance and drama. That’s Musical Czechia!
