Prague Spring 2021

Prague Spring 2021

23 concerts in the new program

Prague Spring 2021
The Prague Spring in 2021 (May 12, 2021 - June 3, 2021) will offer 23 new concerts. The opening will feature the famous cycle of symphonic poems My Homeland by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, the coat of arms of the festival. "In a situation where cultural life has basically stopped, not only in the Czech Republic, we consider the new program to be healthy and daring," says festival director Roman Bělor. Visual presentation is here.
Originally, My Homeland was to sound under the baton of one of the most sought-after conductors of today - Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. However, they were forced to withdraw their participation because the regulations currently in force in Germany governing the work of orchestras will not allow them to try My Homeland. That is why Smetana's great work will be performed by the Collegium 1704 ensemble and conductor Václav Luks.

"Today's turbulent times are a bold solution. Therefore, we decided to bet on Václav Luks and his Collegium 1704, which not only belong to the Czech top, but have become one of the most respected ensembles of its kind in Europe. After all, they started their journey almost two decades ago at the Prague Spring, "says Bělor. "Bringing my homeland to period instruments and in the spirit of the interpretive customs of the end of the 19th century is an unusual challenge," says conductor Václav Luks himself. "Our design will not be a museum reconstruction. I believe that we will be able to present My Homeland in new colors, while respecting the legacy of its genius creator, "emphasizes Luks.


All concerts will take place with spectators in the halls, if the valid measures allow it. At the same time, spectators will be able to watch all twenty-three concerts live on the Prague Spring website free of charge. These concerts will take place, even if they are only live broadcasts without the presence of the audience in the halls. Selected concerts are also mediated by Czech Television and Czech Radio.

Ticket holders will be informed in advance whether the concert will take place in the presence of the audience in the hall. The number of spectators determined by the relevant state administration bodies will be filled by the ticket holder chronologically, ie according to the date of purchase. The Prague Spring guarantees that the entrance fee for unrealized concerts, as well as for tickets that will not be possible to use due to the limited capacity of the halls or their complete closure, will be refunded in full. The refund process (even for concerts already canceled or postponed to the next years of the festival) will begin on June 4, 2021.


Prague Spring 2021 will host the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jakub Hrůša with German singer Gerhild Romberger, Symphony Orchestra of the City of Prague FOK with conductor Ion Marin and violinist Ray Chen, Huelgas Ensemble with artistic director Paul Van Nevel, pianist Garrick Ohlsson or the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra with conductor Ilan Volkov.



The final concert will feature the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Mark Wigglesworth and will play Gustav Mahler, Benjamin Britten and Ludwig van Beethoven. The soloist is still in negotiations.

More Information

Visual presentation is here.