Embark on a captivating musical journey with the Czech Philharmonic as they present a series of remarkable events that promise to enchant audiences with a blend of chamber music, orchestral masterpieces, and innovative collaborations. From the soulful strains of Antonín Dvořák to the thrilling premieres of contemporary compositions, each event offers a unique glimpse into the world of classical music. Join us at the iconic Rudolfinum as renowned musicians and emerging talents come together to celebrate the transformative power of music.

A Musical Journey with the Czech Philharmonic: Celebrating Harmony and Heritage

The January meeting will be opened by musician Ondřej Tichý, one of the initiators of the senior programs that took place at the Rudolfinum in previous seasons. This time, he has invited cellist Vojtěch Nejedlý and violinist Josefína Matyášová to his music workshop. This unconventional musical format will feature a wide range of instruments and an opportunity to actively experience music.

EPSG:4326

Resonance – music narrates and connects

Rudolfinum

On January 4, 2026, it will be 130 years since a group of musicians calling themselves the Czech Philharmonic first introduced themselves to the public. As is well known, the baton was then raised by none other than Antonín Dvořák. The creators of our beloved Orchestra Rehearsal – Alice Nellis, Petr Altrichter, and Marek Eben – are preparing an evening full of surprises, perfectly suited to a 130th birthday celebration. No spoilers, but we hope you’re intrigued.

Czech Philharmonic • Orchestra Rehearsal...Birthday Edition!

"Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them." One of the most beloved stories ever told, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, comes to life in Peter Wittrich's musical setting, performed in the Dvořák Hall. This isn’t Wittrich's first encounter with the tale—and thanks to his accessible musical language, even adults may come to understand the Prince's wisdom.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Zemlinsky Quartet

Each season, the Czech Chamber Music Society introduces its audience to the brightest rising stars—winners of prestigious competitions held over the past year. Who will take the spotlight this time remains to be seen; the coming months will reveal all.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Concert of competition winners

Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

Our host will be the Czech Philharmonic double bass section leader Adam Honzírek. We'll hear about what this big instrument can do and what makes it challenging, and also about its place in the symphony orchestra. To do this, we'll take a musical journey from the classics to jazz and on to modern experiments.

Bass Makes the Music Go!

As a boy, Giovanni’s parents wanted to enrol him in the preparatory department of the Milan Conservatoire. According to the school, their son was too high-spirited, and he was not admitted as a violin student, but he soon more than made up for their disappointment. He studied the recorder, and while still a student, he joined with the lute player Luca Pianca in establishing Il Giardino Armonico—an ensemble that has won worldwide renown over its 40 years of existence in the field of the informed interpretation of early music.

Czech Philharmonic • Giovanni Antonini

Between his performances of The Well-Tempered Clavier, this season’s curator Mahan Esfahani will make room to honour his reputation as a bold musical explorer. In a thoughtfully assembled programme, he brings together Czech and international works of the 20th-century — paying tribute to Viktor Kalabis and shining a light on the inventive, though lesser-known, Henry Cowell. The evening’s climax will be Falla’s Harpsichord Concerto, interpreted by some of the Czech Republic’s finest musicians.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Mahan Esfahani

Czech Philharmonic’s Artist-in-Residence, Evgeny Kissin, will also appear at the Rudolfinum’s Suk Hall as a soloist. The world-renowned piano virtuoso will perform a selection of Chopin’s intimate Mazurkas, alongside Schumann’s richly layered Kreisleriana—a cycle dedicated to Chopin himself. Adding a distinctive touch to the programme is a sonata by 20th-century Russian composer Nikolai Myaskovsky.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Evgeny Kissin

Two orchestras – the Czech Philharmonic and the Czech Philharmonic Youth Orchestra – join forces to perform works by the two of the most popular classical composers: Mozart and Beethoven. Giovanni Antonini will lead both orchestras, looking for hidden worlds between the lines in the scores. All his life, he has specialised in older music.

Concerts on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day should belong to the best young artists! The soloists appearing under Roberta Kružík’s baton will be some of our top players: oboist Barbora Trnčíková, French hornist Kateřina Javůrková, and trumpet player Walter Hofbauer. We promise our carefully chosen programme will thaw even the chilliest frost. There is no risk of a hangover; there will be nothing but the pure joy of music.

Czech Philharmonic • New Year’s Concerts

The Czech Philharmonic’s Advent begins with low strings and ends with low brass. This ensemble—made up of all members of the orchestra’s trombone and tuba sections —has consistently received warm acclaim. Spanning music from the Renaissance to the 20th-century, the programme honours not only the rich sound of brass but also pays tribute to Břetislav Kotrba, a long-time member of the Czech Philharmonic and a master of musical arrangements.

Advent Concert IV • Czech Philharmonic Low Brass Ensemble

In this colourful programme, we encounter the pairing of the conductor Simon Rattle and mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená. In Debussy’s Nocturnes we find traces of his inspiration from nocturnal paintings of rivers. Messiaen’s Poèmes pour Mi plays with surrealistic, spiritual, and romantic colours. Gustav Mahler does not hold anything back, either—his Fourth Symphony includes a vocal part.

Czech Philharmonic • Magdalena Kožená

Three concertmasters of the Czech Philharmonic—Jan Fišer, Václav Petr and Eva Krestová—come together for an Advent concert full of charm and brilliance. The mood may be light but the artistry is anything but the centrepiece is Mozart’s Divertimento, a work that elevates a genre once intended as simple entertainment into a space of refined musicality.

Advent Concert III • Fišer, Krestová, Petr

Hector Berlioz’s second symphonic work takes us to Italy. Accompanying us will be Lord Byron’s romantic hero Harold, whose voice will be Amihai Grosz, the principal violist of the Berlin Philharmonic. Upon returning from the musical universe of Witold Lutosławski, we will hear Beethoven’s majestic Eroica, originally dedicated by the composer to Napoleon.

Czech Philharmonic • Simon Rattle

The Stamic Quartet is an ensemble with a rich legacy dating back to the 1980s. For this concert, they will highlight the chamber works of Vítězslav Novák, alongside masterpieces by internationally renowned composers. The programme includes one of Beethoven’s iconic string quartets as well as music by Tchaikovsky, whose music receives special focus this season at the Czech Chamber Music Society.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Stamic Quartet

Snowflakes are falling outside the windows, but it’s warm inside and the smell of evergreen needles is everywhere. We hear Tchaikovsky’s magical music, and we set out for a fairytale kingdom with the Nutcracker and Clara… We’ll follow footprints in the snow, our drumming will overpower the Mouse King, until finally we dance our way to the Christmas tree. And then what? We’ll unravel whether it was all a dream…

The Nutcracker's Christmas Secret

Featuring Czech Philharmonic violinist Viktor Mazáček and mezzo-soprano Markéta Cukrová, this concert celebrates the pure beauty of Baroque music. A blend of sacred and secular works by Antonio Vivaldi offers space for reflection as well as admiration for both compositional craft and musical expression.

Advent Concert II • Markéta Cukrová

“A passion for musical discovery”— that is what the members of L’Armonia Terrena say unites them. What this ensemble has uncovered in the contrasting musical worlds of Haydn, Ravel and Martinů will be revealed in largest instrumental group performance to take place during this season’s matinee series. The ensemble will be led by Zdeněk Klauda, with Czech Philharmonic cellist Eduard Šístek appearing as soloist.

Czech Chamber Music Society • L'Armonia Terrena

The renowned British musician Thomas Adès has put together an evening dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Pierre Boulez’s birth. Perhaps as a tribute to Boulez, he will appear in both roles for which Boulez was known: as a composer and a conductor.

Czech Philharmonic • Thomas Adès

Czech Chamber Music Society • Alinde Quintet

For lovers of cellos and double basses, the festive season begins early. Under the name Virtuosi di basso, members of the Czech Philharmonic’s lower string sections join forces for a spirited concert. Brilliant arrangements of Rossini and West Side Story will showcase their musical flair, while sacred Baroque songs of The Czech Lute and Christmas carols will see them honour tradition.

Advent Concert I • Virtuosi di Basso

“I wanted to protest, but I knew that all my gestures would be in vain. It was only through music that I could express my embitterment.” 80 years after the end of the Second World War, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Luigi Dallapiccola, the composer of the short one-act opera Il prigioniero (The Prisoner).

Czech Philharmonic • Antonio Pappano

At this programme for the general public, Jana Boušková reveals the secrets of undoubtedly the most elegant orchestral instrument. You will see and hear music being played, including arrangements for two harps.

Queen of the Harp

At this interactive programme for the general public, Jana Boušková reveals the secrets of undoubtedly the most elegant, golden, and mysterious orchestral instrument. You will see and hear music being played, including the loveliest numbers for harp in arrangements for two harps, for which Jana Boušková has invited her talented student Minja Stojanović.

We'll wander over the mountains, across Moravia and Slovakia, to see what music and dancing are like when done eagerly. We'll plunk on the cimbalom and find out what it's like to lead playing the violin or to accompany playing double bass or viola, and at the end, we'll dance together. What fun!

Musicians, What Are You Doing?

"Music is as much a beautiful adornment of our lives as it is an important means of communication between people. It shows us how to find beauty among difficulties, and calm and equilibrium in making our every-day decisions. It teaches us how to support children and young people on their sometimes difficult path to adulthood or to learning. We have seen this from the last three years of work in schools, in families, during workshops, and in performances."

100 Minutes among the Tones

Czech Philharmonic • Variations

Karlovy Vary City Theatre

Chamber music has a deep-rooted tradition in the Czech Republic, one that is actively nurtured through education. A key player in this is the Academy of Chamber Music, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The occasion will be marked with a concert featuring current members, alumni, and faculty members, including a world premiere by composer Jan Ryant Dřizal.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Chamber Music Academy

The Velvet Revolution Concert resounds with spiritual strength and hope. In his Resurrection Symphony, Gustav Mahler traces a journey from the darkness of death towards faith in light and renewal. This monumental work, uniting emotion with philosophical depth, reflects the soul’s struggle for meaning and hope. The Czech Philharmonic and the Prague Philharmonic Choir will be conducted by the Finnish maestro Sakari Oramo, stepping in for Zubin Mehta.

Czech Philharmonic • Velvet Revolution Concert

This educational programme is based on the fate of Josef Toufar, who was tortured to death by Communist State Security officers in 1950.

My Uncle Vanished. Where Did He Go, Mr. President?

The journey can be the destination. Let's go together to a concert of chamber music by Antonín Dvořák.

Vláčkem za Dvořá(č)kem

On 21 October 1898, when Edward Elgar came home exhausted from work, after supper he sat down to the piano and began improvising. “What is that?” asked his wife Alice, who was captivated by the unknown motif. “Nothing,” he answered. “But it could be something.”

Czech Philharmonic • Evgeny Kissin

Compositions by Fritz Kreisler, Johann Strauss, Antonín Dvořák, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, and Giacomo Puccini.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Alma Rosé

At the Czech Chamber Music Society, we strive for variety, not just in terms of instrumentation. That’s why each season includes a concert dedicated to percussion. These events are typically bold and unconventional, offering a very different kind of chamber music experience. This year, the spotlight falls on the student-led HAMU Percussion Ensemble, whose programme will showcase both the virtuosity and the playful spirit percussion playing has to offer.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Academy of Performing Arts Percussion Ensemble

The Czech Philharmonic first ventured to Asia on a legendary tour in 1959. Since then, it has returned as often as every two years whenever possible. In fact, the orchestra has already performed 373 concerts in Japan. It discovered South Korea in the 1990s and made its debut in Taiwan in 2019. This time, the programme will feature works by Ravel, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, and Dvořák, led by Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov.

Czech Philharmonic • Seoul

Lotte World Mall

We invite you to the first encounter with this year’s curator, Mahan Esfahani. The harpsichordist, known for his wide-ranging repertoire, has chosen a somewhat more conservative approach for Cycles I and II—yet one that is ambitious, artistically refined, and dramaturgically pure. Over two evenings, he will present Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier in its entirety, a cornerstone of the Baroque era, a testament to the art of fugue, and a masterpiece of keyboard music.

The concert is held under the auspices of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Republic of Korea, Ivan Jančárek.

Seoul Arts Center

The opening concert of the first subscription series sets the bar high. It's rare to see such extraordinary artists come together in a piano trio as violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Steven Isserlis, and pianist Evgeny Kissin. This trio of virtuosos will perform the grand piano trios by Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky. Also on the programme is Latvian composer Solomon Rosowsky, a student of Rimsky-Korsakov and whose music bears the mark of the Russian tradition.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Bell, Isserlis, Kissin

As a student, Semyon Bychkov became enthusiastic about Tchaikovsky, and the same thing happened to Seong-Jin Cho with Ravel. The first love affair led ultimately to a recording Tchaikovsky’s complete symphonies, while the Korean pianist’s performing of music by Ravel led none other than Simon Rattle to call him a “poet at the piano”. We hope that both combinations will bring success in our jubilee 130th concert season.

Czech Philharmonic • Season Opening Concert

Subscription Series II opens with a performance from a piano trio — this time, a Czech one. The Lobkowicz Trio, winners of the 2017 Czech Chamber Music Society Prize, returns to the audience with a diverse programme, primarily focused on composers working from the Romantic tradition. A notable departure will be a piece by Otomar Kvěch, renowned for his listener-friendly compositions as well as his pedagogical approach.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Lobkowicz Trio

Czech Philharmonic, Robin Ticciati, Vilde Frang

Czech Philharmonic, Robin Ticciati, Vilde Frang • Dvořák Prague Festival

Czech Philharmonic, Leonidas Kavakos • Dvořák Prague Festival

On the second evening of the Bucharest festival, the Czech Philharmonic presents an all-Dvořák programme. Conductor Petr Popelka leads the orchestra through the Symphony No. 6, with Austrian-Iranian cellist Kian Soltani joining as soloist in the Cello Concerto. Czech audiences may recall Soltani from his recent performance at the Variations Festival in Karlovy Vary.

Czech Philharmonic • Bucharest

Grand Palace Hall

George Enescu is a composer rarely heard in the Czech Philharmonic’s repertoire—yet in recent years, almost exclusively in Romania. At the Bucharest festival, his Symphony No. 4 will be performed under the baton of Petr Popelka. The programme also includes Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, a frequently performed and beloved orchestral staple.

The Grafenegg Festival is closely associated with pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, who has performed with the Czech Philharmonic on numerous occasions. In return, he regularly invites the orchestra to the castle grounds of Lower Austria. This time, the ensemble travels under the direction of Petr Popelka, joined by cellist Gautier Capuçon, for a programme dedicated to Dvořák.

Czech Philharmonic • Grafenegg

Grafenegg Festival

The star of the second Czech Philharmonic appearance at Kissinger Sommer Festival is American cellist Alisa Weilerstein who will perform Saint-Saën’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor. Ravel’s La Valse also features on the programme alongside more Dvořák Slavonic Dances, this time Op. 72.

Czech Philharmonic • Bad Kissingen

Regentenbau

The Czech Philharmonic open the 2025 Kissinger Sommer Festival with the overture to Smetana’s opera The Two Widows. Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major follows with French virtuoso Pierre-Laurent Aimard and for the grand finale, Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances, Op. 46.

The first ever theatrical, dance and puppet rendition of a Smetana's Má vlast (My Country).

Má vlast at Smetana Litomyšl Festival

Litomyšl Castle

The Czech Philharmonic’s last festival concert this year will open with the overture to Smetana's opera The Two Widows. Together with French piano virtuoso Pierre-Laurent Aimard, the Czech Philharmonic will also play Ravel's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G major. The previous day’s performance of Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, will be followed by the second set, Op. 72.

Smetana Litomyšl Festival • Tomáš Netopil, Pierre-Laurent Aimard

The second concert of the Smetana Litomyšl Festival will feature the American cellist Alisa Weilerstein. Under the baton of conductor Tomáš Netopil, the Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1 in A minor by Camille Saint-Saëns will be performed. The finale of the concert will be Dvořák's Slavonic Dances, Op. 46.

Smetana Litomyšl Festival • Tomáš Netopil, Alisa Weilerstein

Má vlast • Theatrical performance

Exhibition center Prague

In this project, pupils from elementary schools of the arts all around the Czech Republic encounter their experienced colleagues from the Czech Philharmonic. After half a year of intense preparations, the project culminates with joint rehearsals for a gala concert where the orchestra plays under the baton of Petr Altrichter.

Concert of the Joint Orchestra of Music School Pupils and Musicians of the Czech Philharmonic

It is tradition for the Czech Philharmonic to end its season with a free Open Air Concert on Hradčany Square. The orchestra will be joined by the winner of the Jiří Bělohlávek Prize, clarinetist Anna Paulová. She will shine especially in the world premiere of Pauliana for clarinet and orchestra by Jiří Gemrot. After a successful debut last year, conductor Dalia Stasevska will take up the baton.

Czech Philharmonic • Open Air Concert

Hradcany Square

The opening concert of the 66th edition of Smetana’s Litomyšl Festival conducted by Jakub Hrůša could be called "Shakespearean". It will open with Smetana's March to Shakespeare's Feast, at the grand  finale will be a suite from the ballet Romeo and Juliet by composer Sergei Prokofiev in the conductor's arrangement. We will also welcome a rare guest - Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang.

Smetana Litomyšl Festival • Jakub Hrůša

The 80th edition of the Prague Spring will culminate in a performance of arguably the largest-scale work in the classical concert repertoire. Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) for eight soloists, two mixed choirs, children’s choir and a vast orchestra with organ earned the subtitle “Symphony of a Thousand”. The mammoth task to conduct the Czech Philharmonic in this full-length work was entrusted to Semyon Bychkov, who is regarded as one of the greatest Mahler conductors today.

Prague Spring • Closing Concert

Municipal House

Prague Spring • Symphony of a Thousand

After the successful The Jungle Book project, DEKKADANCERS and the Czech Philharmonic present another joint project. It will be a dance performance with spoken word about freedom and knowledge - Jonathan Livingston Seagull based on the cult literary work by Richard David Bach. The best dancers of the contemporary scene and leading Czech actors Jiří Lábus and Vilém Udatný will meet on stage. Ondřej Vinklát, a three-time Thalia winner for dance, will direct and choreograph. The original music for the precise performers of the Czech Philharmonic was written by Ivan Acher.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Brno City Theatre

Playing the harp might seem simple; after all, we can play a scale with just one finger! But in reality, it’s not as easy as it might look. This royal instrument can conjure up not only lovely, heavenly tones, but also frightfully devilish sounds. Get to know the harp up close and experience it as never before.

The Playful Harp

Last year, the Czech Philharmonic returned to Baden-Baden’s famous Festspielhaus after a 25-year hiatus. Following the success of the last visit, the orchestra is back with Smetana’s Má vlast led by Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov.

Czech Philharmonic • Baden-Baden

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden

Join us at the Rudolfinum to try out some of the vast arsenal of Orff instruments. With their help, we will accompany a song, learn how to hold the glockenspiel and xylophone mallets, and maybe find out that the conductor really is an important person. Become members of the Czech Philharmonic Little Orffestra for a little while.

A Little Orffestra

Helping us on a journey to the sea (at our workshop and in our imaginations) are Orff instruments, non-traditional aids, a drawing with music, and two international songs about the sea. We have also prepared listening, rhythm, and relaxation games.

Musica ludus IV • A Voyage at Sea

2024 was the Year of Czech Music and to continue celebrations now in Hannover, the Czech Philharmonic presents Smetana’s complete Má vlast at the Congress Centrum led by Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov.

Czech Philharmonic • Hannover

HCC Hannover Congress Centrum

Perhaps no other orchestra is as strongly associated with Smetana's Má vlast, which was composed between 1874 and 1879, as the Czech Philharmonic. It was also the Czech Philharmonic who presented Má vlast at the first edition of the Prague Spring on 12 May 1946. In 2025, Smetana’s masterpiece will appear on the Prague Spring programme for the 133rd time, including repeat performances; of these an impressive 76 are attributed to the Czech Philharmonic.

Prague Spring • Opening Concert

Jakub Hrůša and the Czech Philharmonic Youth Orchestra not only see “eye to eye” but hear “ear to ear” as well. After their first collaboration last season, they set out together this time for Arabia of the Middle Ages in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. In the second half of the programme, the Czech Philharmonic and its Principal Guest Conductor join forces with three vocal soloists and the Prague Philharmonic Choir for Josef Suk’s Epilogue, the finale of his symphonic tetralogy.

Czech Philharmonic • Jakub Hrůša

Principle Guest Conductor Jakub Hrůša has once again prepared a bold programme based on dramatic contrasts. The concert opens with the world premiere of a work by Pavel Zemek Novák followed by a gem of the piano literature played by the brilliant Leif Ove Andsnes. After Grieg comes Vladimír Sommer’s evocative Vocal Symphony which will mark the Czech Philharmonic’s fourth performance of the work.

Czech Philharmonic • Leif Ove Andsnes

French composers Milhaud, Chausson, and Debussy all have their own style – some more traditional, others more progressive. To combine their works into one programme brings promise of a diverse yet coherent evening of music. Performing their works are Czech Philharmonic concertmaster Jiří Vodička, the renowned pianist François Dumont, and the leading Czech ensemble, the Pražák Quartet.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Pražák Quartet & Jiří Vodička

The members of the Orchestral Academy participate in rehearsals, concerts, recording projects and tours of the Czech Philharmonic, play educational and chamber concerts, learn from the orchestra's leading players and gain invaluable experience. Come and hear them in concert, where they take a journey from classical to more recent music.

Czech Philharmonic • Concert by members of the Orchestral Academy

In a concert featuring exclusively percussion instruments, audiences can expect to experience raw energy through their whole bodies. For this performance, the Percussion Ensemble of the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno and its Artistic Director Martin Opršál present a variety of works for percussion instruments at the Suk Hall. In Bartók’s Allegro barboro, pianist Dominik Gál will show how the composer also regarded the piano a percussion instrument.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Percussion Ensemble JAMU

This season’s Morning Concerts series draws to a close with string performances, to which unique colours from the clarinet will be added. The Apollon Quartet and its guests perform what is probably Bruckner’s most serious chamber work: his String Quintet in F major. They will also commemorate the work of the Czech composer, music theorist, and teacher Antonín Rejcha.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Apollon Quartet

We will use musical examples to take a closer look at the connections between the musical and non-musical worlds and the remarkable ability of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven to transform life’s difficulties into beauty.

Musica ludus III • Ode to Joy

Following his appointment as the Czech Philharmonic’s newest Principal Guest Conductor and Rafael Kubelík Chair, Simon Rattle announced his plans to devote himself to both music well-known and unknown by the orchestra. This is the reason for both the music of Dvořák and Weill on this programme. With the Slavonic Dances, Rattle returns to his childhood and the start of his life as a conductor; and with The Seven Deadly Sins, he brings to the Czech Philharmonic a piece he has already performed many times during his illustrious career with major orchestras worldwide.

The concert led by Ondřej Tichý turns into a non-traditional musical encounter. Come to join the Czech Philharmonic musicians and their musical friends to sense the acoustic possibilities of the Dvořák Hall and to hear what is written within its walls.

Holiday among the Notes

French music has long enriched the world of classical music with its radiant colours and returning to the Czech Philharmonic with just such a palette is conductor Alain Altinoglu who will also treat audiences to the sounds of Italy. Appearing alongside Altinoglu in her Czech Philharmonic debut is Beatrice Rana who brings her “bel canto” playing to Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto.

Czech Philharmonic • Beatrice Rana

Music predating the Baroque period is rarely heard at the Rudolfinum, so a programme of works by Kryštof Harant is a special event, especially because he is seen as the most important Czech musician of the Renaissance. The acclaimed ensemble Cappella Mariana will present historically informed interpretations of his works, and actor Saša Rašilov will read excerpts from Harant’s famous travel diaries.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Cappella Mariana

The Czech Philharmonic presents Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony with its Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov who is internationally acclaimed for his interpretations of the Russian composer’s music. Written in the second half of the 1930s during Stalin’s purges in the Soviet Union, the Symphony earnt Shostakovich a half-hour standing ovation. Today it is regarded as one of the pinnacles of modern music.

Czech Philharmonic • Jiří Vodička

For this recital at the Martinů Hall, the PBtet presents the full range of possibilities from the brass quintet genre, from more typical fanfares to a suite from the opera Rusalka. The contemporary Czech composer Jan Kučera has written The Four-Colour Suite especially for the ensemble.

Czech Chamber Music Society • PBtet

Originally a piano work by the Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, it was arranged for orchestra in 1922 by the French composer Maurice Ravel. In its “new garb”, the work became Mussorgsky’s most frequently played and best loved composition.

Pictures at an Exhibition

Since 1981, the Czech Chamber Music Society Award has been given to young Czech artists in recognition for their outstanding performances in the field of chamber music. For this programme, the Trio Bohémo, winners in 2022, perform major works of the piano trio repertoire in addition to contemporary composer Benjamin Yusupov’s Piano Trio No. 2.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Trio Bohémo

The delicate and transparent sounds of High Classicism will be heard in this concert of works by Haydn and Mozart performed by the pianist Miroslav Sekera and mezzo-soprano Markéta Cukrová, one of the Czech Republic’s most versatile singers.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Markéta Cukrová

At our March workshop we will discover the richly varied world of musical instruments and their colours. We will learn about orchestral instruments directly at a rehearsal in Dvořák Hall. And it would not be a proper gathering without singing songs about musical instruments.

Musica Ludus II • Musical Instruments and Their Colours

The final concert of the Czech Philharmonic’s European spring tour is devoted to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich. The soloist for the First Cello Concerto is young British cellist Sheku-Kanneh Mason. After the intermission, Chief Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov will guide the Czech Philharmonic through the difficult but ever fascinating Fifth Symphony.

Czech Philharmonic • Bruges

Concertgebouw Brugge

Mozart’s music will grace the Philharmonie de Paris when the Czech Philharmonic, with Katia and Marielle Labèque, presents the Concerto for Two Pianos for its second residency concert. More divine music will be performed in the second half with Mahler’s Fifth Symphony which Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic recently recorded.

Czech Philharmonic • Paris

Philharmonie de Paris

German baritone Michael Volle has performed to great acclaim at many of the world’s top opera houses and has earned many awards. For this Rudolfinum recital, he presents non-operatic repertoire including Dvořák’s touching Biblical Songs and an exclusive premiere of songs by his piano accompanist Reinhard Seehafer, who has set verses by Václav Havel to music.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Michael Volle

The Czech Philharmonic launch its Philharmonie de Paris residency with a concert honouring the 50th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich's death in 2025. With 25-year-old British superstar Sheku-Kanneh Mason, they present the First Cello Concerto. After the intermission, Chief Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov leads the orchestra in Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony which premiered in 1937 in Bychkov’s home city of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg).

Cité de la Musique

For its second London concert, the Czech Philharmonic is reunited with the Labèque sisters for the Concerto for Two Pianos by Mozart whose music fits them like a glove. For the second half, Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov leads the Czech Philharmonic in the music of Mahler – the Fifth Symphony - whose symphonies they have been recording together for the last couple of years.

Czech Philharmonic • London

Barbican Centre

Following the critical success of the Czech Philharmonic's last Barbican residency, the orchestra return with Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov with an-all Shostakovich programme in honour of the 50thanniversary of the composer's death in 2025. Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony sits side by side with the composer's First Cello Concerto performed by young virtuoso Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

The Czech Philharmonic is a regular guest of the Dutch capital's main concert hall but traditionally it has been with all Czech music. With Chief Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov, this time they bring an all-Shostakovich programme in honour of the 50th anniversary of the composer's death, featuring the First Cello Concerto with soloist Sheku-Kanneh Mason and the magnificent Fifth Symphony.

Czech Philharmonic • Amsterdam

The Concertgebouw

For its second Viennese concert, the Czech Philharmonic will be joined by the Labèque sisters for Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos. After the intermission, Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov leads the Czech Philharmonic in Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, which they recently recorded together to international acclaim.

Czech Philharmonic • Vienna

Musikverein Wien

The Czech Philharmonic's European tour begins in Vienna at the Musikverein with a concert honouring the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich's death in 2025. With young British star Sheku-Kanneh Mason, they will perform Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto. Led by Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov, the second half features Shostakovich's pre-war Symphony No. 5.

After the successful The Jungle Book project, DEKKADANCERS and the Czech Philharmonic present another joint project. It will be a dance performance with spoken word about freedom and knowledge - Jonathan Livingston Seagull based on the cult literary work by Richard David Bach. In the exclusive space of the Ceremony Hall, the best dancers of the contemporary scene and leading Czech actors Jiří Lábus and Vilém Udatný will meet. Ondřej Vinklát, a three-time Thalia winner for dance, will direct and choreograph. The original music for the precise performers of the Czech Philharmonic was written by Ivan Acher.

DEKKADANCERS & Czech Philharmonic • Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Ceremony Hall

This season’s Czech Chamber Music Society curator Petr Popelka dons another of his many musical hats for this programme: playing the double bass, the instrument with which he began his career. For his final curated concert this year, he joins the Elphier Quartett for Dvořák’s String Quintet No. 2. The rest of the programme is devoted to newer music including a work by Astor Piazzolla, the legendary king of tango.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Elphier Quartett & Petr Popelka

25-year-old star cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason is one of the most sought-after artists of his generation. He makes his Czech Philharmonic debut with one of the most difficult but most beautiful works of the cello repertoire: Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto. This concert series also features Haydn’s “Mouning Symphony” and a Beethoven symphony which one critic at the time of its premiere called “a writhing monster.”

Czech Philharmonic • Sheku Kanneh-Mason

In honour of the 2024 Year of Czech Music, cellist Jiří Bárta and pianist Terezie Fialová present a concert with the music of Leoš Janáček at the heart of their programme. Also presented will be music from the less distant past by one of the most prominent Czech composers of the 1960s avant-garde, Marek Kopelent.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Jiří Bárta

After a successful residency last year, Sir András Schiff returns to the Rudolfinum, this time to the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Listeners will have the opportunity to admire his inner, intellectual playing in Mozart's Ninth Piano Concerto. Wolfgang Amadeus wrote the piece at the age of twenty-one and dedicated it to the talented pianist Victoire Jenamy.

Czech Chamber Music Society • András Schiff

Eva Krestová, leader of the viola section of the Czech Philharmonic, presents her instrument in two different settings. While the usual combination of viola and piano is found in sonatas by Shostakovich and the British composer Rebecca Clarke, in Bohuslav Martinů’s Three Madrigals, a viola and violin duo will be heard.

Czech Chamber Music Society • Eva Krestová

In the history of the Czech Philharmonic, few compositions have left as deep a mark as Honegger’s oratorio Joan of Arc at the Stake. In 1970, Ivan Medek, then the orchestra’s dramaturge, programmed the oratorio to commemorate Jan Palach’s self-immolation. This difficult but powerful work will be led by Lukáš Vasilek, Artistic Director of the Prague Philharmonic Choir.

Czech Philharmonic

28 - 30 Jan, 2026

Czech Philharmonic • Stéphane Denève

4 - 6 Feb, 2026

Czech Philharmonic • Bryce Dessner

Feb 7, 2026

Czech Chamber Music Society • Prague Guitar Quartet

Feb 10, 2026

Czech Chamber Music Society • Trio Kalliopé

11 - 13 Feb, 2026

Czech Philharmonic • Jakub Hrůša

Jan 27, 2026

Resonance – music narrates and connects

20 - 21 Jan, 2026

Czech Philharmonic • Orchestra Rehearsal...Birthday Edition!

Articles & News

Czech Philharmonic