13. 4. 2026
on the Wings of the Mythical Phoenix
The Summer Festivities of Early Music unveil this year’s programme
Dear listeners,
The emblem of the 27th edition of the Summer Festivities of Early Music is one of the most significant mythological motifs across cultures and millennia – the fiery bird PHOENIX. This mythical creature, shrouded in legends, symbolizes the cosmic order and the resilient human spirit. It strengthens the courage of people pure of heart, serving as a beacon of hope and a bridge between worlds. Its song is said to possess magical power, and its tears are believed to have healing properties.
The festival, subtitled MYTHS AND LEGENDS, will bring on the magical wings of the phoenix a mosaic of seven dramaturgically exceptional projects that search for treasures of (not only) European musical history. Myths and legends, as the collective memory and soul of a civilization, will form the cornerstone of the programmes. Through them, people explained natural phenomena, answered questions about the origin of the world, humanity, life, and death, and also preserved the concept of social values, principles, and ideals. Thanks to their universality, myths and legends remain a timeless source of inspiration for all forms of art.
You can look forward to world and Czech premieres, artists making their debut on Czech stages, unknown musical instruments, and artistic works created specifically for the Summer Festivities of Early Music… Join us for the experience!
Josefína Matyášová
festival director
We look forward to seeing you at the concerts of the 27th edition of the Summer Festivities of Early Music!
The festival will open in the ethereal acoustics of the Church of Our Lady and Slavic Saints in the Emmaus Abbey with a performance of the phenomenal British ensemble Stile Antico. They will sing in honour of the saints (whose lives are recounted in a specific literary genre – legends), performing a repertoire by the greatest masters of Renaissance polyphony. The programme will be framed by two renowned works that are entirely shrouded in musical-historical myths and legends…
Like Orpheus, baritone Nicolas Achten accompanies himself on plucked instruments – the harp, colascione, theorbo, or chitarrone – while singing. The instrumentation of the Scherzi Musicali ensemble is even more colourful – at Troja Château, the audience will also hear other instruments used to accompany singers around the year 1600. The programme will offer excerpts from early Baroque Italian operas inspired by the story of the mythical singer Orpheus.
With the young German ensemble I Zefirelli, and with Jason and his Argonauts, we will embark on a mythical quest for the Golden Fleece. The programme in the Summer Refectory of the Strahov Monastery will feature the irresistible song of the Sirens, the graceful dance of the Nymphs, dramatic sea storms, and admiration for the dazzling splendour of the golden treasure…
The concert titled Violino virtuoso will feature virtuosic compositions by legendary violin masters as well as spirited Spanish rhythms. In the majestic setting of Sts. Simon and Jude Church, and accompanied by the OBNI ensemble, Spanish violinist Miriam Hontana will bring her instrument to life, captivating the audience with her sensitive, distinctive, and emotionally charged interpretation and her ability to let the music “speak.”
Five renowned musicians from different corners of the world (Bou Hassoun – Semerád – Tabassian – Colson – Boulanger) will set out on a musical odyssey in a programme titled Metamorfosi, featuring a repertoire spanning from the 10th to the 18th century, and will build a bridge between the East and the West with a clear desire for dialogue and search for a shared musical heritage. The unique concept of this project was created specifically for the Summer Festivities of Early Music.
Through mythological themes, the audience at the Lobkowicz Palace will be transported back to the golden age of English viola da gamba consorts, accompanied by the members of the Vittorio Ghielmi Viol Quartet, in whose hands these instruments sound almost like human voices.
The Olympian gods themselves will be watching the festival’s grand finale! And no wonder – the evening will resound with the unique timbre of bass-baritone Andreas Wolf and the enchanting flute of Jana Semerádová, as well as the interpretation brilliance of the resident ensemble Collegium Marianum. Mythology provided poets and composers with a rich repertoire of dramatic characters, symbols, archetypal motifs, and supernatural events that allowed for emotionally powerful musical interpretations. In arias from operas by Georg Frideric Handel and Henry Purcell, as well as in Johann Sebastian Bach’s rarely performed secular cantatas, the audience will be able to admire inventive melodies, bold harmonies, colourful instrumentation, lively rhythms, and brilliant virtuosity.
