The 24^th year of the International Music Festival Český Krumlov took place during four long weekends in July and August. And even this year it was a presentation of different genres under the open skies and in the historical spaces of the Český Krumlov Chateau. The audiences heard classical music, but also a musical, Cuban rhythms and Argentine tango. On thirteen evenings outstanding artists both from the Czech Republic and abroad performed, including the main star of this year’s festival, Sumi Jo, whose concert in the Brewery Garden was a unique experience. Violinists Václav Hudeček, Pavel Šporcl and Ji Man Wee, pianist Jan Simon and violoncellist Carmine Miranda performed at the Castle Riding Hall. The chamber concert series at the Masquerade Hall included the concerts of guitarist Lubomír Brabec and the ensembles Barocco sempre giovane, Trio Thalia, Mucha Quartet with mime Vladimír Kulíšek and Musica Florea with countertenor Roger Isaacs. However, besides classical music festival viewers also experienced concerts of other genres. Hits from musicals and music from James Bond films were interpreted by Broadway stars and the Cuban Evening, which besides culinary specialities, offered traditional as well as modern Cuban music, took place in the Brewery Garden. The Kooperativa Garden was a perfect setting for the evening called Tango Argentino.

The president of the festival Jaromír Boháč assessed the festival with the following words, “I am satisfied with this year of the International Music Festival Český Krumlov for a number of reasons. We managed to realize everything that we planned both in the exteriors and in the interiors. There was great interest in the concerts once again and most of them were sold out. In total, 8500 viewers visited the IMF Český Krumlov this year, the occupancy at concerts was around 97 percent. And last but not least also the performances were at a high level.” And what did Jaromír Boháč reveal about the preparations for the next year of the IMF Český Krumlov? “The preparations for next year, which is a jubilee year for us, the twenty-fifth, are in full course. The opening will take place on 15^th July 2016 and it will be quite exceptional. It will not be one concert, but several smaller concerts in the chateau garden. It will be a tour through the history and music history of the garden; on different parterres of the garden different productions will take place and program will end around midnight on the chateau lake. The following day after the opening, on 16^th July, Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez will make an appearance with his opera recital. The festival will of course offer also concerts of other music stars. As far as the concert locations are concerned, next year we would like (besides the traditional exteriors and interiors of the past years) to return to sacral spaces, for example, we are planning a concert in the church of the monastery of the Order of Knighthood of Crusaders with the Red Star. One of the concerts will take place in the chateau chapel. A new place we will visit is the Jewish synagogue, which was recently reconstructed. From the exteriors, we expect to stage at least one concert in the newly reconstructed monastery garden.”