I really enjoyed playing during the opening. I believe that the laser light “accompaniment” subtly enhanced Bach’s suite in G major. The light worked perfectly with the crowns of the trees which are here in the summer riding hall. 

Jiří Bárta, violoncellist

I think that today’s opening evening was a complex of luxurious “musical” images. I regret not seeing it from the front. All the genres which were introduced were very sensitively connected. The atmosphere of the summer riding hall by the castle garden, the weather, the visual effects which accompanied the musical numbers. The resulting effect was, at least according to the reaction of the viewers which I heard about, superb. It motivated me superbly for the solo concert with a big band consisting of twenty-five members, which will take place in the Brewery Garden on 4^th August. I am really looking forward to coming back to Český Krumlov for the festival and I hope we will send the audience into the right swing raptures.

Jan Smigmator, swing singer

The opening degustation was sensational. The evening was set in a beautiful environment and accompanied by a spectacular, yet unobtrusive, light illusion. The projection of the scene in which the opera and musical numbers were sung was perfect.

Vlastimil Harapes, dancer and patron of IMF Český Krumlov

I started my career in Linz, which is not far from Český Krumlov. In the past I had the opportunity to visit Český Krumlov a few times and it always fascinated me. I was able to follow the gradual transformation of the town which went through an extensive reconstruction and I have to say that the result is beautiful. I also heard about your festival and I often listened to the enthusiastic narrative of my colleagues who had already performed here as well as friend who regularly visit these concerts. During open-air concerts we don’t have acoustics, so we are fully in the hands of those in charge of all those “buttons” who harmonize our voices as well as the sound of the orchestra into an ideal form. Another thing I like is that during open-air productions we can look into the faces of the audience, which is not possible in a dark theatre. In this way I can tell more clearly how the viewers like it already while singing. Thus, we have greater feedback and we don’t need to wait for the applause by which viewers reward us if they are satisfied. I think, at least according to the reaction of the viewers that the performance here in Český Krumlov was a success.

Piotr Beczała, Polish tenor

Český Krumlov enchanted me. It is an amazing place. I am glad that I was able to sing Rusalka’s aria here at the IMF Český Krumlov in Czech. It is the native language of my father. When I grew up, I used to hear the Czech language at home. My grandparents, my dad and his sister spoke Czech in our home but they never encouraged me to use the Czech language, so I never learned it. My dad’s favourite composition was Smetana’s The Moldau and it still makes me cry listening to it. My father passed away over 30 years ago and this composition always reminds me of him.

Sondra Radvanovsky, American-Canadian soprano

Piotr Beczała and Sondra Radvanovsky are great professionals and excellent artists. Sondra Radvanovsky’s Rusalka was superb. I was truly moved. I had to make an effort not to succumb to it, I then had to concentrate hard to conduct the orchestra at full stretch. It is rare to hear Rusalka interpreted so brilliantly. Both artists gave an amazing performance. It is an honour for me to have met them on one stage. 

Leoš Svárovský, conductor

I know the local organ very well. It is Nicolaus Christeindel’s instrument. I have a special fondness for it because it was preserved almost in its original state, which is rare. I hope that when its reconstruction takes place one day, the appointed organ maker won’t make any mistakes and the renovation will not harm the instrument in any way. It would be a great pity. For today’s concert I selected primarily music by Adam Václav Michna. I think it simply belongs to South Bohemia. Almost everybody knows Michna’s name in our country. Who wouldn’t know his Christmas song “Chtíc, aby spal”. He composed such beautiful melodies that I was always sorry that he didn’t write anything for the organ. And so I tried to make music in the old style based on his themes in the modern times. Moreover, it suits the type of the local organ really well. Next time I could perhaps make an experiment and make an excursion into the more distant parts of Europe. It would certainly be possible to play something from Spanish baroque literature, especially from the 17^th century. But I believe I could find different interesting contexts in which I could use some stops of the local organ for purely contemporary music. I will always look forward to coming to the IMF Český Krumlov. 

Jaroslav Tůma, organist

It is a piece of cake to play in the acoustics of the Masquerade Hall and the audience was very attentive today. It is always a pleasure to play Janáček for us. For me, his second quartet is one of the best quartets ever written. Smetana’s second quartet, which the composer composed when he was deaf, is full of emotions, it has a beautiful Polka, gorgeous cantabile passages, so the fact that we were able to play these two composers, who were moreover complemented by Dvořák, during one evening, brought us great pleasure

Leoš Čepický, violinist, leader of the Wihan Quartet

We were really happy to accept the invitation to the IMF Český Krumlov. We consider it to be a very prestigious festival. The audience in Český Krumlov created a wonderful atmosphere, I believe that it understood our Carmen. We enjoyed the concert very much.

Štefan Picúr Banyák, leader of the ensemble Gypsy Devils

One of the first performances which I rehearsed as a high school student for our local theatre was West Side Story. I was one of the Jets. West Side Story was also one of the first musicals that I saw on Broadway. Later at university I sang Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and the real challenge was when as an adult I finally plucked up the courage to learn the aria Glitter and Be Gray from Candide. I was lucky to sing that song and many other Bernstein’s masterpieces at Carnegie Hall and around the world and now at the IMF in Český Krumlov. It was a beautiful concert. Thank you.

Christiane Noll, American musical singer

Leonard Bernstein wrote so many compositions that changed the course of music as a whole. To be so far ahead, such a visionary, is a privilege of only a few. For me West Side Story is his most beautiful piece. Time has no influence on it, it will withstand everything. This is my first visit to Český Krumlov. It is a magical town and today’s concert at the Brewery Garden had a great atmosphere thanks to the environment, the weather and above all to the people.

Dee Roscioli, American musical singer

I fell for Leonard Bernstein when I was twelve. I saw West Side Story at the theatre and since that moment I dreamt of playing Tony and singing those incredible arias as the star of the performance. Unfortunately, it never happened. So, I am really delighted that I can sing some of my favourite pieces from West Side Story in one of my favourite towns ever, in Český Krumlov. I love to come back to the IMF. This is the fifth time I have come here and I simply love it here.

Hugh Panaro, American musical singer

This is the first time I have come to Český Krumlov and I must say that your International Music Festival made a great impression on me. We dedicated today’s concert to the legacy of Leonard Bernstein. I longed to meet him and work with him. When I was growing up I loved his operetta Candide, his Mass and of course West Side Story. Unfortunately, I was not able to fulfil my dream. I moved to New York for work in 1990 and he died in the same year. A few years later I was lucky enough to make friends with the Master’s daughter Jamie Bernstein and get to know his family. We cooperated on numerous concerts and projects and Jamie actually produced my album Quiet Please, on which I recorded Bernstein’s songs Lucky To Be Me and Some Other Time. It is funny what happens in the world – although I never actually met Mr. Bernstein, his children embraced me and in all my humbleness I now feel a personal relationship to his musical legacy.   

Darius de Haas, American musical singer

For me today’s concert at the IMF Český Krumlov was a recollection of the time when I was Bernstein’s pupil. You know, he was my hero. I studied conducting under him from 1989. I really respected him and learned a number of things from him. He was a great conductor as well as a great teacher. He was something like my family. The memories of him are simply unforgettable.

Randall Craig Fleischer, American conductor

We really enjoyed playing at the Masquerade Hall and playing at the IMF Český Krumlov which belongs to the most important festivals in the Czech Republic is a great honour for us. Unfortunately, not many compositions have been written for our formation, for a sextet, so for our concerts we also select compositions which I adapt. So, the audience listened to, for example, an adaptation of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella and the composition Danse rituelle du feu by Manuel de Falla. And because the repertoire for our ensemble is not too rich, we try to stimulate contemporary composers to write something directly for us. We performed the composition Pour rien by Miloš Štědroň, which the author dedicated to us, as a world premiere. The program also included a composition by author Sylvie Bodorová, who was present during the performance of her composition “Danza del diavolo”. We are really pleased about that but in front of the author of a composition we are always very nervous and wonder whether the author will like it. According to her reaction, everything went well.

Patrik Červák, leader of the ensemble Francisextet and pianist

I perceive the IMF Český Krumlov as a festival of high level and it is a great honour for me to join all those artists who perform at the festival. I love to perform at the Masquerade Hall as it is of exactly the right size for the guitar. It is interesting that when I performed here for the first time, it was some time in 2001, the hall seemed really big just for me with the guitar. But today, when I have been here several times, it seems much smaller. I don’t know why that is.

Pavel Steidl, Czech guitar virtuoso

I called the program for the IMF Český Krumlov Musical Dialogues and it contained three fields of topics about which we sang. The first were love songs, my own, or, for example, from Leoš Janáček’s collection. The second consisted of songs about time. That is looking back and remembering different important events which guided us through our history. Thus, we touched the ancient time of the roots of Great Moravia and the legacy of Cyril and Methodius, we also remembered the collector of folk songs František Sušil, from whose collections, for example, Bohuslav Martinů drew inspiration. The last field of compositions was based on a dialogue with the viewers and we played songs according to their wishes. And by one of the last songs of the evening, ‘Ach synku, synku’, loved by our first president, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, we honoured the 100^th anniversary of the foundation of our state. The audience was very receptive today and reacted excellently. We really enjoyed playing here. I love the festival in Český Krumlov. It builds bridges between music genres, it is open to other types of music than classical music, which is very good.

Jiří Pavlica, leader of the ensemble Hradišťan, singer and violinist

I have never been to Český Krumlov before but I heard from Manuel, with whom I cooperate very often, what a beautiful town it was, however, I didn’t expect it would be so fabulous. I have played with a number of important conductors and Manuel is certainly one of them. They are great conductors-artists but not all of them are able to accompany a soloist in the right way. You know, accompanying is a discipline in itself. A conductor must be very empathic, he must sideline his ego. When he conducts an orchestra with a solo instrumentalist, he shouldn’t let the ensemble drown the soloist. On the contrary, he should be able to let the soloist stand out in the correct places. And I must say that Manuel knows how to do that. When I play with him, I feel secure. We are both Spanish but the fact that you speak the same language as somebody else doesn’t mean that it will automatically be easy to cooperate with him. It is not about the language but about certain chemistry between you. You either get on, listen, understand, or not. And speaking the same language doesn’t help. It is common musical language which is important. I haven’t played anything written by him until now, but I have a fan in Spain who is Czech and recently she gave me a publication of Janáček’s piano compositions. I have already looked at it and when I have the time I will be more than happy to have a go at them. I wonder how it will go. I might come back to your festival with Janáček one day.

Javier Perianes, Spanish pianist

This is the fourth time I have come to the festival in Český Krumlov. But this performance was very special for me thanks to the program. I not only performed with an outstanding pianist, Javier Perianes, but in the second half of the concert I had the opportunity to conduct Janáček’s works. It was a great responsibility for me to play Janáček in front of a Czech audience, which knows him well. Before I met the program advisor of your festival, Luboš Herza, I conducted only Dvořák from the Czech composers. But thanks to him I learned to love also other Czech authors – Bohuslav Martinů, Leoš Janáček. For me Janáček is a combination of impressionist music in expressionist expression. And that’s what is very unique about him. In Spain we like Janáček a lot. I think it’s also because of the fact that his compositions are full of significant rhythms, which is close to the heart of the Spanish. I look forward to opening the next season with the orchestra in Malaga, of which I am the chief conductor, with both of Janáček’s compositions, the Sinfonietta and Taras Bulba. And they will play Janáček for the first time in 25 years.

Manuel Hernández-Silva, Spanish-Venezuelan conductor

I like the festival in Český Krumlov. I also visited it as a viewer. Last time I went to both concerts of trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. I have a personal memory connected with that when my wife and I started our honeymoon here in Český Krumlov. And now I am glad that I can perform at the festival as an interpreter. First at the festival overture and then in August once again with my swing program “Keep Swinging!” with my dear colleagues Dasha, Tom Gaebel, dancers from POP Balet and the Felix Slováček RTV Big Band. 

We all enjoyed the concert in Český Krumlov very much. I was really happy to get the invitation to such an important music festival as the IMF Český Krumlov. I think that even the younger Czech audience has reached a stage when they are starting to listen to swing and starting to go to concerts of this music. When I looked into the auditorium in Český Krumlov it was proof of that. It was an amazing multigenerational audience.

Jan Smigmator, swing singer

I believe the last time I performed here at the IMF in Český Krumlov was four years ago. This year it was with a swing program and I am happy that although swing is music of an older “date of birth”, young musicians dedicate themselves to it and that it is still able to find its listeners. And such great listeners as those who came to today’s concert at the Brewery Garden!

Dasha, multigenre singer

I cooperated with Jan Smigmator as well as with the Felix Slováček Big Band on the project Sinatrology in 2015. It is very important, when you make music like swing, for a band which really knows this genre to stand by you and I can say this about the Felix Slováček RTV Big Band a hundred percent. I met Dasha for the first time today and I believe that we got on perfectly. This is the first time I have come to Český Krumlov and I am impressed by the charm of this town and this garden where the concert was held and which conjured up a beautiful summer atmosphere for the swing evening.

Tom Gaebel, German swing singer

I have been cooperating with Jan Smigmator since 2015, when we made the Sinatrology project together. I of course know the festival in Český Krumlov but I am not sure if in the twenty-seven years of its existence I have actually performed there. Anyhow, I am glad that we both made it in time and I performed here with the Keep Swinging! program. The audience was fantastic, we really enjoyed playing here.  

Felix Slováček, clarinettist and bandmaster

It was a pleasant surprise that the IMF invited us to Český Krumlov again after only a year. It is an honour for us and singing at the Church of Corpus Christi and the Grieving Virgin Mary is always a great joy thanks to its beautiful acoustics. We had the opportunity to present a varied repertoire there, which was closely connected to the personality of monarch Charles IV and which actually suits this venue also in terms of the time period.

David Eben, leader of the ensemble Schola Gregoriana Pragensis

I have already performed at the IMF twice. The first time at the beautiful Masquerade Hall where I played the 24 capriccios by Niccola Paganini and the second time it was also a solo evening where I played Bach’s compositions. This time I performed with an orchestra, the outstanding Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra. We performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, which belongs to the repertoire of every violinist. I have been playing it since my youth but I keep on discovering something new in it. It is great to have the opportunity to give a concert in such an impressive place where you can actually breathe history as Český Krumlov is. Coming back to the Czech Republic also has a personal meaning for me because my grandmother was Czech, she came from Jablonec and Nisou. She also played the violin, she was actually the first musician in our family and I now continue in her footsteps. The fact that I give concerts in the Czech Republic is almost moving for me. Next time I would like to stay a little longer to be able to see more of everything here.   

Tanja Becker-Bender, German violinist

Today’s concert as part of the IMF Český Krumlov was actually a small celebration of our thirty common years which we are celebrating as a band this year. The band has become younger, the new boys also brought new energy so we are really happy about the new connection. We played songs from our new album Nadechnutí with Martina Parlová and Kumpan’s musicians. It was an honour for us to play here at the IMF in Český Krumlov. This is the first time we have come here and we are always happy to come back. Among other festivals we consider the one in Český Krumlov to be a fabulous and prestigious event.

František Černý, frontman of the Čechomor band

After twenty years I had the opportunity to see Lúčnica again and it was great. I know the Čechomor band very well, I made my film Year of the Devil with them. Today they played songs from their new album which I have listened to many times and today I could finally enjoy it live. The brass section performed by Vlado Kumpan Brass Music by which the sound of the band was extended this time was amazing. It is a different type of brass music.

Petr Zelenka, film director

This is the first time I have come to the festival in Český Krumlov and it has made a great impression on me. It is brilliantly organized. The closing evening was a dignified celebration of the 100^th anniversary of our republic. The program of the concert was superbly conceived. We saw and listened to representatives of three regions – Moravia, Silesia and Bohemia. I will definitely be happy to come back to the festival. 

Zdeněk Maryška, actor

Dear friends,

My greetings to the International Music Festival Český Krumlov have become a pleasant summer tradition for me. This year it is for the first time that I address you in my new five-year term of office.

I am really glad that the organizers did not forget about the fact that we are in the jubilee year. A hundred years have passed since our country gained freedom. A hundred years have passed since the fantastic moments when an independent Czechoslovak state originated, a great achievement of the tireless efforts of T. G. Masaryk, Dr. E. Beneš and M. R. Štefánik.

The Czechoslovak Republic followed up on the traditions of the distinctive Czech statehood. It is not by chance that the Prague Castle is called the seat of Czech kings, Czechoslovak and Czech presidents. Therefore, let us remember that a hundred years ago the independent state did not originate from nothing, suddenly and as a sort of novelty. The Czech statehood has experienced a thousand years of winss, losses, fights and peaceful development.

Music is the most amazing means of expressing joy, sadness, humbleness and respect towards our ancestors, fighters for freedom and builders of the statehood. So, when you visit one of the concerts which the organizers of the International Music Festival Český Krumlov have prepared, remember, dear friends, the 100^th anniversary of the independence of our country. And while quietly absorbing the lovely tones think of the fact that freedom must not be taken for granted. That we must fight for it every day.

Yours sincerely

Dear friends of good music,

It was a great honour for me to take over the auspices of this year’s International Music Festival Český Krumlov. These are not just empty words – music has accompanied me and also my entire family throughout my life, it brings ever more precious moments of relaxation and the opportunity to forget about the worries of political life at least for a moment. Especially when performed by outstanding interpreters, and there are more than enough of them in Český Krumlov every year. Besides that, the organizers have been able to naturally combine several music genres at one festival, from the history till the present, so everyone will find something that is close to his ear and heart. All that is then crowned by the unique atmosphere of Český Krumlov – what else could we wish for… In my case to find some time to personally enjoy at least a part of the rich programme. I wish the organizers and the visitors favourable weather – and to all of you the most pleasant musical experiences.

Dear visitors to the International Music Festival Český Krumlov,

I think it was a fortunate idea of the founders of the festival to connect the magical environment of Český Krumlov with classical music. There are few places in our country where we will find such a unique environment of the historical centre of town, which every year attracts thousands of visitors who can admire the mastery of ancient builders. And not only that. They can also visit other sights in South Bohemia and thus help their development. From that point of view the music festival in Český Krumlov is irreplaceable and the fact that this year its 27^th year will take place only confirms that this festival has become an integral part of the cultural life of South Bohemia and the entire country.

Let me wish you a beautiful artistic experience and let me express my humble wish – I hope that some other time I will be able to join those thousands of visitors to this music feast and listen to one of the concerts with the irreproducible backdrop of the historical town of Český Krumlov.

I am a regular visitor of the festival. The opening evening was a beautiful invitation to the rest of this year’s festival program and it culminated superbly. Also, the closing evening was full of beautiful performances. The band Čechomor and Lúčnica are popular ensembles. Thanks to Lúčnica we were able to remember Slovakia, with which we were one state in the past. I am taking away a very nice experience.

Milan Štěch, chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

I have come to the IMF in Český Krumlov for the first time. I visited the musical and closing concert and I am taking away beautiful experiences. I think it was not only me who was impressed but also other viewers. As a native of Olomouc, I am glad that also Military Music Olomouc performed at the closing evening but I also enjoyed the performance of Lúčnica and Čechomor. I consider the idea to connect these three ensembles in one evening and thus celebrate 100 years since the founding of the republic to be very successful. The festival has a tradition, its loyal viewers and I am really glad that it exists with the support of the state, the region and the town.

Antonín Staněk, minister of culture of the Czech Republic

I visited the International Music Festival in the past but this is the first time I have attended the opening evening. I was delighted by its concept. The evening was an interesting overview of many genres. I am looking forward to coming back to Český Krumlov for the concert dedicated to Leonard Bernstein. 

Adam Vojtěch, minister of health of the Czech Republic

I have visited the IMF in Český Krumlov for the first time and I really liked the program selection for the opening concert which connected different genres. It was a varied selection of music genres from which everybody can choose according to personal taste. I liked the visualization, the illumination of musical numbers which were performed today. I have never seen a similar combination of music and visual effects. And last but not least I was delighted by the venue of the Český Krumlov castle garden where the concert was staged and which added unique magic to the concert.

Kateřina Kalistová, deputy of the Ministry of Culture for the management of the live art section

The International Music Festival Český Krumlov 2018 will certainly prepare many unforgettable experiences for plenty of viewers who will visit Český Krumlov thanks to this musical phenomenon also this year. I hope that our town will also be a delight for the musicians performing there. The organizers have prepared a wide range of genres for this year. This year everyone who loves music will find the right evening for him or her which will be indelibly recorded in the summer diaries. An experience of beautiful music enhanced by the exteriors and interiors of our town will enrich the soul of all those involved.

This year the organizers will present new ideas. The official opening will take place at the Summer Riding Hall. Here we will be put in the right mood for the entire festival and we will look forward to magnificent opera arias at the Brewery Garden next day. Let us only hope that the weather will be favourable.

I am glad that the Czech-Slovak Evening is part of the festival program. This year we are celebrating 100 years since the foundation of an independent state for Czechs, Slovaks and other ethnic groups living within the borders of our beautiful country at the time. Many things have happened in those 100 years. We would prefer to forget some of them but even those are part of our history. The foundation of an independent state should remain firmly in our memories. All of us will certainly enjoy this evening with Czech and Slovak music and food.   

I wish the oganizers success and beautiful weather. And above all I would like to thank everybody for preparing another year of the festival. I wish the viewers unforgettable musical experiences which the festival will bring and may they leave Český Krumlov in a good mood.

The organizers prepared a completely new format of the official opening for us this year. The program was superbly directed and full of ideas. The evening had its original charm. It motivated me to visit other concerts which the festival offers this year.   

I really liked the musical evening with Leonard Bernstein’s music and I was delighted with the concert of pianist Javier Perianes. That evening also Janáček, who might be a bit heavy for some, was played. The Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra under the leadership of Manuel Hernandez-Silva gave an excellent performance. I also praise the program advisor for an excellent idea how to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of our state with the closing evening. I am also pleased by the fact that at the concerts which I visited this year I saw a lot of people from Český Krumlov. This is a sign that they like the festival and visit it.  

Dalibor Carda, mayor of Český Krumlov

The partnership between Kooperativa insurance company and the IMF Český Krumlov has been making sense for over twenty years. In the past quarter of a century the IMF has become a unique and very important cultural event. The festival has a traditional, strong and loyal partner in us and we? We are proud and we have a good feeling that we support something so beautiful and unique and cooperate so that real stars and gems of contemporary music can come to Český Krumlov.

Martin Diviš, CEO of Kooperativa insurance company

The International Music Festival Český Krumlov belongs to cultural events which proudly represent us in Europe. This event is a combination of famous names of the music scene, the genius loci of the place and also great organization. This year I certainly won’t miss the closing CZECH-SLOVAK EVENING, where as part of the celebration of the 100^th birthday of our state the popular band Čechomor with guest singer Martina Partlová and Slovak artistic ensemble Lúčnica will perform.

Marek Singer, CEO of FTV Prima

The opening evening offered a dynamic selection of musical genres which will gradually be presented during the following three weeks at the IMF Český Krumlov. I really liked the performance of the ensemble Schola Gregoriana Pragensis and swing interpreted by Jan Smigmator.

Jan Kalina, chairman of the board of directors of Čeps, a.s.

I haven’t had the opportunity to visit Český Krumlov yet but even after 27 years of my international career I still enjoy discovering new places and new audiences. I am looking forward to performing in the summer atmosphere of the apparently beautiful town under the open skies and to meeting the audience in Český Krumlov, besides that I will sing with my wonderful colleague and good friend Ramón Vargas. I really like to sing with him, he is one of my favourite tenors. And we will perform with the PKF – Prague Philharmonia, with which I cooperated at the end of last year in Prague when I was recording my new solo album of verist arias, which will be released in autumn this year under the name Eternamente (Forever) by Warner Classics & Erato. I hope you will not miss it and you will be curious about what I have prepared for you.

I am proud of the fact that I had the opportunity to sing at the festival in Český Krumlov with Ramón. Years ago we started our international opera career together. We have been friends for nearly thirty years and friendship in the world of opera is something really rare and I am very grateful for it.

Angela Gheorghiu, Romanian soprano

The performance in Český Krumlov belongs to the most beautiful experiences in my career. Six years ago I had the honour to sing at the twentieth year of the International Music Festival and now I am coming back to inaugurate the twenty-sixth year with my wonderful colleague Angela Gheorghiu. It is an incredible place and the quality of the festival and of the concerts in very high. That’s why I am very happy to come back.

Ramón Vargas, Mexican tenor  

I performed in Český Krumlov six years ago and now once again I have realized what a unique and magical place it was. It is one of the few places in the world where the charm of nature and the beauty of historic sights are wedded. And even this time the atmosphere in the auditorium and on the stage together with an excellent orchestra, the PKF – Prague Philharmonia, was beautiful in spite of the weather which forced us to leave the stage ahead of time. I believe that I will come back.

Ramón Vargas, Mexican tenor       

I am incredibly happy that I got the opportunity to appear at this festival. I chose Mendelssohn’s violin concerto because it fits into the whole program beautifully. It is a sort of sunny music, the audience likes it and it is suitable for a festival summer evening such as this one. The atmosphere at the concert was very pleasant, the audience here showed me its favour. I cooperated with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra for the first time and I really enjoyed playing with them. And when I add the breathtaking beauty of the town of Český Krumlov and first-class organization of the festival, what else could I wish for.

Maria Solozobova, Russian violinist

Today’s concert marked the end of my season this year and I have to say that it was a great ending with Dvořák played by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. I am also delighted by the level of the festival and by the beautiful historic backdrop of the town where it is held.

Conrad van Alphen, conductor

We know the spaces of the Church of Corpus Christi and the Grieving Virgin Mary, we have already had the opportunity to perform there a few times and we are always happy to come back. I would say that this concert is ideal for the kind of music which we do. Its acoustics are not too long and for polyphony, which must take reverberation into account, it is very helpful and also makes it possible for listeners to sort of interconnect with our voices.

Petr Eben, artistic leader of the ensemble Schola Gregoriana Pragensis

A fantastic audience, a great hall with beautiful acoustics, which carried the sound of our quartet beautifully.” About the selected program she said the following, “All the three works which we played are closely connected in terms of time. They were written within a period of about fifteen years. The most serious of them is probably Mozart’s quartet, which is called ‘Dissonance’. In it Mozart used very unusual sequences for the time, which then appear in Romanticism. Haydn’s quartet is on the contrary playful, already its subtitle ‘Nightingale’ suggests a lot. An interesting thing is that Mozart wrote his quartet before his predecessor Haydn and dedicated it to Haydn. And Beethoven’s quartet is his relatively early opus, op. 59. Every time we receive an invitation to the festival from Český Krumlov, we are very happy to come. Last time we played here three years ago. It is a joy for us. We loved playing here. The response of the audience was perfect. We had a feeling that we were able to communicate with the audience superbly.

Helena Jiříkovská, first violinist of the Škampa Quartet

This is the third time I have been here and I wish I could come here more often. Not only because it is a beautiful and charming town but also because of the fantastic festival audience. It is always a great pleasure for me. I played in Prague much more often but perhaps I prefer playing in smaller towns because every concert, every performance is a great event here. They are not spoilt by an ample and year-round offer of concerts here. Music is my religion and Bach’s suites are the Bible. No matter how long you have been playing, how hard you train, you will never get close to the core of that music. I always at least try to do so, it is a hard challenge but also a big satisfaction. I feel that the audience appreciates it. Some organizers are worried that this music is too complicated for their audience. In my opinion it is not really true because it always depends on how a person interprets it. When you play at an intellectual level, then you need intellectual listeners, but when you play with your heart, everybody who has a heart will appreciate it and it doesn’t have to be a big musical connoisseur.

I have to say that today the weather really gave me a hard time as it affected the climate in the hall. The stage felt like a swimming pool. And I am not a good swimmer, let alone on the stage. Not only was I sweating but so was my cello which I had to wipe during the performance so that my fingers didn’t slip on the strings.

Mischa Maisky, cellist

I really enjoyed the performance with Mischa Maisky, we met for the first time. The atmosphere at the festival is great. The town is full of tourists even from my country. The environment here is very pleasant. I am really glad that we played Brahms. It is beautiful, deep and moving music.

Chulhee Yoon, South Korea pianist

We are really glad that we performed our program at the Masquerade Hall of the Renaissance Český Krumlov Chateau. In our imagination we were able to go back in time, together with the viewers, to the Renaissance Venice of Claudio Monteverdi. It was in the Venetian palaces that this music of new madrigals was played. We were really impressed by the attentive audience. We would like to thank the festival for the invitation to these spaces and atmosphere. As an artist I have already performed at the festival with the sisterly ensemble Collegium Marianum but this was the first time for my Cappella Mariana ensemble. I believe that Monteverdi was a timeless composer. In his madrigal works he was a master of affect as he was able to express the pain resulting from unrequited love or, on the contrary, the joy resulting from requited love, which were the main themes of these compositions. As far as his compositional sequences are concerned, he basically used the harmony of the 20^th century. As a singer I would certainly highlight the composer’s incredible feel for the language and its use in music. He really helped the singers by that and wrote it so to say for their tongue.

Vojtěch Semerád, artistic leader of the ensemble Cappella Mariana

It comes from old folk music. It is full of emotions you can identify with. And of course it offers strong melodies, because of which people listen to it. We came back to Český Krumlov after 11 years and we were very happy to do so. It is like a fairy tale here. I hope that today we brought plenty of joy and entertainment to the viewers.

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, singer, violinist and frontwoman of Altan

It was a great honour and joy for me to play in such an extremely beautiful town as Český Krumlov and in such a pleasant and acoustically favourable hall known as the Masquerade Hall. I like Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons a lot. They are basically musical poems. Vivaldi added verses to the compositions, which are about the beauties of the country, and transferred them into the score.

Da Yoon You, South Korean violinist

It is great that South Bohemia has such an international music festival of such renown in a beautiful town as Český Krumlov, which increases the attractiveness and popularity of classical music, as well as this region, which deserves it. I believe and I hope that the festival will continue to thrive. And we will always be happy to get an invitation. Da Yoon You is an excellent violinist, he has a very natural expression, great control over the instrument and clear interpretation so accompanying him was a very pleasant experience. I wish him that he may continue to be successful and perhaps we will meet on stage again one day. The selected program was a sort of ‘the best of Baroque’ and I mean this in the positive sense of the word. The audience heard other Baroque evergreens. We really played today’s program with appetite. It is beautiful and lively music and I think that also the response of the audience corresponded to the energy of the music which we presented to them.

Jan Talich, chief conductor of the South Czech Philharmonic

The fact that we were asked to add another concert by the organizers was very pleasant for us. And it is actually a very pleasant thing that the adverse weather, because of which the second concert was moved from the Kooperativa Garden to the Castle Riding Hall due to the rain, gave us the opportunity to try and perform on two festival stages. And so we enjoyed two completely different and very beautiful venues and atmospheres. Therefore we are taking a double load of impressions home with us.

Radka Fišarová, singer

I am really happy about the concert. It was a great pleasure to play here with professor Matoušek. I have seen the program of the entire festival, every concert and the artists who perform here are an incredible line-up so the atmosphere here must be brilliant thanks to that.

Jakub Junek, violinist

It was a pleasure to play here because the audience which came to see us was fantastic. The atmosphere was really excellent. The only thing was that it rained in the second half, humidity rose in the hall and our fingers slipped on the strings but I hope that nobody could tell. I come back to the festival quite regularly and I really like it. I believe that it is one of the festivals which suit me a lot. I always enjoy playing here and I play with joy. The artists who meet here are of very high standard and when I can count myself as one of them together with my amazing student, who is actually now my colleague, Jakub Junek, it is even more joyous. It was a very nice return for me.

Bohuslav Matoušek, violinist and violist

It was a great pleasure for me to perform with this orchestra, their performance was brilliant. I am glad that I was able to appear here, at this important festival, at which really famous names perform. The reception of the audience was very warm. I also appreciate the work of the organizers who have made it possible for this festival to be held for twenty-six years. I know what I am talking about. I organized a festival in Dubrovnik for twelve years myself. It was more chamber-like than this festival in Český Krumlov, so I know what a demanding task it is and how much work it requires.

Julian Rachlin, Lithuanian violinist and conductor

It is really beautiful here – an inspirational hall, great orchestra and the audience was absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately, we haven’t had much time to see the town, about which we have heard a lot, but I hope that we will manage to do so.

Sarah McElravy, Canadian violist

Today’s concert was fantastic. The energy of the audience was incredibly energizing. I will surely remember today’s show for a very long time, it is one of the best which the four of us have experienced on stage. It was an honour for me to be part of it. This is my first time here, as opposed to my three colleagues, and I have to say that Český Krumlov made a great impression on me. The people were incredibly nice. I went to see the town and the castle and it was phenomenal.

Chloe Lowery, American singer

What a party it was today! This year’s program was full of contrasts. The first half consisted of Broadway’s golden classics – musicals from the 30s till the 50s. After the intermission we once again ‘whooped it up’ and sang classic rock and pop from the 70s and 80s – Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Whitney Houston. Every time we come here, the reaction of the audience is bigger and warmer. We can feel that some of those present already know us and actually come to see us. This is the fourth or fifth time we have been here and it is still not enough.

Capathia Jenkins, Rob Evan and Hugh Panaro – American singers

We are absolutely enthralled. It was an experience. And from the never-ending ovations it is clear how much the people liked it. We experienced the same joy on stage as the audience did in the auditorium. The people had their hands up in the air and really encouraged us. The festival in Český Krumlov simply has a great atmosphere.

Naďa Wepperová, Alena Průchová and Adam Koubek – vocalists

In terms of emotions this concert was very intense for me. I chose compositions in which Maurice André, my big role model, excelled and with which he achieved the greatest fame. I have been listening to them intensely since I was seven and I have great respect for the perfect art of this master. I know that I will never be able to play like he did. Maurice André is an idol for me. This year I am coming back to the festival once again next week on Saturday for the closing evening so this time I will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful festival atmosphere in Český Krumlov to the full.

Marek Zvolánek , trumpeter

I enjoyed playing the organ. The local organ is important even on a world-wide scale. It comes from 1682 and therefore it is one of the oldest in our country and perhaps also in Central Europe. It has been preserved in the original state. As it is such a historical instrument, it brings certain limitations, for example, in the number of keys and stops. The repertoire which can be played on it is therefore somewhat limited, for example, Romantic literature or contemporary music cannot be played on it, but in spite of that playing this organ was a great experience for me.

Pavel Svoboda, organist

Even though the guitar does not have the tone range of the piano, which is originally played in the compositions, and it cannot produce the same sound either, the delicateness of the tone of the guitar highlights the intimate character of the selected compositions. For me the cello and the guitar are two instruments which complement one another superbly. They have a similar range and timbre so from my point of view they get on very well together. It is actually my favourite combination as far as chamber music is concerned. Gradually we try to expand our program with Petr so, besides the classical repertoire such as Vivaldi, Schubert, Tchaikovsky and others, we have started to include less famous authors at concerts, for example, like Gnattali today, and thus we open new horizons for the listeners. For me, it is always great to play at the festival in Český Krumlov. I believe this my third time. The audience is always attentive here, the hall is beautiful, so I love to come back and I hope this is not the last time we have met.

Miriam Rodriguez Brüllová, guitarist

It was a pleasure to play here also because we played for an erudite audience, so we felt the feedback. I was glad that I had the opportunity to introduce the different compositions in the program with a few words. It is a sort of bonus. The viewers learn something more about the compositions and I enjoy such ‘hosting’ of our concerts very much. I was afraid that it would be very hot in the hall, the outside temperature reached 38 degrees today, but it wasn’t so and the climate at the Masquerade Hall was bearable in the end. For me the concert was fantastic and I will have great memories of it.

Petr Nouzovský, cellist

It was the essence of the most beautiful pieces which Czech trio literature has to offer. Both Suk’s early Piano Trio Op. 2 and of course Antonín Dvořák’s ‘Dumky’, which are a masterpiece of trio literature. And Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor is the flagship of the Czech trio repertoire. The atmosphere of the beautiful Masquerade Hall enhanced the musical impressions even further. It was an experience for us, we would say both cultural and physical because playing such a big program in such heat was rather demanding but nevertheless we played it with great appetite. Tonight’s audience was great and everything fitted in nicely – we, the viewers, the festival. It is a great inspiration for our future activities.

Jitka Čechová and Jan Páleníček, pianist and cellist of the Smetana Trio

I am impressed by the beautiful environment of the castle, the town and the entire festival. It was really nice to play here, there was good harmony among us. I was glad that I could feel that the viewers enjoyed it with us, they absorbed the atmosphere, they were touched, it was something that was so comprehensible for them that they perceived every second very strongly.

Jiří Vodička, violinist of the Smetana Trio

We really looked forward to coming to Český Krumlov. This concert is very important for us as it is an outstanding festival and it is also a Czech premiere for us in this line-up. We play our own ‘Janoska style’. It was our vision to create something new, to approach classical music compositions in our own way. Our repertoire is based on classical music but because we were lead to improvisation from our childhood, these popular and well-known compositions are affected by it. Our main inspiration is the audience. The concert is over and rather than being exhausted we are full of energy! We could stay here for another month and play every night. The audience reacted to everything, from improvisation to my talking and jokes. We got all these ideas directly on the stage so it was absolutely spontaneous.

Frantisek Janoska, pianist of the Janoska Ensemble

I have known the ‘Janoskas’ for about twenty years. Our parents were friends. I love their style thanks to which they are able to deal with well-known composition elegantly and interpret them in their own way.

Daniel Serafin, baritone

If you get the opportunity to conduct Verdi’s Requiem in your life, whether it is the first time or whether you have done so several times, on the one hand it represents great expectations and anticipation, and on the other hand enormous respect. It is one of the biggest vocal-instrumental pieces which have ever been written. We played at the Brewery Garden, which might not seem to be the appropriate place for performing this composition. It was written primarily for a cathedral but it is also regularly played at concert halls or in open-air productions. Verdi’s Requiem is great Romanticism. In it Verdi is broadly orchestral, generously instrumental, it contains big solo performances, enormous orchestral and choir areas, figuratively said, it stretches as a wide arch of a big cathedral.

Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor

After Verdi’s Requiem I always have uplifting feelings. It is such a sacred composition. For us, opera singers, his Requiem is like a gateway to music. Whenever I have the opportunity to sing his Requiem, I am grateful for it. As opposed, for example, to Mozart’s Requiem, it is not performed that often, so it is a feast. Today I performed at the Český Krumlov festival for the first time and it was a special experience as we sang in the open air. The open-air atmosphere gave completely different dimensions to today’s performance to the ones which I experienced during more common productions at a concert hall. Music is perceived in a different way in nature. I am taking away a great experience.

Terézia Kružlianková, Slovakian mezzosoprano

I haven’t had the opportunity to visit Český Krumlov yet but even after 27 years of my international career I still enjoy discovering new places and new audiences. I am looking forward to performing in the summer atmosphere of the apparently beautiful town under the open skies and to meeting the audience in Český Krumlov, besides that I will sing with my wonderful colleague and good friend Ramón Vargas. I really like to sing with him, he is one of my favourite tenors. And we will perform with the PKF – Prague Philharmonia, with which I cooperated at the end of last year in Prague when I was recording my new solo album of verist arias, which will be released in autumn this year under the name Eternamente (Forever) by Warner Classics & Erato. I hope you will not miss it and you will be curious about what I have prepared for you.

I am proud of the fact that I had the opportunity to sing at the festival in Český Krumlov with Ramón. Years ago we started our international opera career together. We have been friends for nearly thirty years and friendship in the world of opera is something really rare and I am very grateful for it.

Angela Gheorghiu, Romanian soprano

The performance in Český Krumlov belongs to the most beautiful experiences in my career. Six years ago I had the honour to sing at the twentieth year of the International Music Festival and now I am coming back to inaugurate the twenty-sixth year with my wonderful colleague Angela Gheorghiu. It is an incredible place and the quality of the festival and of the concerts in very high. That’s why I am very happy to come back.

Ramón Vargas, Mexican tenor  

I performed in Český Krumlov six years ago and now once again I have realized what a unique and magical place it was. It is one of the few places in the world where the charm of nature and the beauty of historic sights are wedded. And even this time the atmosphere in the auditorium and on the stage together with an excellent orchestra, the PKF – Prague Philharmonia, was beautiful in spite of the weather which forced us to leave the stage ahead of time. I believe that I will come back.

Ramón Vargas, Mexican tenor       

I am incredibly happy that I got the opportunity to appear at this festival. I chose Mendelssohn’s violin concerto because it fits into the whole program beautifully. It is a sort of sunny music, the audience likes it and it is suitable for a festival summer evening such as this one. The atmosphere at the concert was very pleasant, the audience here showed me its favour. I cooperated with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra for the first time and I really enjoyed playing with them. And when I add the breathtaking beauty of the town of Český Krumlov and first-class organization of the festival, what else could I wish for.

Maria Solozobova, Russian violinist

Today’s concert marked the end of my season this year and I have to say that it was a great ending with Dvořák played by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. I am also delighted by the level of the festival and by the beautiful historic backdrop of the town where it is held.

Conrad van Alphen, conductor

We know the spaces of the Church of Corpus Christi and the Grieving Virgin Mary, we have already had the opportunity to perform there a few times and we are always happy to come back. I would say that this concert is ideal for the kind of music which we do. Its acoustics are not too long and for polyphony, which must take reverberation into account, it is very helpful and also makes it possible for listeners to sort of interconnect with our voices.

Petr Eben, artistic leader of the ensemble Schola Gregoriana Pragensis

A fantastic audience, a great hall with beautiful acoustics, which carried the sound of our quartet beautifully.” About the selected program she said the following, “All the three works which we played are closely connected in terms of time. They were written within a period of about fifteen years. The most serious of them is probably Mozart’s quartet, which is called ‘Dissonance’. In it Mozart used very unusual sequences for the time, which then appear in Romanticism. Haydn’s quartet is on the contrary playful, already its subtitle ‘Nightingale’ suggests a lot. An interesting thing is that Mozart wrote his quartet before his predecessor Haydn and dedicated it to Haydn. And Beethoven’s quartet is his relatively early opus, op. 59. Every time we receive an invitation to the festival from Český Krumlov, we are very happy to come. Last time we played here three years ago. It is a joy for us. We loved playing here. The response of the audience was perfect. We had a feeling that we were able to communicate with the audience superbly.

Helena Jiříkovská, first violinist of the Škampa Quartet

This is the third time I have been here and I wish I could come here more often. Not only because it is a beautiful and charming town but also because of the fantastic festival audience. It is always a great pleasure for me. I played in Prague much more often but perhaps I prefer playing in smaller towns because every concert, every performance is a great event here. They are not spoilt by an ample and year-round offer of concerts here. Music is my religion and Bach’s suites are the Bible. No matter how long you have been playing, how hard you train, you will never get close to the core of that music. I always at least try to do so, it is a hard challenge but also a big satisfaction. I feel that the audience appreciates it. Some organizers are worried that this music is too complicated for their audience. In my opinion it is not really true because it always depends on how a person interprets it. When you play at an intellectual level, then you need intellectual listeners, but when you play with your heart, everybody who has a heart will appreciate it and it doesn’t have to be a big musical connoisseur.

I have to say that today the weather really gave me a hard time as it affected the climate in the hall. The stage felt like a swimming pool. And I am not a good swimmer, let alone on the stage. Not only was I sweating but so was my cello which I had to wipe during the performance so that my fingers didn’t slip on the strings.

Mischa Maisky, cellist

I really enjoyed the performance with Mischa Maisky, we met for the first time. The atmosphere at the festival is great. The town is full of tourists even from my country. The environment here is very pleasant. I am really glad that we played Brahms. It is beautiful, deep and moving music.

Chulhee Yoon, South Korea pianist

We are really glad that we performed our program at the Masquerade Hall of the Renaissance Český Krumlov Chateau. In our imagination we were able to go back in time, together with the viewers, to the Renaissance Venice of Claudio Monteverdi. It was in the Venetian palaces that this music of new madrigals was played. We were really impressed by the attentive audience. We would like to thank the festival for the invitation to these spaces and atmosphere. As an artist I have already performed at the festival with the sisterly ensemble Collegium Marianum but this was the first time for my Cappella Mariana ensemble. I believe that Monteverdi was a timeless composer. In his madrigal works he was a master of affect as he was able to express the pain resulting from unrequited love or, on the contrary, the joy resulting from requited love, which were the main themes of these compositions. As far as his compositional sequences are concerned, he basically used the harmony of the 20^th century. As a singer I would certainly highlight the composer’s incredible feel for the language and its use in music. He really helped the singers by that and wrote it so to say for their tongue.

Vojtěch Semerád, artistic leader of the ensemble Cappella Mariana

It comes from old folk music. It is full of emotions you can identify with. And of course it offers strong melodies, because of which people listen to it. We came back to Český Krumlov after 11 years and we were very happy to do so. It is like a fairy tale here. I hope that today we brought plenty of joy and entertainment to the viewers.

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, singer, violinist and frontwoman of Altan

It was a great honour and joy for me to play in such an extremely beautiful town as Český Krumlov and in such a pleasant and acoustically favourable hall known as the Masquerade Hall. I like Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons a lot. They are basically musical poems. Vivaldi added verses to the compositions, which are about the beauties of the country, and transferred them into the score.

Da Yoon You, South Korean violinist

It is great that South Bohemia has such an international music festival of such renown in a beautiful town as Český Krumlov, which increases the attractiveness and popularity of classical music, as well as this region, which deserves it. I believe and I hope that the festival will continue to thrive. And we will always be happy to get an invitation. Da Yoon You is an excellent violinist, he has a very natural expression, great control over the instrument and clear interpretation so accompanying him was a very pleasant experience. I wish him that he may continue to be successful and perhaps we will meet on stage again one day. The selected program was a sort of ‘the best of Baroque’ and I mean this in the positive sense of the word. The audience heard other Baroque evergreens. We really played today’s program with appetite. It is beautiful and lively music and I think that also the response of the audience corresponded to the energy of the music which we presented to them.

Jan Talich, chief conductor of the South Czech Philharmonic

The fact that we were asked to add another concert by the organizers was very pleasant for us. And it is actually a very pleasant thing that the adverse weather, because of which the second concert was moved from the Kooperativa Garden to the Castle Riding Hall due to the rain, gave us the opportunity to try and perform on two festival stages. And so we enjoyed two completely different and very beautiful venues and atmospheres. Therefore we are taking a double load of impressions home with us.

Radka Fišarová, singer

I am really happy about the concert. It was a great pleasure to play here with professor Matoušek. I have seen the program of the entire festival, every concert and the artists who perform here are an incredible line-up so the atmosphere here must be brilliant thanks to that.

Jakub Junek, violinist

It was a pleasure to play here because the audience which came to see us was fantastic. The atmosphere was really excellent. The only thing was that it rained in the second half, humidity rose in the hall and our fingers slipped on the strings but I hope that nobody could tell. I come back to the festival quite regularly and I really like it. I believe that it is one of the festivals which suit me a lot. I always enjoy playing here and I play with joy. The artists who meet here are of very high standard and when I can count myself as one of them together with my amazing student, who is actually now my colleague, Jakub Junek, it is even more joyous. It was a very nice return for me.

Bohuslav Matoušek, violinist and violist

It was a great pleasure for me to perform with this orchestra, their performance was brilliant. I am glad that I was able to appear here, at this important festival, at which really famous names perform. The reception of the audience was very warm. I also appreciate the work of the organizers who have made it possible for this festival to be held for twenty-six years. I know what I am talking about. I organized a festival in Dubrovnik for twelve years myself. It was more chamber-like than this festival in Český Krumlov, so I know what a demanding task it is and how much work it requires.

Julian Rachlin, Lithuanian violinist and conductor

It is really beautiful here – an inspirational hall, great orchestra and the audience was absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately, we haven’t had much time to see the town, about which we have heard a lot, but I hope that we will manage to do so.

Sarah McElravy, Canadian violist

Today’s concert was fantastic. The energy of the audience was incredibly energizing. I will surely remember today’s show for a very long time, it is one of the best which the four of us have experienced on stage. It was an honour for me to be part of it. This is my first time here, as opposed to my three colleagues, and I have to say that Český Krumlov made a great impression on me. The people were incredibly nice. I went to see the town and the castle and it was phenomenal.

Chloe Lowery, American singer

What a party it was today! This year’s program was full of contrasts. The first half consisted of Broadway’s golden classics – musicals from the 30s till the 50s. After the intermission we once again ‘whooped it up’ and sang classic rock and pop from the 70s and 80s – Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Whitney Houston. Every time we come here, the reaction of the audience is bigger and warmer. We can feel that some of those present already know us and actually come to see us. This is the fourth or fifth time we have been here and it is still not enough.

Capathia Jenkins, Rob Evan and Hugh Panaro – American singers

We are absolutely enthralled. It was an experience. And from the never-ending ovations it is clear how much the people liked it. We experienced the same joy on stage as the audience did in the auditorium. The people had their hands up in the air and really encouraged us. The festival in Český Krumlov simply has a great atmosphere.

Naďa Wepperová, Alena Průchová and Adam Koubek – vocalists

In terms of emotions this concert was very intense for me. I chose compositions in which Maurice André, my big role model, excelled and with which he achieved the greatest fame. I have been listening to them intensely since I was seven and I have great respect for the perfect art of this master. I know that I will never be able to play like he did. Maurice André is an idol for me. This year I am coming back to the festival once again next week on Saturday for the closing evening so this time I will have the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful festival atmosphere in Český Krumlov to the full.

Marek Zvolánek , trumpeter

I enjoyed playing the organ. The local organ is important even on a world-wide scale. It comes from 1682 and therefore it is one of the oldest in our country and perhaps also in Central Europe. It has been preserved in the original state. As it is such a historical instrument, it brings certain limitations, for example, in the number of keys and stops. The repertoire which can be played on it is therefore somewhat limited, for example, Romantic literature or contemporary music cannot be played on it, but in spite of that playing this organ was a great experience for me.

Pavel Svoboda, organist

Even though the guitar does not have the tone range of the piano, which is originally played in the compositions, and it cannot produce the same sound either, the delicateness of the tone of the guitar highlights the intimate character of the selected compositions. For me the cello and the guitar are two instruments which complement one another superbly. They have a similar range and timbre so from my point of view they get on very well together. It is actually my favourite combination as far as chamber music is concerned. Gradually we try to expand our program with Petr so, besides the classical repertoire such as Vivaldi, Schubert, Tchaikovsky and others, we have started to include less famous authors at concerts, for example, like Gnattali today, and thus we open new horizons for the listeners. For me, it is always great to play at the festival in Český Krumlov. I believe this my third time. The audience is always attentive here, the hall is beautiful, so I love to come back and I hope this is not the last time we have met.

Miriam Rodriguez Brüllová, guitarist

It was a pleasure to play here also because we played for an erudite audience, so we felt the feedback. I was glad that I had the opportunity to introduce the different compositions in the program with a few words. It is a sort of bonus. The viewers learn something more about the compositions and I enjoy such ‘hosting’ of our concerts very much. I was afraid that it would be very hot in the hall, the outside temperature reached 38 degrees today, but it wasn’t so and the climate at the Masquerade Hall was bearable in the end. For me the concert was fantastic and I will have great memories of it.

Petr Nouzovský, cellist

It was the essence of the most beautiful pieces which Czech trio literature has to offer. Both Suk’s early Piano Trio Op. 2 and of course Antonín Dvořák’s ‘Dumky’, which are a masterpiece of trio literature. And Smetana’s Piano Trio in G minor is the flagship of the Czech trio repertoire. The atmosphere of the beautiful Masquerade Hall enhanced the musical impressions even further. It was an experience for us, we would say both cultural and physical because playing such a big program in such heat was rather demanding but nevertheless we played it with great appetite. Tonight’s audience was great and everything fitted in nicely – we, the viewers, the festival. It is a great inspiration for our future activities.

Jitka Čechová and Jan Páleníček, pianist and cellist of the Smetana Trio

I am impressed by the beautiful environment of the castle, the town and the entire festival. It was really nice to play here, there was good harmony among us. I was glad that I could feel that the viewers enjoyed it with us, they absorbed the atmosphere, they were touched, it was something that was so comprehensible for them that they perceived every second very strongly.

Jiří Vodička, violinist of the Smetana Trio

We really looked forward to coming to Český Krumlov. This concert is very important for us as it is an outstanding festival and it is also a Czech premiere for us in this line-up. We play our own ‘Janoska style’. It was our vision to create something new, to approach classical music compositions in our own way. Our repertoire is based on classical music but because we were lead to improvisation from our childhood, these popular and well-known compositions are affected by it. Our main inspiration is the audience. The concert is over and rather than being exhausted we are full of energy! We could stay here for another month and play every night. The audience reacted to everything, from improvisation to my talking and jokes. We got all these ideas directly on the stage so it was absolutely spontaneous.

Frantisek Janoska, pianist of the Janoska Ensemble

I have known the ‘Janoskas’ for about twenty years. Our parents were friends. I love their style thanks to which they are able to deal with well-known composition elegantly and interpret them in their own way.

Daniel Serafin, baritone

If you get the opportunity to conduct Verdi’s Requiem in your life, whether it is the first time or whether you have done so several times, on the one hand it represents great expectations and anticipation, and on the other hand enormous respect. It is one of the biggest vocal-instrumental pieces which have ever been written. We played at the Brewery Garden, which might not seem to be the appropriate place for performing this composition. It was written primarily for a cathedral but it is also regularly played at concert halls or in open-air productions. Verdi’s Requiem is great Romanticism. In it Verdi is broadly orchestral, generously instrumental, it contains big solo performances, enormous orchestral and choir areas, figuratively said, it stretches as a wide arch of a big cathedral.

Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor

After Verdi’s Requiem I always have uplifting feelings. It is such a sacred composition. For us, opera singers, his Requiem is like a gateway to music. Whenever I have the opportunity to sing his Requiem, I am grateful for it. As opposed, for example, to Mozart’s Requiem, it is not performed that often, so it is a feast. Today I performed at the Český Krumlov festival for the first time and it was a special experience as we sang in the open air. The open-air atmosphere gave completely different dimensions to today’s performance to the ones which I experienced during more common productions at a concert hall. Music is perceived in a different way in nature. I am taking away a great experience.

Terézia Kružlianková, Slovakian mezzosoprano

Dear friends of music,

I am proud of the fact that I can once again take over the auspices of the 26th International Music Festival Český Krumlov. This fantastic event connects traditions and the heritage of past generations with the present day, because where else could you hear Baroque masters together with a Broadway musical and traditional Irish folklore? We have to thank the team of organizers, who prove that they are able to keep a very high level of the festival in the long term, for this. Last but not least we should also thank the National Heritage Institute, which is the co-organizer of this festival because the town of Český Krumlov with its state castle and chateau adds an irreproducible atmosphere to this event. Therefore I hope all the guests and interpreters will enjoy this unique festival to the full.

Bohuslav Sobotka / Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

This is the first time I have visited the International Music Festival. I regularly go to concerts throughout the year so whenever there is something interesting, I am very happy to go. And the opening concert of the IMF with Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas was such an exceptional event. It was very beautiful. Of course I am a little bit sorry that it was interrupted by the rain but the audience heard all the essential part. And I also really like today’s concert of Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra with violinist Maria Solozobova, it is held in a beautiful venue, the Castle Riding Hall, and its program is very attractive.

Ivan Pilný, Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic

This year’s festival is only my second. Last year, during my first visit, I went to see Carmina Burana and I was so fascinated by it that I had to come back to this great festival atmosphere. The festival together with this breathtaking town, which by itself only evokes positive emotions, match beautifully. The International Music Festival Český Krumlov is in some aspects completely different and better than the Prague Spring! I am convinced that I will be tempted to come back every successive year. I came to Český Krumlov for the first time when I was fifty and I immediately fell in love with it. Since then I have to come here at least once a year and connecting the visit with the IMF is a unique opportunity. The program of today’s musical evening was very interesting for me. The musicals from the 30s and 50s are not so well-known, which was also the reason why they were a pleasant surprise for me. And the second half consisting of rock hits of the 70s and 80s literally lifted me from my chair!

Miloslav Ludvík, Minister of Health of the Czech Republic

I haven’t seen the two singers sing live many times and therefore I was pleased to take the opportunity and see and hear them in Český Krumlov. Of course, I know them from different recordings but watching them live is certainly a better experience. I am a regular visitor to the International Music Festival Český Krumlov, I really like it here. I am a fan of music, I like listening to music, unfortunately I am not able to produce music so I relish it to the full at least passively as a listener. I enjoy the concerts of all the stars who are invited to Český Krumlov as it is really worth it.

Jiří Zlatuška, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

We really looked forward to today’s concert. We were impressed by both opera singers. We are a little bit sorry that we could not listen to the concert till the end but that simply happens. The organization of the concert and the festival as such was great once again and we hope that the festival will continue to be successful and that the weather will be on its side.

Anna Putnová, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

The International Music Festival Český Krumlov is a smash. It didn’t matter that it rained, the only thing which I was slightly sorry about was that I didn’t hear Rusalka. I’m really happy that we came here because we not only experienced a pleasant evening with beautiful music, but we also met our friends. It has its peculiar enchantment.

Věra Kovářová, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

Our impressions from today are unforgettable also because of the weather. Both Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas were absolutely perfect and the rain enhanced the experience even further. We will surely not forget it. The rain with the thunder and lightning added a specific and unmistakeable atmosphere to the whole concert. We spend every long weekend at the festival. What really amazed us was the brilliant performance of violinist and conductor Julian Rachlin. At the Castle Riding Hall he proved that he really belonged to the absolute top in the world. We are glad that we were also able to meet him in person after the concert when he joined the viewers and answered their questions. The meeting took place in a very pleasant atmosphere. Rachlin as well as his colleague, violist Sarah McElravy, are very nice and likeable, they are humble and they had a very interesting talk with the viewers. 

František Adámek, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

I only have the best experiences from the first two concerts of this year’s 26^th year of the IMF. Although the opening concert was disturbed by the rain, it did not influence my impressions negatively. The atmosphere of the evening was beautiful. One always realizes what a privilege it is to be able to see such top-class interpreters with the backdrop of the beautiful architecture of Český Krumlov and with the excellent organization of the festival. I saw Vargas six years ago when he performed in Český Krumlov for the first time and this year he proved that with him it is always a unique artistic encounter. I heard Gheorghiu for the first time today. Of course I knew what she meant for the classical music world and what an extraordinary star she was. It was fantastic to see her and hear her live. Both days spent at the festival were like a present for me, better than Father Christmas.

Miriam Němcová, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

I am really glad that after a year I am once again present at the most beautiful music festival in the Czech Republic. And I believe that this is true not only for the Czech Republic but for the whole region of Central Europe. This is evidenced not only by those twenty-five successful years of this festival but also by the number of stars of world format who regularly appear at the festival and last but not least by the great favour of the visitors. The IMF is the family silver of the Czech culture and family silver must be protected and increased in number.

This opening concert surpassed my expectations. I was absolutely delighted with the first half. Of course I knew that both interpreters were of world format but what I experienced here today exceeded what I had heard about them. I am fully satisfied. And if the whole twenty-sixth year of the IMF will continue in this spirit, it will be a fantastic festival year. I hope that I will manage to visit some other concerts from the program offer by 5^th August, when the festival finishes. After all, I regularly go to South Bohemia so all I have to do is choose. Last year I took part in the festival for the first time and it made such an impression on me that nowadays I am its regular visitor. I wish lots of luck and many satisfied viewers to the festival and I hope that the weather will be favourable.

Lukáš Kaucký, deputy of the minister of foreign affairs

I am a regular visitor to the IMF, every year we go to two or three concerts. The opening concert of Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas was beautiful. It is a pity that it could not be played till the end as I was looking forward to Rusalka’s aria under the open skies, but that’s life. The orchestra played brilliantly and bravely under these circumstances and the soloists gave all they had. We are going home with beautiful feelings. The weather was not favourable today but I trust that we won’t have any more bad weather this year and the coming open-air productions will not be influenced by adverse weather. This year I am also planning to visit the concert of musicals titled Bravo Broadway!.

Jan Zahradník, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

This is the third concert I have visited this year. Each of these was completely different. I also like classical music so the opening opera concert was a treat for me. Then I visited the concert of Radka Fišarová, who sang French chansons, which I have loved all my life, so I selected her concert from this year’s offer on purpose, and today I heard the concert titled Bravo Broadway!. Although musicals are not really my cup of tea, today’s program, which included musicals from the Golden Age of Musical Theatre of the 30s to 50s, was very pleasant for me. I won’t have to see anything else this year but I will surely not miss next year!

Ivana Stráská, governor of the South Bohemian Region

For me this evening was a great experience. This is the first time I have visited such a concert and I have to say that Gheorghiu and Vargas showed supreme art here and the twenty-sixth year could not wish for a better start than for the opening in the company of these two stars. This year we are also planning to go to the closing evening because I have heard that it would be something exceptional so I am really curious about what the organizers have prepared for the closing.

Pavel Hroch, Deputy Governor of the South Bohemian Region

My impressions are beautiful. Not even the rain ruined them. The concert had an amazing atmosphere. I come to the festival every year, always for the opening and closing concert. This year I am also really looking forward to Irish music interpreted by the group Altan, to the musicals and to the closing Night of Baroque Masters.

Antonín Krák, member of the Council of the South Bohemian Region

Every year the festival is an incredible experience for me. The offer is rich and varied. This year I visited the opening opera gala with outstanding stars Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas, who is by now well known in Český Krumlov, the Irish evening with the band Altan, which presented their Irish music authentically and superbly, there was a fantastic atmosphere during the evening of American musicals like every year, a supreme experience was the chamber concert of legendary Misha Maisky, the program of the chanson evening of Radka Fišarová as well as the concert program exclusively by Czech authors interpreted by our Smetana Trio. Nothing can replace such a beautiful musical summer at the International Music Festival Český Krumlov, it is simply a dream.

Dalibor Carda, mayor of Český Krumlov

Dear friends,

A year has passed and as tradition goes I have the honour to greet all of you on the occasion of the International Music Festival Český Krumlov, which I consider to be a great and praiseworthy endeavour.

This year I am very close to you as this salutation originated in South Bohemia, in České Budějovice. During my travels in this region I became aware of the amazing harmony there is between classical music and beautiful nature. Hills, valleys, rivers, streams, ponds, churches, villages and towns, all those are the tones of the symphony of our country. Let us appreciate beautiful music. It comes directly from our heart, it is honest and not malicious. In the present times which are often malicious and dishonest, music is really uplifting. Just as the sight of beautiful South Bohemian nature. I am really glad that the program of the International Music Festival Český Krumlov includes renowned names and as a whole offers an exceptionally broad creative palette.

I would like to thank the organizers of the festival, the artists and the visitors to the different events for having beautiful music close to their heart. Because our wonderful country will always need real enthusiasts.

Miloš Zeman / President of the Czech Republic

I believe there was no better way to end the festival. The dramaturgy of the whole evening was perfectly thought-out, during the evening we even experienced a surprise in the form of the levitation of the prince’s crown. I am really glad that we had the opportunity to walk through the entire garden until its rear part where few of us ever walk. The concert took place on a stage with Baroque set pieces which enhanced the authentic musical experience even further. A wonderful evening!

Vlasta Bohdalová, deputy of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

Kooperativa has stood by the festival from the very beginning. Whenever I come to Český Krumlov for the festival, I manage to forget about all the worries and problems and I only enjoy the beauty of music and the historical backdrop of the town.

Martin Diviš, the managing director of the general partner of the festival, Kooperativa insurance company

I really liked the opening concert of two opera stars Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas. The weather affected the second half of the evening but in spite of that the concert was beautiful and the soloists proved their excellent reputation and they were fantastic. The Brewery Garden has its peculiar enchantment for me and therefore I really like to go to the concerts held there. You must allow for a certain risk of unfavourable weather during such a production, that’s life. This year I would also really like to go to the closing compiled Baroque evening in the castle gardens. Its program as well as the venue where the organizers decided to hold it are irresistible.

Martin Diviš, the managing director of the general partner of the festival, Kooperativa insurance company

Yesterday I also visited Verdi’s Requiem in the Brewery Garden. The music explicitly invited us to stop and contemplate. It was a beautiful experience for me to hear Verdi’s music in an excellent interpretation under the open skies in the setting of Český Krumlov. The closing Baroque feast with the backdrop of the castle garden was a magnificent and perfectly organized event. I congratulate its creators. A perfect ending of the 26^th year of the International Music Festival.

Marek Singer, Chief Executive Officer of TV Prima

We assess our mutual cooperation with IMF Český Krumlov as very positive. The top-class level of the musical production very well complements the highest quality, innovativeness and last but not least excellent audio systems in our cars. We are really pleased that in the past years we had the opportunity to provide our cars to interpreters from around the world as well as the organizers. The opening opera gala concert with Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas, who will be accompanied by the Prague Philharmonia under the baton of Leoš Svárovský, really captured my attention.

Harald Hölzl, Managing Director of BMW Group Czech Republic

I have very good impressions from today’s concert. The performance by both soloists was great, they interpreted a fantastic selection of arias. I appreciate their effort and their performance in this not really ideal weather. Of course my thanks also go to the entire orchestra under the leadership of conductor Leoš Svárovský. The atmosphere of the entire concert, in spite of the rain in the second half, was perfect. I regularly go to the festival, I think this is the fifteenth time I have been here and it is great here every time. I like to come back. Just the number how many times I have been to the festival, probably says everything.

Lorenz Pronnet, executive director of the company E.ON Česká republika, s.r.o.

In the power industry we try to give emotions to things. And I believe that the rain, which was really strong in the second half of the evening, actually added more emotions to the entire evening, so I was delighted. I like the opera so I believe that I will become a regular visitor to the IMF as all of its years are inaugurated with an opera gala concert. So I look forward to coming back next year!

Martin Záklasník, managing director of E.ON Česká republika, s.r.o.

The organizers of the festival managed to achieve something exceptional. We enjoyed the concert as well as the whole compiled evening with a walk in the castle garden very much. The illumination of the garden was also magnificent and the subsequent concert with Baroque set pieces during which Baroque music was played suited the setting wonderfully. We were actually transferred into the Baroque period.  

Oldřich Černoch, director of the State Agricultural Intervention Fund

The organizers had a great idea to guide us through the castle garden accompanied by the sounds of music. It must have been difficult to organize so many visitors. We enjoyed the whole evening, which took place in a serene and pleasant atmosphere.

Ivo Hlaváč, division director of power company ČEZ

It is amazing how the final evening was prepared. I attended past years of the festival and I was really impressed by the festival closing tonight. It was a pleasant change. I was not only a conventional concert but the evening was rich with experiences, not only auditory but also visual, whether I am talking about the entire illumination of the garden, the surprising dance performance by the Baroque fountain or the levitation of the crown. Great choice!

Jiří Sýkora, member of the board of Kooperativa insurance company

I visited a total of five concerts this year and my favourite was Mischa Maisky. Today I kept my fingers crossed for the festival and hoped for good weather. I was at the opening concert so I know what the rain can do with the concert. What did not go well during the festival opening, went twice as well during the festival closing. Although I come from České Budějovice and often go to Český Krumlov, I have never been to the remote parts of the castle garden. The concept of the evening was original, I have never experienced anything similar. It had development, dynamics, we could meet our friends during the evening and tell them about our current impressions from what we had just seen and heard. It was really pleasant to spend an August evening in this way.  

Luděk Čermák, commercial director of the company ESSOX 

It was a great opportunity to assess what is happening at the Český Krumlov Castle in the long term, I mean that work has been done to revitalize the castle garden in the Baroque spirit. The garden is being gradually presented to the visitors also by means of different events including this year’s official closing of the 26^th year of the IMF, during which the garden was presented in its full extent. For me this evening was like an achieved goal after a long-term effort and at the same time it was a unique experience for me personally because the atmosphere of the concert as well as the whole evening was unique. It was clear that all those involved paid particular attention to it.  I enjoyed it on two levels. The illumination of the garden and the music which was played brought a strong emotional experience. In terms of my profession, it was a demonstration of how the entire castle garden can work for the visitors.  

I have been visiting the festival for twenty years already. I really like it. I was very impressed by this year’s closing concert. It offered Baroque music connected with the unique setting of the castle garden. We witnessed breath-taking visual effects accompanied by the sound of beautiful music.

Luboš Jedlička, former mayor of the town of Český Krumlov