Leoš Janáček International Music Festival

Leoš Janáček International Music Festival builds on the long tradition of the Janáček-themed festivals in Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region.

In 1948, the 1st annual edition of the Janáček Musical Lachia Festival took place and this became the second oldest music festival after Prague Spring in the then Czechoslovakia. In 1950, the tradition of a music festival in Ostrava was started. The name of this festival changed several times and Ostrava Music Spring and Ostrava May became Janáček’s May in 1976, to which the epithet International Music Festival was added in 1990. In Hukvaldy, the Janáček Musical Lachia Festival was replaced by a new festival called Janáček’s Hukvaldy in 1993. In spite of differences between the aforementioned festivals, their objective was the same: to promote primarily the work and ideas of Leoš Janáček and the values of classical music in general, with an emphasis on Czech music.

Based on the results and success achieved and experience gained in the aforementioned festivals, among which particularly the Janáček’s Hukvaldy International Music Festival and the Janáček’s May International Music Festival were the most significant ones in the context of the festivals organised in the Czech Republic, the single following festival was founded in 2018 by merging the festivals on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Leoš Janáček’s death: LEOŠ JANÁČEK INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL.

Festival concerts take place in Ostrava (House of Culture), Hukvaldy (birthplace of Leoš Janáček where are organised various concerts and performances in beautiful open-air venues - Hukvaldy Castle and Amphitheatre in Hukvaldy Deer Park), Opava and other towns of Moravian Silesian Region.

5 weeks of great music, Czech stars, distinguished artists and ensembles from all over the world, young raising talents, positive atmosphere and building of the new friendships, that is the modern shape of Leoš Janáček International Music Festival.