The 22nd edition of the Špilberk International Music Festival will feature a range of mesmerising live performances in the large courtyard of Špilberk Castle. The festival will present a variety of musical genres and styles, appealing even to those who are not regular attendees of classical music events. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Filharmonie Brno.
Brno, Aug 5 (BD) – This year, for its 22nd edition, the Špilberk International Music Festival remains true to its tradition, offering a range of mesmerising live concerts in the large courtyard of Špilberk Castle. The festival will present a variety of musical genres and styles, appealing even to those who are not regular attendees of classical music events.
The festival will start on Thursday, August 12th, with the Hrubá Hudba project, the melding of the nu-jazz band Lesní zvěř and Horňák Music by Petr Mička. “With the concert form of the project, the performers bring an original intertwining of two completely different musical worlds, which is still unparalleled in the Moravian musical environment,” said Marie Kučerová, director of Filharmonie Brno.
Three days later, the listeners will find themselves among the gangsters of the computer games Mafia and Mafia II. It is from the compositions and musical motifs of these games, which have become international phenomena, that the program of the evening is compiled, supplemented by a story visualization workshop. Concert tickets are already sold out, only the last few standing tickets remain.
The third festival concert on Tuesday, August 17th, marks the centenary of the birth of a Brno legend. Gustav Brom’s Big Band will be joined by singer Ewa Farna. “The American magazine DownBeat ranked Brom’s group among the ten best big bands in the world. The biggest stars of jazz and pop, such as Dizzy Gillespie, Diana Ross, or Ray Charles, have been guests at his concerts,” said Kučerová.
The final concert of the festival belongs to Filharmonie Brno and its chief conductor Dennis Russell Davies. In the first half, Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor will be performed, followed by Dvořák’s Symphonic Variations and Janáček’s Taras Bulba, which will close the festival. The closing piece is particularly symbolic, as according to Vítězslav Mikeš, programme director of Filharmonie Brno, this October marks exactly 100 years since Taras Bulba was heard in its world premiere in Brno.
All concerts start in the large courtyard of Špilberk Castle at 8pm. Upon entry, visitors must provide evidence of Covid-19 vaccination, negative test, or prior illness from a certified medical facility.
Tickets are available online at filharmonie-brno.cz, in advance on Besední, and will also be on site before the event. Only standing tickets are available for the Mafia concert, which have been released for sale after the seated tickets sold out.
