Iva Nevoralova – Prague Spring https://festival.cz/en/ 81st International Music Festival Fri, 15 May 2026 10:08:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 Sehyeok Son from the Republic of Korea Wins the piano category of the 77th Prague Spring International Music Competition https://festival.cz/en/sehyeok-son-from-the-republic-of-korea-wins-the-piano-category-of-the-77th-prague-spring-international-music-competition/ Fri, 15 May 2026 10:08:48 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=139213 The winner of the piano category of the 77th Prague Spring International Music Competition is the eighteen-year-old Sehyeok Son from the Republic of Korea. Second and third places were awarded to Zhiquan Wang and Xuehong Chen from China. “I feel very refreshed. And what will I remember most? The charming personality of the conductor. I had always thought conductors were intimidating and very strict. But he proved to me that this is not the case,” said the winner Sehyeok Son, who performed Johannes Brahms’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in the final round. “Brahms’s First Piano Concerto is fantastic; it is almost like chamber music. It requires a very delicate balance between the piano and the orchestra, and I think Sehyeok Son managed that brilliantly,” said Chairman of the Jury Daniel Browell in praise of the winner.

Overview of prizes awarded

1st Prize Sehyeok Son (Republic of Korea)
2nd Prize Zhiquan Wang (China)
3rd Prize Xuehong Chen (China)

  • Honourable Mentions of the Jury awarded after the second round: Ziye Tao from China and Junho Cha from the Republic of Korea
  • Audience Prize: Zhiquan Wang
  • Czech Music Fund Foundation Prize for the best performance of a work composed for the Prague Spring IMC 2026 – Afro pour piano by Kryštof Mařatka: Ziye Tao and Zhiquan Wang from China
  • Viktor Kalabis and Zuzana Růžičková Prize: Sehyeok Son
  • Prize of the City of Prague: Sehyeok Son
  • Bärenreiter Prize: Sehyeok Son
  • Oleg Podgorný Prize for the most successful youngest Czech participant in the competition, awarded by the Artist’s Life Foundation: Eliška Tkadlčíková
  • Czech Centres Prize for the most successful Czech participant in the competition: Eliška Tkadlčíková
  • Gideon Klein Foundation Prize for the most successful Czech participant: Eliška Tkadlčíková
  • Performance at the 82nd Prague Spring International Music Festival in 2027: Sehyeok Son

The performances of the three finalists during the final evening, which took place on 14 May in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and conductor Petr Altrichter, are available to watch on the Prague Spring YouTube channel @PragueSpringFestival. The winner was decided by a jury comprising Daniel Browell (United Kingdom) – Chairman of the Jury, Joonas Ahonen (Finland), Dina Yoffe (Latvia, Germany), Leonel Morales (Spain), Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń (Poland), Martin Kasík (Czech Republic) and Ivo Kahánek (Czech Republic).

The second and final rounds of both the flute and piano categories were streamed live and remain available as recordings on the Prague Spring YouTube channel. As of today, they have exceeded 40,000 views. Partners of the competition were the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague and the ČEZ Foundation.

]]> Watch the live broadcast of the flute competition finals at the 77th Prague Spring Competition. May 14 at 6:00 p.m. from the Rudolfinum https://festival.cz/en/watch-the-live-broadcast-of-the-flute-competition-finals-at-the-77th-prague-spring-competition-may-14-at-600-p-m-from-the-rudolfinum/ Thu, 14 May 2026 16:22:06 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=139187

]]> Change to the program of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra concert today on May 14 at the Municipal House https://festival.cz/en/change-to-the-program-of-the-bavarian-radio-symphony-orchestra-concert-today-on-may-14-at-the-municipal-house/ Thu, 14 May 2026 12:39:33 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=139167 It is with great regret that we announce that, due to illness, Magdalena Kožená is unfortunately unable to perform at today’s concert by the  Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, at which she was to present the Czech premiere of Ondřej Adámek’s composition Where Are You?. For this reason, there will be a change in the program. Instead of the originally planned Where Are You?, the Overture and Liebestod from Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde will be performed.

The pre-concert meet-the-artist with Ondřej Adámek has also been cancelled.

Programme: 

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 86 in D major “Paris” Hob. I:86
Richard Wagner: Tristan und Isolde WWV 90 – Prelude and Liebestod
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor Op. 98

We are attaching a personal statement from Magdalena Kožená:

Dear guests of today’s Prague Spring concert,
It is with great regret that I must inform you that, for health reasons, I am unable to perform at today’s premiere of Ondřej Adámek’s song cycle Where Are You? I am all the more sorry because my collaboration with Ondřej has been one of the most precious experiences of my professional life. The work he wrote for me is exceptionally close to my heart. We were both immensely looking forward to sharing it with a home audience right here at the Prague Spring. It is all the more painful for me that, due to my illness, this cannot happen this time. However, I would like to assure you that together we will do everything we can to ensure that this exceptional composition is performed for the Czech audience at the Prague Spring as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Yours,
Magdalena Kožená

]]> Watch the live broadcast of the flute competition finals at the 77th Prague Spring Competition. May 13 at 6:00 p.m. from the Rudolfinum https://festival.cz/en/sledujte-zive-finale-77-rocniku-souteze-prazske-jaro-v-oboru-fletna/ Wed, 13 May 2026 14:27:46 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=139106

]]> Young artists from China and Republic of Korea advance to the piano final of the Prague Spring International Music Competition 2026 https://festival.cz/en/young-artists-from-china-and-republic-of-korea-advance-to-the-piano-final-of-the-prague-spring-international-music-competition-2026/ Mon, 11 May 2026 22:23:06 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=139044 Of the ten participants in the second round of the piano category of the Prague Spring International Music Competition, Xuehong Chen and Zhiquan Wang from China and Sehyeok Son from the Republic of Korea have advanced to the final round, which will take place on Thursday 14 May from 18.00 CET at the Rudolfinum.

In the final round, audiences will hear the following three piano concertos performed with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and conductor Petr Altrichter: Johannes Brahms’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in D minor Op. 15, Frédéric Chopin’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in E minor Op. 11, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 3 in D minor Op. 30. The already completely sold-out final round will be streamed live online on the YouTube channel of the Prague Spring International Music Festival, @PragueSpringFestival. For the first time in the competition’s history, the stream will also be carried by the website of the British magazine Gramophone.

Honourable Mentions were awarded to Ziye Tao from China and Junho Cha from the Republic of Korea. The Czech Music Fund Foundation Prize for the best performance of a work composed for the Prague Spring IMC 2025 – Afro pour piano by Kryštof Mařatka – was awarded to Ziye Tao and Zhiquan Wang from China.

The final of the Prague Spring Competition 2026 piano category will take place on Thursday 14 May from 18.00 in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum. The results are expected at around 23.00 CET. The winner will be decided by a jury comprising Daniel Browell (United Kingdom) – Chairman of the Jury, Joonas Ahonen (Finland), Dina Yoffe (Latvia, Germany), Leonel Morales (Spain), Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń (Poland), Martin Kasík (Czech Republic) and Ivo Kahánek (Czech Republic).

Partners of the competition are the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague and the ČEZ Foundation.

Recording of the second round:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

]]> Three young flautists from France advance to the final of the Prague Spring International Music Competition 2026 https://festival.cz/en/three-young-flautists-from-france-advance-to-the-final-of-the-prague-spring-international-music-competition-2026/ Sun, 10 May 2026 21:57:14 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=139003 Of the eleven participants in the second round of the Prague Spring International Music Competition 2026 flute category, in which young artists from Slovenia, the United States, Germany, Israel, Italy, France, Portugal and the Republic of Korea competed against one another, the following three French flautists have advanced to the final round, to be held on Wednesday 13 May from 18.00 at the Rudolfinum: Mathilde Alvin Besson, Iris Daverio and Maël Metzger.

In the final, all three finalists will perform Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita in A minor for solo flute BWV 1013 and the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra by Jindřich Feld, accompanied by the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Kaspar Zehnder. The final round of this year’s competition will be streamed live online on the Prague Spring YouTube channel, @PragueSpringFestival. It is also still possible to come to the Rudolfinum in person and support the finalists live. Audiences can look forward not only to the excellent, almost sporting atmosphere of the final rounds, but will also have the chance to win tickets to one of this year’s Prague Spring International Music Festival concerts.

An Honourable Mention and the Czech Music Fund Foundation Prize for the best performance of a work composed for the Prague Spring IMC 2026 – Dances and Song of the Night for Flute and Piano by Petr Popelka – were awarded to Moritz Schulte from Germany. The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation Prize for the best performance of the Sonata for Flute and Piano was awarded to Maël Metzger from France.

The final of the Prague Spring International Music Competition 2026 flute category will take place on Wednesday 13 May from 18.00 in the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum. The results are expected at around 22.00. The winner will be decided by a jury comprising Philippe Bernold (France) – Chairman of the Jury, Emily Beynon (United Kingdom / Netherlands), Christina Fassbender (Germany), Davide Formisano (Italy, Germany), Barthold Kuijken (Belgium), Václav Kunt (Czech Republic) and Jan Ostrý (Czech Republic).

Partners of the Prague Spring International Music Competition 2026 are the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague and the ČEZ Foundation.

Recording of the second round:
Part I: https://youtu.be/FBodafUErq0
Part II: https://youtu.be/nnuNkTQ2DVQ
Part III: https://youtu.be/4eV44ZVYDh8

]]> The first round of the piano competition has ended. Who has advanced to the next round on May 11? https://festival.cz/en/the-first-round-of-the-piano-competition-has-ended-who-has-advanced-to-the-next-round-on-may-11/ Sat, 09 May 2026 23:35:47 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=138942 After two busy days filled with outstanding performances by young pianists, the jury announced the 10 contestants advancing to the second round. Among selected semi-finalists are (in alphabetical order):

1️⃣ Bae Jae Sung (Republic of Korea)
2️⃣ Cha Junho (Republic of Korea)
3️⃣ Chen Xuehong (China)
4️⃣ Son Sehyeok (Republic of Korea)
5️⃣ Takezawa Yuto (Japan)
6️⃣ Tan Qianlin (China)
7️⃣ Tao Ziye (China)
8️⃣ Tkadlčíková Eliška (Czech Republic)
9️⃣ Wang Zhiquan (China)
🔟 Zhu Hanyuan (China)

You can find the detailed schedule for Round II HERE.
Tickets for Round II are available at the venue or on the festival website.
If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch the performances online on the Prague Spring YouTube channel @PragueSpringFestival.
For more information, follow the competition on Facebook and Instagram.

]]> We know the eleven flutists who have advanced to the second round of the Prague Spring 2026 competition. Congratulations! https://festival.cz/en/we-know-the-eleven-flutists-who-have-advanced-to-the-second-round-of-the-prague-spring-2026-competition/ Fri, 08 May 2026 22:09:46 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=138877 The first round of the FLUTE competition has been over, and we know the names of the eleven contestants who have advanced to the semifinals. Here they are (in alphabetical order):

Mathilde Alvin Besson (France)
Evyatar Baruch (Israel)
Tomás Celeste (Portugal)
Metka Črnugelj (Slovenia)
Iris Daverio (France)
Judy Lee (Republic of Korea)
Gabriele Mastrototaro (Italy)
Maël Metzger (France)
Dorotea Senica (Slovenia)
Melody Shen (USA)
Moritz Schulte (Germany)

The second round will take place on Sunday, May 10, at 10:00 a.m. in the Bohuslav Martinů Hall at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Contestants will perform one of Jean-Marie Leclair’s sonatas for flute and basso continuo, as well as one of the sonatas by Bohuslav Martinů, Ludwig van Beethoven, or Carl Maria von Weber. All twelve contestants will also perform a piece commissioned for the IMC Prague Spring 2026 – Dances and Song of the Night for Flute and Piano by Petr Popelka.

The detailed schedule for Round II is available HERE.
Tickets for Round II are available at the venue or on the festival website.
Can’t make it in person? Watch the LIVE stream of the semifinal round!
You can also find all the information on our Facebook and Instagram.

]]> Forty-two young pianists from six countries are coming to Prague. This year’s piano competition is dominated by artists from Asia https://festival.cz/en/forty-two-young-pianists-from-six-countries-are-coming-to-prague-this-years-piano-competition-is-dominated-by-artists-from-asia/ Wed, 06 May 2026 12:17:42 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=138750 The 77th Prague Spring International Music Competition in the piano category will take place from May 7 to 14. This year’s competition features mainly young talents from Asia: South Korea, China, Japan, and Singapore. In the final round on May 14 at the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum, you can look forward to a selection of piano concertos by Antonín Dvořák, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Johannes Brahms, and Fryderyk Chopin. The three finalists will be accompanied by the Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK) under the baton of Petr Altrichter. The second and third final rounds will be live-streamed on the Prague Spring YouTube channel. As part of the competition, which is being held for the second time this year with the support of the ČEZ Foundation, a mentoring program focused on artists PR and marketing will take place in collaboration with leading international professionals.

🔹 1st Round – Piano
8 & 9 May | 10.00-20.00 | HAMU, Martinů Hall
Programme and Tickets

🔹 2nd Round – Piano
11 May | 10.00-21.00 | HAMU, Martinů Hall
Programme and Tickets 

🔹 Finals – Piano
14 May | 18.00 | Rudolfinum, Dvořák Hall
Prague Symphony Orchestra
Petr Altrichter – conductor
Programme and Tickets 

🔥 LIVE Stream on 11 & 14 May 🔥

]]> The Prague Spring Competition is about to begin. In the flute category, 47 young artists from fourteen countries will compete https://festival.cz/en/the-prague-spring-competition-is-about-to-begin-in-the-flute-category-48-young-artists-from-fourteen-countries-will-compete/ Wed, 06 May 2026 12:16:34 +0000 https://festival.cz/?p=138756 The flute competition begins today, May 6, and concludes on May 13 with a grand final concert at the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum, where the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Kaspar Zehnder, will perform alongside the three finalists. The program will feature music by Johann Sebastian Bach and Jindřich Feld. Interestingly, the compulsory piece for the second round was composed by Petr Popelka, the conductor of this year’s Prague Spring Opening Concert. The second and third final rounds will be live-streamed on the Prague Spring YouTube channel. As part of the competition, which is being held for the second time this year with the support of the ČEZ Foundation, a mentoring program focused on arts PR and marketing will take place in collaboration with leading international professionals.

🔹 1st Round – Flute
7 & 8 May | 10.00-20.00 | Vzlet
Programme and Tickets

🔹 2nd Round – Flute
10 May | 10.00-21.00 | HAMU, Martinů Hall
Programme and Tickets

🔹 Finals – Flute
13 May | 18.00 | Rudolfinum, Dvořák Hall
Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra
Kaspar Zehnder – conductor
Programme and Tickets 

🔥 LIVE Stream on 10 & 13 May 🔥

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