66th Smetana Litomysl Festival

Dear visitors, we are presenting you the programme of the 66th Smetana‘s Litomyšl National Festival, in which we wish to capitalise on several years of preparations for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Bedřich Smetana, founder of Czech national music, whose name the festival has carried since 1946. Litomyšl and our festival are becoming the natural centre of these celebrations, setting the trends together with Czech Philharmonic as our partner orchestra.

The scope of Smetana‘s Litomyšl this year is unprecedented; from what used to be a few days' show it has grown into a one-month festival representing the work and personality of Bedřich Smetana and other jubilarians of the Year of Czech Music. Obviously, we present contribution and work of Czech masters in a historical context as part of the global portfolio of music. The leitmotif of the 66th Smetana’s Litomyšl is OUR COUNTRY, which underlines the roots, traditions and national character of the celebrations and of the festival, offering also the necessary international outreach and momentum in terms of interpretation and artistic creation. An important attribute of the dramaturgy is our targeted effort not to enclose the programme in a frame of "vetted" and frequently presented works, but also to present compositions and forms that visitors rarely, if ever, encounter. We also consider beneficial for future concert life several works commissioned by the festival, to be premiered here, as well as our society's inspirational role in the creation of international projects and co-productions dedicated to Smetana. We are happy to present all of Smetana's stage oeuvre in one edition of the festival for the first time ever, and that almost all the ambassadors of the Year of Czech Music and patrons of the Smetana200 project will visit us.

The festival programme, with about fifty shows and concerts (and dozens of concurrent and sideline events), clearly suggests that the 66th Smetana’s Litomyšl will be the biggest celebration in its history. However, we did not aim primarily for quantity, but primarily for a rich and a comprehensive array of Czech and international top performers with an emphasis on the works of Smetana and other Czech composers. It is appropriate to sincerely thank all those who contributed to the gala shape of this year's festival and wish you, dear visitors, a happy selection and many unforgettable experiences at this year's Smetana's Litomyšl!