Prague is one of the great music cities of the world. With a population of around 1.3 million there are three opera houses, numerous concert venues and a wealth of orchestras and chamber music ensembles as well as great soloists. As you walk the streets you pass churches and concert halls advertising today’s concert, musicians on their way to concerts, students heading for the Music Academy or Conservatoire, buskers playing Bach or some other wonderful music and numerous people handing out leaflets for concerts which start around 11 a.m. and continue until late evening. With music everywhere it seems like a year long Festival.

There are over twenty concerts on most days in Prague – an amazing variety of music. Some of these concerts especially in churches are geared for tourists and often I have heard remarks such as “I have heard about string quartets but I did not expect to enjoy this concert so much” and “I really like this chamber music, I will go to these concerts when I return home!”  So Prague gives wonderful opportunities for people to discover classical music.

The three Opera Houses – the State Opera House, the National Theatre and the Estates Theatre have performances year round – with a short summer break for the State Opera House.. The sumptuous State Opera House was built in the late 19^th Century and stages a Verdi Festival in late summer and the standard repertoire or opera and ballet the rest of the year. The Neo Renaissance National Theatre was opened in 1883 and stages Czech opera, ballet and theatre as well as the standard and modern repertoire, it is one of the most magnificent buildings in Prague . The Estates Theatre built by Count Nostitz in 1783 is a superb, elegant Neo Classic building. On 29 October 1787 Mozart conducted the first performance of Don Giovanni here with enormous acclaim. He also enjoyed fantastic success in Prague , for The Marriage of Figaro which was much more favourably received here than in Vienna .

The afternoon performances of opera and ballet are most interesting. I have been to several and the average number of children is usually around 20 - 25%  of the audience. They are beautifully dressed, most attentive and obviously know the story as well as the music, the tradition of music is very strong in the Czech Republic , ensuring good audiences for the future.

The world famous Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra perform regularly with world renowned soloists and conductors. There are many wonderful concert halls in Prague . The historic Rudolfinum has the superb Dvorak Hall and the smaller more intimate Suk Hall, both acoustically excellent while the Obecni Dum (Municipal House) has the wonderful Smetana Hall and several chamber music halls including the Wine Cellar! The Lichtenstein Palace which houses the Music Academy has two fine concert halls and the Spanish Hall in Prague Castle must surely be one of the most splendid concert venues in the world.

Many churches are used for concerts. St Martin ’s which once held 2,500 has an association with butchers – interestingly Dvorak (whose father was a butcher!) wrote his Stabat Mater for this church. The Church of Our Lady before Tyn which was started in 1365 has a superb 16^th Century organ which has recently been completely restored and is still used for concerts. The Romanesque St George’s Basilica in Prague Castle , the Baroque churches of St Nicholas in the Lesser Town, St Nicholas in the Old Town Square , the Mirror Chapel in the Clementinum and the Loretto are all superb settings for concerts, especially chamber music. The somewhat exotic Spanish Synagogue has a very special atmosphere and  St Martin in the Wall – part of the old fortifications and St Simon and St Jude now a concert hall add to the number of wonderful concert venues.

Attending concerts in Prague is not just a wonderful musical experience but also gives an opportunity to enjoy some of the architectural and historic gems of this amazing city.

There are over twenty internationally known string quartets from Prague who perform all over the world including the Prazak, Kocian, Talich, Stamic, Wihan and Nostitz Quartets, as well as several younger quartets, who keep up this amazing tradition of string quartet playing,  in my opinion the Herold Quartet is the most exciting, Other chamber music ensembles include the Czech Nonet, various piano trios including the brilliant young Kinsky Trio. The numerous chamber orchestras include the internationally known Talich, Suk, and Prague Chamber Orchestras and the Praga Camerata.  

The Winter Festival starts on 2 January offering a wealth of wonderful music. This is included in the Chamber Music Holidays and Festivals Prague New Year and Winter Festival programme. Prague is really magical at this time of year, the snow capped trees and the Christmas Market in the Old Town Square create a fairytale atmosphere.

Prague Spring Festival in May and June is one of the most prestigious European Festivals. This year there is an opportunity to hear the great violinist Josef Suk as well as many other famous musicians. One of the highlights will be the performance of the Mozart Requiem in the awesome setting of St Vitus Cathedral. The ambience of music and flowers perfuming the air is intoxicating. My first visit to Prague in the late 1960s was in May and I fell in love with this stunning city then and the feeling has deepened over the years.

In the summer there are several outdoor concerts – for me the most charming are in Villa Bertramka. Set in lovely gardens this was the home of the Dusek family, friends of Mozart. This is where he wrote much of Don Giovanni on one of his visits to Prague . There is a fascinating Mozart Museum here as well as an intimate concert room for year round chamber music concerts.

Other museums which are ideal for concerts are the Smetana Museum . Set on the banks of the Vltava River with superb views of Prague Castle it has a very informative display about the life and works of this great Czech composer .Villa America has interesting artifacts relating to Dvorak, although the most interesting museum is in Dvorak’s birthplace about an hour from Prague. The magnificent National Museum is a stunning setting for concerts.  (photo right)

Prague Summer and International String Quartet Festival year is of great interest to chamber music lovers, players and listeners. Concerts by leading Czech Quartets and Chamber Music ensembles are held in magnificent, historic surroundings. This unique city has attracted people from all over the world to join our Chamber Music Holidays. Participants hear and meet these great musicians in coaching sessions, private concerts and parties as well as the Festival concerts. They are very special people. Open, friendly and interested to discuss music and life in general. They are very much part of these Holidays.

The Autumn Festival starts in September but as I said before Prague  is a year round Festival city. Many people regard it as the most spectacular in Europe , it is certainly my favourite!