Leoš Janáček (1854-1928) was a Moravian composer whose music grew from folk tradition and the natural melodic contours of spoken Czech - what he called 'speech melodies'. International recognition came late: only after the Prague premiere of Jenůfa in 1916 did the world's great stages open to him. The final decade of his life produced a torrent of masterworks - the operas Káťa Kabanová, The Cunning Little Vixen, The Makropulos Affair and From the House of the Dead, the Sinfonietta, the Glagolitic Mass, and both string quartets. He now ranks among the twenty most-performed opera composers in the world.
The National Theatre Brno received two awards at International Opera Awards 2025: for the best festival (Janáček Brno 2024) and for the best new production (Výlety páně Broučkovy directed by Robert Carsen).
The International Music Festival of Leoš Janáček in Ostrava and Hukvaldy takes place from June 1 to July 3, 2026, and public interest is extraordinary - one third of tickets were sold months in advance.
The jubilee 10th edition of the Janáček Brno 2026 festival will take place from October 13 to November 17, 2026 in Brno and will be the most extensive in the festival's history.
The 31st International Leoš Janáček Competition (September 15-21, 2025) will take place at JAMU in Brno in the categories of violin and string quartet.
The London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle performed Janáček's opera Výlety páně Broučkovy in May 2025 as part of its long-term series of Janáček operas.
A musical celebration of composer Leoš Janáček's birthday in his native Brno, featuring works by one of Czechia's most celebrated classical composers.
(23 days)
Janáček's opera exploring love and destiny within a rural family. A cornerstone of Czech opera performed at the National Theatre.
(26 days)
Leoš Janáček's classic opera featuring witty woodland creatures. A performance at Divadlo Disk in Prague.
