Antonín Dvořák Music Festival in Příbram 2026

The 57th edition of the Antonín Dvořák Music Festival in Příbram (HFAD) runs from April 16 to June 9, 2026, under the theme "The English Connection", which explores Dvořák's work in Britain and his musical legacy there. The festival offers a total of 20 classical concerts featuring leading Czech and international artists. The ceremonial opening on April 16 at the Antonín Dvořák Theatre was conducted by British cellist Laura van der Heijden, winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year and recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society's Instrumentalist of the Year Award 2025, accompanied by the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of chief conductor Chuhei Iwasaki. Other performers include British horn player Ben Goldscheider, the ensembles Cello Republic, Trio Bohémo, Zemlinsky String Quartet, the British Quartet for the Earth, the Leoš Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, and Till Schuler, a German cellist and winner of the Prague Spring competition. The programme includes the world premiere of the winning composition from the 10th edition of the composers' competition and a benefit concert for Villa Rusalka. The festival takes place at numerous exceptional venues throughout the Příbram region — at the Antonín Dvořák Theatre, the Holy Mountain Sanctuary, Dobříš Castle, the Antonín Dvořák Memorial in Vysoká u Příbrami, Barbora Ironworks in Jince, Březnice City Gallery, the Podbrdí Museum in Rožmitál pod Třemšínem, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Bohutín, the Granary in Hvožďany, and the Baroque complex Skalka in Mníšek pod Brdy. The accompanying programme includes two children's concerts, the traditional open-air project Day with AD featuring approximately 15 performances, educational programmes for schools, an art competition, and an interactive game "The Fairy Tale World of Opera Stories — The Magic Flute". The festival culminates on June 9 with a monumental performance of Dvořák's oratorio Stabat mater. The festival is under the patronage of Matt Field, British Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Founded in 1969, the festival is the oldest and largest classical music festival in the Central Bohemian Region.