The Smetana’s Litomyšl festival

The Smetana’s Litomyšl festival is the second oldest music festival in the Czech Republic (it was founded in 1946), and at the same time it is among the largest regular classical music festivals held in the country. It mainly features opera performances and concerts, as well as gala concerts, oratorios, cantatas and song evenings; that is forms in which vocal artistry dominates. However symphonic, instrumental and chamber music are not ignored and in the venues here there are ballet performances and church music as well as promenade concerts and other genres. Every year at the festival practically all the top Czech interpreters perform, the three national theatres, all the significant orchestras and choirs and the best conductors, soloists and instrumentalists. And even though there are many significant foreign guests Smetana’s Litomyšl has retained its Czech character and so is truly a national festival.