Women composers associated with the Czech artistic environment, who composed their music in the emerging, new social and political arrangement in Europe in the first half of the 20^th century, are presented in the joint project of National Theatre Opera and State Opera called Musica non grata and are part of the Women in Music cycle. The audiences can listen to works by Julie Reisserová, Vítězslava Kaprálová, Sláva Vorlová, Elizabeth Maconchy, Dora Pejačević, and Lena Stein-Schneider. Many of the pieces by these authors return to the stage in new premieres.

The four-year project Musica non grata revives the artistic legacy of composers, who were important for the music life between the wars in Czechoslovakia and were persecuted by national socialism or due to religious, racial, political, and gender reasons.

Musica non grata has already addressed the topic of women composers: in 2020, the program of the opening concert featured Vítězslava Kaprálová’s concert pieces and August 2021 provided the overview of chamber music by Czech women composers, who were active from 1870 to 1970. The Women in Music cycle now features three projects: Women in Music / Opening concert on 16 April in State Opera, chamber concert Women in Music / Esquisses on 23 May in Goethe Institute in Prague, and autumn 2023 will see the dramatization of The Goldilocks by Lena Stein-Schneider designed for children attending kindergartens and basic schools.

Sources: divadlo.cz, www.musicanongrata.cz