Prague Spring music festival to open with Smetana's My Country

Bedřich Smetana's My Country, performed by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of chief conductor Semyon Bychkov, will open the 80th edition of the Prague Spring music festival on Monday at the Obecní Dům in central Prague. The concert, tickets for which sold out in a few days, can be watched live on a large screen in front of the Rudolfinum. President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva will attend the opening concert.

On the morning of May12th, a traditional memorial service will be held at Smetana's grave in Vyšehrad. The Prague Spring will once again be accompanied by an exhibition of works by leading Czech artists and designers, culminating in a benefit auction to benefit the festival's artistic projects.

This year's Prague Spring will close on June 3rd with Gustav Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand. Prague Spring consists of more than fifty concerts, and the programme is available on the festival website.