The grand opening gala concert of the international music festival OLYMPUS MUSICUS 2026
The grand opening gala concert of the international music festival OLYMPUS MUSICUS 2026!
The Teresian Hall, Břevnov Monastery
The grand opening gala concert of the OLYMPUS MUSICUS 2026 international music festival will take place in the unique setting of the historic Teresian Hall at Břevnov Monastery. The festival’s opening evening offers audiences an exceptional encounter with masterpieces of musical Romanticism, performed by renowned Czech and international artists. The program is dedicated to the works of three significant 19th-century figures: Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The concert will feature Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 1 and Brahms’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, "Regen." The second half of the evening will open with Brahms’s Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40, while the festive finale will be Mendelssohn’s monumental Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20—one of the crowning achievements of Romantic chamber music. The performers at this year’s opening concert will also include violist Lyda Chen Argerich—daughter of the legendary pianist Martha Argerich—who will take part in the concluding performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet.
Progarmme:
Robert Schumann: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105
Evgenia Epshtein, violin (Israel) / Donaldas Račys, piano (Lithuania)
Johannes Brahms: Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 1 in G major, Op. 78 "Regen" | Markéta Fraňková, violin (Czech Republic) / Julia Sadaunikaitė, piano (Lithuania)
Intermission
Johannes Brahms: Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40
Roman Fedchuk, violin (Czech Republic) / Iakov Zats, viola (Italy) / Vsevolod Dvorkin, piano (Italy)
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Octet in E-flat major, Op. 20
Violins: Roman Fedchuk, Evgenia Epshtein, Jinhee Joung, Markéta Fraňková / Violas: Iakov Zats, Lyda Chen Argerich (Switzerland) / Cellos: Denis Severin (Switzerland), Ramutė Kalnėnaitė (Lithuania)
Duration: 90 minutes
Prague hosts nternational Festival of Young Talent and Renowned Artists Once Again
The 13th edition of the Olympus Musicus International Music Festival will take place in Prague from August 10 to 14, 2026. Each year, the festival brings music students, educators, and concert artists from around the globe to the Czech capital, creating a space for young talent to meet leading figures in the world of classical music.
The festival features masterclasses and public concerts where young performers appear alongside seasoned artists and educators. Audiences have the opportunity to discover the next generation of performers as well as renowned figures from the international music scene.
In addition to regular guests, this year’s lineup includes Lyda Chen Argerich and Denis Severin from Switzerland, and Jinhee Joung and Youngsun Jin from South Korea. The festival will also welcome laureates from its partner competition in Italy, the Concorso Musicale Città di Filadelfia "Paolo Serrao": violinist Seowoo Jin (2025) and oboist Alina Lamziuk (2026).
The festival has a long-standing commitment to supporting young performers, international cooperation, and cultural dialogue through classical music. The concerts are open to the general public, offering a chance to enjoy music amidst the atmosphere of summer in Prague.