Life in all its constant change and unpredictable bustle – this is Antonín Dvořák’s concert overture Carnival, which may have inspired the diverse programme of this event, the Czech Philharmonic’s first 2026 Festival appearance. The orchestra, closely associated with Dvořák since its very first concert, opens the programme under its chief conductor Semyon Bychkov with music radiating the joy and optimism of a composer grounded firmly in reality.

With pianist Yunchan Lim, a 22-year-old virtuoso who has been astonishing audiences around the world, the orchestra will perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. One of the most celebrated works of its genre, the concerto wholly fulfills Ravel’s wish to be “as entertaining as Mozart”.  

Three symphonic poems by Bedřich Smetana then bring the evening to a close in an intoxicating mix of Czech mythology and landscape: Vltava flows through villages, moonlit glades and the St John’s Rapids, while the harps of the opening poem Vyšehrad recall the glory of ancient bards and the third, Šárka, commemorates the Maidens’ War and its heroine.

Named Gramophone’s Orchestra of the Year in 2024, the Czech Philharmonic is recognised as one of the world’s leading orchestras and remains the Czech Republic’s key cultural ambassador. Now in its 131st season, the orchestra combines a deep-rooted musical tradition with an international artistic outlook, expanding its profile through tours, residencies and recordings.

During the 2024 Year of Czech Music, the Czech Philharmonic and its Chief Conductor and Music Director Semyon Bychkov gave a three-day residency at New York’s Carnegie Hall. That same year saw the release of their recording of Smetana’s Má vlast (My Country), which went onto win the 2025 BBC Music Magazine Orchestral Award. In addition to Czech music, the orchestra’s long-standing relationship with composers such as Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Mahler has resulted in a series of benchmark recordings, including The Tchaikovsky Project (2019) and the first new cycle of Mahler symphonies in more than 40 years, released in 2026. The next release with Bychkov features Shostakovich’s Symphony Nos. 5 and 7.

The 131st season opens in Prague with Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring Artist-in-Residence Janine Jansen, alongside Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7. Touring highlights include the orchestra’s first visit in over 50 years to Sweden and Finland, a return to Lucerne Festival, and residencies in London, Vienna and Hamburg. At home, the Czech Philharmonic performs at the Rudolfinum in Prague and at leading Czech festivals including Dvořák Prague, Prague Spring, Smetana Litomyšl, and for the first time, Janáček Brno.

Repertoire this season with Bychkov includes Má vlast; works by Mussorgsky, Ravel, Adams, Strauss, Glanert and Britten; and a major focus on Rachmaninoff, presented both in Prague and on tour. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, performed with the Prague Philharmonic Choir, will mark the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death in 2027.

Principal Guest Conductors Simon Rattle and Jakub Hrůša both return this season. With Rattle, the orchestra presents music by Barber, Shostakovich, Debussy, Szymanowski and the Czech premiere of Composer-in-Residence Thomas Adès’s Aquifer. With Hrůša – appointed last year as the orchestra’s next Chief Conductor and Music Director (Renáta Kellnerová Chair) from the 2028/2029 season – they perform works by Strauss, Beethoven, Suk and a world premiere by Martin Smolka.

Guest conductors this season include Vasily Petrenko, Herbert Blomstedt, Elim Chan, Maxim Emilyanchev, and Daniel Harding, who closes the subscription season with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Guest soloists include Yuja Wang, Behzod Abduraimov, Mao Fujita, Yunchan Lim, Seong-Jin Cho, Karen Gomyo, Radek Baborák and Kirill Gerstein.

The Czech Philharmonic’s distinguished history reflects the Czech Republic’s complex political past and its central European location. An early champion of the music of Martinů and Janáček, the Czech Philharmonic gave its first concert in 1896 with an all-Dvořák programme conducted by the composer itself.

Alongside its commitment to championing Czech composers, the orchestra’s belief in the power of music to transform lives remains a defining principle. The Czech Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Orchestral Academy, and Jiří Bělohlávek Prize for young musicians, form part of the orchestra’s education strategy which engages with more than 400 schools. An inspirational music and song programme led by Ida Kelarová continues to support social inclusion by giving voice to Romany communities through music.

source: Česká filharmonie

Semyon Bychkov marked the Czech Philharmonic’s 130th anniversary in 2026 with extensive tours of Asia and Europe and, the release by PENTATONE of Mahler’s Nine Symphonies. In 2026/27 season, he returns to the repertoire of his formative years, and alongside Czech masters will conduct works by Shostakovich, Rachmaninov and Mussorgsky: “What amazes me is how strongly Shostakovich’s existential music resonates in a world which seems, outwardly, very different from the one in which he was fighting for his life both as a human being and a composer. But maybe we’re all faced with a struggle to be true to ourselves against odds of various kinds, even insidious ideologies which hide their true nature.”

Born in Leningrad in 1952, Bychkov emigrated to the United States in 1975 and, since the mid-1980's has lived in Europe. He enjoyed success as Music Director of the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic and, following a series of high-profile cancellations leading to engagements with the New York and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras and the Concertgebouw, returned to St Petersburg in 1989 as the Philharmonic’s Principal Guest Conductor. He was named Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris (1989); Chief Conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne (1997); and Chief Conductor of the Dresden Semperoper (1998). From August 2026, Bychkov will be Music Director Designate of the Paris Opera, assuming the title of Music Director in 2028.

Bychkov conducts in all the major opera houses including La Scala, Milan, London’s Royal Opera House and New York’s Metropolitan Opera. In Europe he is frequent guest of the Concertgebouw, Munich, Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the Orchestre National de France and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; while in the US, he conducts the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Symphony, Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras. The warmth of Bychkov’s relationships is reflected in honorary titles at the Royal Academy of Music and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, who he regularly conducts at the BBC Proms.

Semyon Bychkov was named Conductor of the Year by the International Opera Awards (2015) and, by Musical America (2022).

source: Česká filharmonie

photo © Petra Hajská

“A one-in-a-million talent.”
‍Dallas Morning News
“I made up my mind that I will live my life only for the sake of music, and I decided that I will give up everything for music… I want my music to become deeper, and if that desire reaches the audience, I’m satisfied.” – Yunchan Lim

Since becoming the youngest person ever to win gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 18 in 2022, Yunchan Lim’s ascent to international stardom has been meteoric. His performances showcase a “magical ability” and a “natural, instinctive quality” (La Scena) that astounds listeners around the world, bringing “profound musicality and prodigious technique organically together” (Marin Alsop).

His audacious performance of Liszt’s Transcendental Études “created a buzz throughout the international piano community” (Gramophone), and his appearance with Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 delivered the defining moment of the competition, as one critic noted: “The applause that followed was endless: a star had emerged before our eyes” (Seen and Heard International). The video of Yunchan’s Rachmaninov performance trended globally on YouTube in the days after and has now become the most-watched version of that piece on the platform, amassing well over 17 million views. The New York Times later listed it as one of the Top 10 Classical Music Performances of 2022.

In the years following his Cliburn win, Yunchan made successful orchestral debuts with New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic and Seoul Philharmonic, as well as Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France (Radio France) and Orchestre de Paris, among others. Recital appearances included performances at Carnegie Hall, Verbier Festival, Wigmore Hall, Het Concertgebouw and Suntory Hall. Yunchan regularly works with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Myung-Whun Chung, Charles Dutoit, Gustavo Dudamel, James Gaffigan, Paavo Järvi, Cristian Măcelaru, Klaus Mäkelä, Gianandrea Noseda, Antonio Pappano, Matthias Pintscher, Tugan Sokhiev, Thomas Søndergård, Jaap van Zweden and Kazuki Yamada, to name a few.

Yunchan’s upcoming 2025/26 season highlights include orchestral debuts with Philadelphia Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, as well as returns to New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris. The season will also see recitals in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall, among other major stages.

The 2024/25 season saw Yunchan’s return to the BBC Proms and Verbier Festival, as well as returns to Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris. The season also saw orchestral debuts with Washington National Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, WDR Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra, as well as Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, The Cleveland Orchestra and Minnesota Orchestra. Yunchan made recital debuts performing Bach’s Goldberg Variations at the Kennedy Center, Philharmonie de Paris and Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi, as well as appearing at Chamber Music San Francisco, Vancouver Recital Society, La Jolla Music Society, Gstaad Menuhin Festival and La Roque-d’Anthéron Festival. These performances were highly praised by critics, with one review noting “a virtuoso display of how much one pianist can pack into this single work” (Financial Times).

As an exclusive Decca Classics recording artist, Yunchan Lim’s acclaimed debut studio album, Chopin: Études Opp. 10 & 25, has gone quadruple platinum in South Korea and topped the classical charts around the world. The album won the 2024 Gramophone Award for Piano; he was also named Young Artist of the Year, received the prestigious Diapason d’Or de l’année, and was nominated for an Opus Klassik. He also made history by winning three awards at the BBC Music Magazine Awards, including Recording of the Year.

His other releases on the label include the recording of his performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, recorded live from the Cliburn Competition final, and Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. His previous releases include his award-winning Cliburn performance of Liszt’s Transcendental Études (Steinway & Sons), Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” (Universal Music Group), and his appearance on KBS’s Young Musicians of Korea (2020) album. Since January 2024, Yunchan has been an Apple Music Classical Global Ambassador.

Born in Siheung, Korea, Yunchan Lim began piano lessons at the age of 7. He entered the Music Academy of the Seoul Arts Center the following year and quickly became immersed in his musical studies. He auditioned for and was accepted into the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts at the age of 13, where he met his teacher and mentor, Minsoo Sohn. A year later, in 2018, he captured international attention when he won both Second Prize and the Chopin Special Award at his first competition, the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists. That same year, he won both the Third Prize and the Audience Prize at the Cooper International Competition, which also provided him with the opportunity to perform with The Cleveland Orchestra. In 2019, aged only 15, he became the youngest person to win Korea’s IsangYun International Competition, where he also received two special prizes. Following two years at the Korea National University of Arts, Yunchan is currently studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston with his teacher Minsoo Sohn.

source: IMG Artists

photo © Shin Yoong Kim

The Rudolfinum is one of the most important Neo-Renaissance edifices in the Czech Republic. In its conception as a multi-purpose cultural centre it was quite unique in Europe at the time of its construction. Based on a joint design by two outstanding Czech architects, Josef Zítek and Josef Schultz, a magnificent building was erected serving for concerts, as a gallery, and as a museum. The grand opening on 7 February 1885 was attended by Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria, in whose honour the structure was named. In 1896 the very first concert of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra took place in the Rudolfinum's main concert hall, under the baton of the composer Antonín Dvořák whose name was later bestowed on the hall.