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The International Lednice-Valtice Music Festival (LVHF) has established a firm place on the Czech cultural scene since its foundation in 2016 and is today regarded as one of the respected classical music festivals in the Czech Republic. Through its programme and increasingly international reach, it also contributes to the presentation of Czech culture abroad.
In 2026, the festival celebrates its 11th edition.
LVHF is distinguished above all by its unique combination of outstanding music, exceptional historic venues and the story of the Lednice-Valtice cultural landscape. Each edition is built around a new dramaturgical theme inspired by the history of the region, its architecture and notable personalities, while also reflecting important musical anniversaries and developing cultural links between Moravia, Austria and other European countries. The festival is also systematically committed to rediscovering musical heritage, including through modern-day premieres of works preserved in the Valtice Music Collection, now housed in Brno.
The festival takes place every year at the end of September and beginning of October, primarily within the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape in the South Moravian Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Concerts are held in castles, churches, riding halls and other historic buildings associated with the House of Liechtenstein, as well as at other venues across South Moravia and in Austria.
For centuries, the Liechtensteins played a fundamental role in shaping the cultural character of this region. Music was a natural part of life at their residences, and prominent musicians and ensembles from Vienna, Brno and other European centres regularly visited the estates, particularly during the traditional autumn hunting season. LVHF consciously builds on this cultural tradition, returning music to the places with which it was historically closely connected.
Since its inaugural edition in 2016, which had the intimate character of just two concerts and featured violinist Václav Hudeček as its principal artistic personality, the festival has grown significantly. Today, over the course of several weeks, it presents an extensive programme of concerts, lectures, educational projects and other accompanying events, regularly welcoming leading Czech and international soloists, conductors and ensembles.
LVHF has attracted audiences not only from the Czech Republic but also from neighbouring Austria and Slovakia. In recent years, its international dimension has continued to develop through cross-border projects, international partnerships and concerts presented in Austria.
Alongside its main concert programme, LVHF also organises lectures and specialist events linked thematically to the dramaturgy of each festival edition. Historians, musicologists and other experts use these events to introduce audiences to the broader historical, musical and cultural contexts behind the festival programme.
Another important part of the festival is its educational concerts and programmes for schools, which introduce children and young people to the world of classical music, individual musical instruments, composers and different historical periods in an engaging and accessible way.
The programme is regularly complemented by exhibitions, art workshops and other projects connecting music with visual art, history and architecture. The festival places particular emphasis on its youngest visitors and on providing them with their first encounter with live art.
The Lednice-Valtice Music Festival therefore offers not only encounters with exceptional performers and musical works, but also a unique opportunity to discover the cultural heritage of South Moravia in the authentic surroundings of places where music formed a natural part of social and cultural life for centuries.
Since October 2022, the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival has been a member of the Czech Association of Festivals (ČAF).
The first edition was chamber-like with only two concerts, one in Lednice and the other in the Valtice Castle Riding Hall, featuring Václav Hudeček as the main star, who has been a regular participant since then.
The second edition focused on the works of W. A. Mozart and F. Schubert, admired by the Lichtenstein family architect Josef Hardtmuth. Ensembles like Pavel Haas Quartet, PhilHarmonia Octet Prague, Janáček Chamber Orchestra, and Barocco sempre giovane performed. Soloists included Kateřina Javůrková, Jan Mráček, Jiří Bárta, and Patricia Janečková.
The third edition was led by the last conductor of the Lichtenstein family, Josef Triebensee. Together with the Czech Philharmonic Choir, St. Gelért Academy Orchestra, Belfiato Quintet, and Musica Florea, performers included Svatopluk Sem, Doubravka Součková, Aleksander Rewinski, and Petr Nekoranec with Simona Šaturová.
The fourth edition celebrated 300 years since the founding of the Lichtenstein Principality and 770 years since the Lichtensteins settled in the region. Several composers who served them, such as Johann Georg Orschler, Johann Melchior Pichler, and Nicolaus Zangius, were honored. Performers included Adam Plachetka, Collegium Marianum, PKF – Prague Philharmonie, Lukáš Vondráček, Cosima Soulez Lariviére, and others.
The fifth edition focused on classical music inspired by folk art in the broadest sense. It featured performances by Ostrava Klezmer Band, Janoska Ensemble, Janáček Chamber Orchestra accompanying Folkloreclassic, and Pavel Haas Quartet performing Smetana’s Quartet From My Life.
The sixth edition paid tribute to Antonio Vivaldi in each concert, marking 280 years since his death. World-renowned interpreters like Jakub Józef Orliński, Fabio Biondi, Amandine Beyer, and Delphine Galou, along with ensembles Ensemble Matheus, Ensemble Scaramuccia, Accademia Bizantina, Europa Galante, and others participated. The opening concert by Jakub Józef Orliński with Ensemble Matheus received significant acclaim from media critics. Lukáš Pavlica, for Časopis Harmonie, stated, “The opening concert sparked great expectations with its remarkable program and star-studded lineup. I dare say – even on my own – that many of these expectations were surpassed. The Lednice-Valtice Music Festival, with its opening concert, challenged not only other often much larger festivals with long-standing traditions but also partly challenged itself…”
Similar praise was garnered by Fabio Biondi’s closing concert with Europa Galante, where according to Jiří Vejvoda, “The festival’s finale, performed by the Europa Galante ensemble under the direction of Fabio Biondi, a virtuoso on baroque violin, lived up to the reputation of MIDEM Classical Award winners and Grammy nominees.”
The seventh edition focused on the music of the former Yugoslavia, guided by the Croatian composer Dora Pejačević. Czech and international artists performed her compositions, including Ensemble Illyrica with Josipa Bainac, Daniel Karvay, Vid Veljak, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, Aljoša Jurinič, Latica Anić, as well as Boris Prýgl and Nika Gorič with the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava.
The mission of the eighth edition of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival in 2023 was to “give space to promising musicians.” In its programming, it focused attention on emerging stars in the music world. Over 14 days, it introduced a selection of young Czech and international talents accompanied by their mentors and renowned ensembles. The criteria for the final selection of rising stars LVMF 2023 were: under 25 years of age and recognized participation or victory in internationally acclaimed music competitions.
LVMF 2023 presented some of the most striking talents of the present day to the international audience, along with their mentors. The festival opened with the Brno Philharmonic (premiere at LVMF) conducted by Tomáš Netopil. The main concerts featured the PKF-Prague Philharmonia (PKF), Barocco sempre giovane, Wranitzky Kapelle, and Orquestrina Baborak.
Among established orchestras, one of the greatest talents the Czech Republic has ever had, violinist Daniel Matejča, the winner of Eurovision Young Musicians 2022, performed at two LVMF 2023 concerts. Other young Czech artists included double bassist Indi Stivín, pianist Matyáš Novák, conductor Nikol Kraft, oboist Tereza Tourková, soprano Adéla Řehořová, and the boys’ choir Boni pueri. International guests invited to LVMF 2023 included pianist Maxim Lando (USA), violinist Michelle Stern (USA), soprano Daria Kolisan (Ukraine), baritone Yurii Strakhov (Ukraine), and French horn player Victor Teodesiev (Bulgaria).
Marek Štilec, Radek Baborák, and Václav Hudeček were among the festival’s conductors and mentors.
The ninth edition of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival (LVHF) featured a unique dramaturgy inspired by Freemasonry—its ideas, symbols, and the life stories of composers who wrote for prominent Masonic lodges. It took place from 14 September to 12 October 2024 and captivated audiences with the motto Musical Alchemy of the Masonic Garden at Lednice Castle.
The LVHF 2024 programme included eight main concerts, a festival prologue, two educational concerts for schools, creative music workshops, an escape game, lectures, and an accompanying exhibition.
The opening concert in the castle riding hall in Valtice dazzled the audience with its masterful performances by the Prague Philharmonia under the baton of Vojtěch Spurný and violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov, featuring works by W. A. Mozart.
The festival’s closing concert was crowned by a festive performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the “Ode to Joy”, marking both the 200th anniversary of its premiere and the 20th anniversary of the Czech Republic’s accession to the European Union. The Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava performed under the baton of Valentin Uryupin, accompanied by the Gaudeamus Brno Choir and a cast of exceptional soloists.
Other artists featured at LVHF 2024 included: Jana Semerádová (baroque flute), Josef Špaček (violin), Miroslav Sekera (piano), Martina Masaryková (soprano), Veronika Rovná (soprano), Veronika Hajnová (mezzo-soprano), Richard Samek (tenor), Roman Janál (baritone), Collegium Marianum, Alinde Quintet, Clarimonia Ensemble, Bratislava Hot Serenaders & Serenaders Sisters (SK, led by Juraj Bartoš), Musica Florea (conducted by Marek Štryncl), Gaudeamus Brno Choir (choirmaster Daša Karasová), Benda Quartet, Martinů Voices (choirmaster Lukáš Vasilek), Jan Šťastný (dramatic reading), Irvin Venyš (clarinet).
The concerts were moderated by Jiří Vejvoda and Veronika Paroulková.
The tenth edition of the Lednice–Valtice Music Festival (20 September – 18 October 2025) bore the theme “Music from the New World.” The festival presented American music and America as a source of inspiration across a broad historical and stylistic spectrum – from composers such as George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and Philip Glass to the spiritual tradition of African American spirituals and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World.” It offered 13 concerts, including a Prologue and two educational concerts, featured 33 composers, and presented several premieres – among them the Central European premiere of the multimedia project LIFE with music by Philip Glass, as well as modern premieres of works from the Valtice Music Collection. The LVHF draws from this rich collection every year, thereby commemorating the cultural heritage of the Order of the Brothers Hospitallers in South Moravia.
More than four thousand listeners attended the historic halls of the Lednice–Valtice area, representing an almost 10% year-on-year increase. The opening concert featured the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava with pianist Boris Giltburg; the festival culminated in a performance by the Slovak Philharmonic with violinist Joshua Brown and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor “From the New World.” Other performers included soloists Ayla Bártová, Matteo Hager, Bella Adamova, Brandon Ridenour, Mark Dover, Ahmed Alom, Rachel Breen, and Joshua Brown; ensembles and orchestras Kings Return, Hipocondria Ensemble, Ensemble Opera Diversa, Škampa Quartet, Orchestra Berg, Pavel Haas Quartet, Martinů Voices, and Moravia Brass Band. Conductors Francesco Lecce-Chong, Gabriela Tardonová, Peter Vrábel, Lukáš Vasilek, and Tomáš Brauner also appeared at the festival. The concerts were complemented by spoken introductions delivered by Jiří Vejvoda, Veronika Veber Paroulková, Ondřej Kepka, and Jiří Kokmotos, offering audiences contextual insights and helping them tune in to the performances.
