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| Who | Collegium 1704 Collegium Vocale 1704 Václav Luks conductor |
| Where | Valtice Castle Riding Hall |
| Program | Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704) Te Deum, H. 146 François Francœur (1698–1787) Symphonies du Festin royal de monseigneur le comte d’Artois —Pause— Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) Magnificat D-Dur, BWV 243.2 Dress code: Creative Black Tie |
The Prague Baroque Orchestra and vocal ensemble Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704 were founded by harpsichordist and conductor Václav Luks on the Bach — Prague — 2005 project. In 2008, the Prague–Dresden Music Bridge was launched, which in 2012 smoothly transitioned into the second concert cycle of Collegium 1704 at the Rudolfinum. In 2019, Collegium Vocale 1704 launched a chamber concert series in Prague. The ensemble performs at prestigious venues and festivals and opened the Prague Spring International Music Festival in May 2021. Its opera productions are particularly noteworthy – following the success of Handel’s Rinaldo, they continued with performances of J. Mysliveček’s L’olimpiade, A. Vivaldi’s Arsilda, regina di Ponto, and Handel’s Alcina, directed by J. Heřman in co-production with the National Theatre Brno, Opéra Royal in Versailles and Théatre de Caen. In 2014, they collaborated with B. Mehta on a DVD of Gluck’s opera Orfeo ed Euridice, directed by O. Havelka, and on the filming of the BBC 2 documentary Mozart in Prague with R. Villazón. The ensemble also participated in the historical epic film Il Boemo, directed by P. Václav, about the life of J. Mysliveček. Collegium 1704’s recordings are popular with listeners and music critics alike. Their most significant achievements in recent years include the first complete Czech recording of Handel’s Messiah in 2019 and a three-CD set of J. Ph. Rameau’s opera Les Boréades. In 2025, Collegium 1704 recorded a jubilee recording to mark 20 years of its existence – Missa Circumcisionis by the court composer Jan Dismas Zelenka.
Conductor Václav Luks studied at the Conservatory in Plzeň, at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and completed his education with specialized studies in early music at the Schola Cantorum in Switzerland. In 2005, he founded the Prague Baroque orchestra Collegium 1704 and the vocal ensemble Collegium Vocale 1704. His activities amplified reviving interest in the work of Czech composers Jan Dismas Zelenka and Josef Mysliveček, as well as in strengthening Czech-German cultural relations through the rediscovery of the shared musical traditions of both countries. Under his leadership, Collegium 1704 recorded the music for Petr Václav’s documentary Zpověď zapomenutého (“Confession of the Forgotten”) and for his feature film Il Boemo, on which Václav Luks participated as the main music consultant. Václav Luks has collaborated with renowned directors (W. Decker, U. Herrmann, L. Moaty, D. Radok, J. Heřman, J. A. Pitínský, and O. Havelka) and, in addition to his intensive work with Collegium 1704, he also performs with other renowned early music and modern orchestras. Since 2021, he has been a guest conductor with the Handel & Haydn Society in Boston and was a resident artist at the Kammerakademie Potsdam. He conducted the Orchestre nationale de France at a benefit concert for the restoration of Notre Dame, and the French radio station France Musique dedicated five episodes of the series Grands interprètes de la musique classique to him. In June 2022, he was awarded the French Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) for his significant cultural achievements.
