We greatly value the patronage of the President of the Czech Republic, the Minister of Culture, the Governor of the South Moravian Region, and the Ambassador of France, under whose auspices the 11th edition of the Lednice–Valtice Music Festival (19 September – 17 October 2026) will take place.
This support is deeply appreciated; it represents not only a great honour for us, but also an encouragement to everyone involved in shaping the festival.
Our sincere thanks also go to other distinguished representatives of political, cultural, and public life who have supported this year’s edition with their messages in the festival catalogue. We regard their words as a kind expression of goodwill as well as a valuable endorsement of the idea we are developing together.
We deeply value your trust.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Since its inception, Lednice-Valtice Music Festival has been building a clear and bold programming. Its eleventh edition confirms that it continues to follow its own unique path. The year 2026 will be marked by French elegance and the cultural atmosphere of 18th and 19th-century Europe. We can look forward to fresh performers, revelatory programming, and a world-class level of interpretation.
The programming of this year’s edition offers a few extraordinary moments. Featured performances include the Chœur et Académie de l’Opéra Royal de Versailles with Gaétan Jarry performing the sacred music of François Couperin, violinist Cosima Soulez Larivière, who returns to South Moravia after many years, and the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic with a closing gala concert featuring Ravel’s Boléro and soprano Sandra Hamaoui. All of this takes place within the unique setting of Lednice-Valtice Area, whose architecture and landscape provide an exceptional framework for the music.
The festival has long proven that a European-calibre programme can be created even outside of major urban centres. It combines courage, quality, and an eye for detail, bringing the audience experiences of both depth and lasting impact.
I wish the performers focus and the joy of music. I wish the visitors evenings that will remain in their memories long after the final note has faded. And to the festival, I wish that it may retain its energy, openness, and ability to surprise in the years to come.
Oto Klempíř Czech Minister of Culture
Dear friends of classical music,
The Lednice-Valtice Music Festival is entering its second decade, and I believe it will be just as successful as the first. This year’s programming will take you on a journey through time into the world of French elegance and European cultural diplomacy of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Lednice-Valtice Music Festival has become an indispensable part of our region, bringing us new experiences and the discovery of historical stories every year. We can no longer even imagine our cultural scene without it. Thanks to the festival, cross-border cultural cooperation between the towns of Neudorf im Weinviertel and Lednice has been restored after thirty years.
I wish you an unforgettable artistic experience!
Jan Grolich Governor of South Moravian Region
I am delighted that this year’s edition of the international Lednice-Valtice Music Festival celebrates French-Czech friendship through music. The festival invites the audience on a musical journey highlighting the richness and diversity of the French musical tradition, from the Baroque to the present day.
The participation of the Royal Opera of Versailles under the direction of Gaétan Jarry represents one of the highlights of this year’s programming. These musicians, associated with one of the most significant symbols of French history, are the bearers of a long tradition of artistic excellence and international renown. I am also pleased by the significant space dedicated to French composers and the selection of extraordinary performers, which testifies to the vitality of the contemporary French music scene and its inspiring dialogue with Czech and European artists.
I wish the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival much success and the audience many shared emotions.
Stéphane Crouzat Ambassador of France to the Czech Republic
Dear guests of the Lednice–Valtice Music Festival,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this year’s festival, which for the eleventh time makes the rich cultural heritage of the Lednice–Valtice area accessible to the public.
This year, the program focuses on Prince Joseph Wenzel. His famous golden carriage is more than merely a means of transportation of that time. It stands as a symbol of Prince Joseph Wenzel’s diplomatic work in all its many facets. Sensitivity and strategic thinking, deep roots in Central Europe and openness to Western European culture – all of these qualities shaped Prince Joseph Wenzel, his diplomatic endeavors, and the Lednice–Valtice area itself. Understanding his life and work helps us to better understand the past and present of this World Heritage site as well.
Let me congratulate the organizers on the impressive program of the festival, which gives me confidence that this year, too, visitors will be enriched by remarkable cultural experiences.
I wish all guests and artists much enjoyment at the concerts set against the incomparable backdrop offered by the Lednice–Valtice area.
H. E. Simon Biedermann Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein to Austria and the Czech Republic
Every architectural or artistic style expresses the spirit of the age in which it was created. If anything quite literally radiates the culture of Central Europe throughout much of the eighteenth century, it is undoubtedly the Baroque, a style truly resplendent in its brilliance. One need only imagine a Baroque building with its ornamentation, where rays of light and halos so often play a central role.
Music, visual art, literature, and also manners, reaching their highest refinement in diplomacy, all form an integral part of a society’s culture. Cultural diplomacy has therefore always played, and continues to play, an important role in communication not only among diplomats, but also among the nations they represent. For a long time, French elegance stood as a model and an example worthy of emulation.
The Golden Carriage of Prince Josef Wenzel I. von Liechtenstein, whose splendor and technical perfection can still be admired today in the Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna, offers a vivid illustration of the cultural diplomacy of its time. It is therefore a splendid complement to the theme of this year’s festival.
In my former role as Minister of Culture, I had the honor in 2015 to take part in the ceremonial opening of the replica of the original Baroque theatre in Valtice, which, together with the restored Winter Riding Hall, forms an inseparable part of the château complex and provides a setting for remarkable experiences of living culture, as is also the case with the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival.
I wish us all not only beautiful encounters with the muses, from radiant Baroque to the music of modernity, but also inspiration through culture and elegance for our own lives. I am convinced that elegance, cultivation, and decency will never lose their radiance and will remain both modern and timeless forever.
Daniel Herman Honorary Consul of the Liechtenstein in the Czech Republic
For me personally, the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival is an exceptional event—a centrepiece where music, history, and inspiration converge, transcending the boundaries of both countries and generations. Each year, it reaffirms that music is a universal language through which European cultures can understand, enrich, and inspire one another.
Traveling, discovering new places, and connecting different traditions have always been close to my family’s heart. My father, who supported the festival before me, held a deep connection to these values—and I joyfully share them. In my professional life as well, openness to the world and seeking inspiration across Europe and beyond are natural parts of my daily work. I am therefore more delighted that the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival embodies these ideas through art.
The festival brings exceptional artists from many corners of the world to South Moravia, lending a truly international dimension to the cultural monuments of the Lednice-Valtice Area. It is here, within these unique historical settings, that unrepeatable musical experiences are born—carrying within them emotion, passion, and the beauty of the moment. These are experiences you perceive not only with your ears but, above all, with your heart.
It is an honour that our family has been part of this extraordinary project for many years, helping to foster its continued growth. This year, at the 11th edition, I am particularly looking forward to the French music, whose arias will sound in spaces where history meets art and where every melody resonates with exceptional power.
I never cease to be fascinated by the enthusiasm and passion with which the entire festival team organizes each year—it is precisely this energy that is reflected in the result: music that gives you chills and that you want to Savor until the very last note.
So, let us symbolically step into the carriage, give the command giddy-up and set off on another unforgettable musical journey.
Monika Vintrlíková Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Atlanta, Georgia
Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends of classical music,
It is a great honour and pleasure to greet you once again on the occasion of another year of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival. The town of Valtice is a proud partner of the 11th edition of this significant cultural event, which annually brings top-tier artists and audiences from both the Czech Republic and abroad to our region. I am confident that this year’s festival will once again offer visitors extraordinary musical experiences and inspiring encounters with the beauty of classical music.
I greatly appreciate how the festival consistently develops not only its concert program but also its educational and accompanying activities. Educational programs and art projects for children are vital contributions toward helping the next generation find their own relationship with music and culture.
This year’s programme is inspired by French elegance and European cultural diplomacy of the 18th and 19th centuries. The central inspiration is the Golden Carriage of Prince Joseph Wenzel I of Liechtenstein—a unique symbol of representation, nobility, and the cultural sophistication of its time. I believe this theme will lend the festival an atmosphere of refined taste, elegance, and festive grandeur.
Allow me also to remind you that the Lednice-Valtice Area has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List since 1996. The Lednice-Valtice Music Festival contributes significantly to the ever-growing prestige of this exceptional site, ensuring its cultural legacy remains a living part of the present. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank Jiří Partyka for his long-term, dedicated, and exceptionally high-quality work in organizing the festival.
I wish you many powerful musical moments and much joy from the arts within the unique atmosphere of the Lednice-Valtice Area.
Aleš Hofman mayor of Valtice
Dear friends of classical music,
In this year’s 11th edition, we move from overseas back to Europe—specifically to “la douce France”—with a broad artistic scope ranging from the classics to modernism, including a film music club featuring a screening directed by Philippe Béziat, and the accordion, a musical instrument that is a symbol of French music and old Paris. The closing gala concert will also commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Lednice-Valtice Area’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This year, as many as three concerts will take place right here in Břeclav: at the Pohansko Mansion, in the Jewish Ceremonial Hall, and in the beautiful church in Poštorná. We greatly value this trust placed in us by the festival director.
I wish all visitors a profound artistic experience and look forward to meeting you at one of the concerts in Břeclav.
Svatopluk Pěček mayor of Břeclav
Dear friends of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival,
Just as the Golden Carriage of Prince Joseph Wenzel I of Liechtenstein was a symbol of power, taste, and noble representation, Lednice-Valtice Music Festival is a symbol of elegance, refinement, and masterful musical performance.
We are fortunate to be able to symbolically step into this “golden carriage” together and embark on a dazzling journey of discovering classical French music. On this journey, we will be accompanied by top-tier Czech and international performers and ensembles. Mr. Partyka and his team will ensure our comfort, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the music without a single worry. Entrusting oneself to the organizers of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival is always like sinking into down feathers—nothing presses, nothing restricts; you simply enjoy the ride and the surprises prepared for us with such care.
Allow me to wish the entire festival a peaceful and joyful journey, free of potholes and puddles—and to all of us, the “passengers”, unique and unforgettable musical experiences.
Stanislav Straškrába mayor of Lednice
Dear friends and supporters of the Lednice-Valtice Music Festival,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome the 11th edition of the LVMF, which is held in the spirit of French elegance, European diplomacy, and the Enlightenment, while simultaneously reaching into the modern era. The inspiration drawn from the magnificent journey and personality of Prince Joseph Wenzel I of Liechtenstein reminds us of a time when music, art, refined taste, diplomatic ingenuity, and the courage to cross borders shaped the cultural face of Europe.
I am pleased that this year’s edition once again presents works that transcend the boundaries of classical music, and that in Mikulov you will have the opportunity to experience the unique first screening of the LVHF film music club directed by Philippe Béziat. I am confident that a truly exceptional artistic experience awaits us.
I cordially invite you to Mikulov and to visit the entire festival programme. I trust that everyone will find something for themselves within the rich selection and that together we will enjoy moments filled with inspiration and the joy of music.
I would like to thank the LVMF organizers and all the artists for the fantastic past years, and I wish them much success, energy, and further bold visions as they enter this new decade.
Jitka Sobotková mayor of Mikulov
