Janáček Brno 2026

The international opera and music festival Janáček Brno is one of the most exclusive events of its kind here and in all of Europe.

The 10th edition of the international Janáček Brno Festival will take place from October 13 to November 17, 2026. Brno, a city inseparably connected with the life and work of Leoš Janáček, will once again become the center of world music.

Featured performances include:

Ivo Kahánek & Balet NdB 3 (October 25, 2026 at Mahenovo divadlo): An evening combining pure musical interpretation with movement, featuring renowned pianist Ivo Kahánek, the chamber ensemble Balet NdB 3, and students of the JAMU Faculty of Music under the direction of Vít Spilka.

Janáček's work conceals a deep personal world in which the piano was his closest confidant. This evening weaves pure musical interpretation with movement in dialogue between the renowned pianist, the chamber ensemble, and JAMU students.

The program includes:

Leoš Janáček: Po zarostlém chodníčku, JW VII/18 (choreography by Mário Radačovský) – Ten intimate compositions created gradually between 1900 and 1911, originally published as pieces for harmonium in the Slavonic Melodies series. These works, full of personal memories and melancholy, are among Janáček's most frequently performed pieces.

Leoš Janáček: V mlhách, JW VIII/22 – His last major solo piano work, completed in April 1912 while hidden from the world in a cottage at the organ school garden. This dreamlike and melancholic composition carries elements of musical impressionism, created shortly after the composer heard piano pieces by Claude Debussy.

Leoš Janáček: Capriccio, JW VII/12 (for left-hand piano and chamber wind ensemble, choreography by Megumi Nakamura) – Originally composed in response to pianist Otakar Hollmann's request after his injury in World War I prevented him from playing with his right hand. Completed in autumn 1926, the piece features piano accompanied by an unconventional wind ensemble (flute, trumpets, trombones, and tuba).

Performers: Piano – Ivo Kahánek; Dance – Balet NdB 3; Musical accompaniment – JAMU Faculty of Music students; Conductor – Vít Spilka.