Opera

Imagine an elegant lady guiding you through a concert. On the stage, choristers in rows, the orchestra in tails, the chief conductor with a stern expression... Just an hour of misery that no one wants to experience! We are putting a STOP to all of this and presenting instead a NON-educational concert that will educate, entertain and certainly not bore you.

An encounter with the Military Artistic Ensemble Ondráš in a programme that connects Moravian folk traditions with sacred music of the Advent. Advent songs, Marian chants, and instrumental pieces in new arrangements will be presented during the concert.

For children in the age range of 3-18 months  accompanied by their families (0-100 years).
A journey into the new world of music and fantasy in which children and adults meet with actors, singers and musicians, and all of them together set off for their first small / great adventures. Welcome to a World in which there are no limitations and where you may touch everything. Who knows whether you will discover if your child is a genius? But in any case, you can expect a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all the senses in a safe and inviting environment.

Although this original opera for the extremely young and their adult companions has found authorial inspiration in similar projects elsewhere in the world, for instance Scandinavia, it is actually based on our own musical and theatrical roots. This playful opera was created by one of our most successful composers of the younger generations Lukáš Sommer, who comes from Dobrá Voda near České Budějovice, and the screen writer and director is Jiří Ondra. Both authors are well experienced in creating works for children. In the studio at Na Půdě (In the Loft), stage designer Jana Hauskrechtová has used movable objects to create a fantasy world full of colours, shapes, light and fragrances (the performance will also include aromatherapy) that the children discover together with the adults accompanying them. There is no longer the classic division between stage and auditorium, but one joint area in which the spectators are included in the performance based on the principles of the “immersive theatre”. The production also involves the actors of the Small Theatre.

Jižní Svéráz 2026 – festival echoes
The festival is held under the auspices of the mayor of the statutory city of České Budějovice

Experience the unforgettable summer atmosphere on the village square in Holašovice, South Bohemia.
The Opera of the South Bohemian Theatre stages this iconic work of Czech opera in the unique setting of the farmsteads of Holašovice – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The typical South Bohemian village has preserved its architectural form of the so-called Rural Baroque of the 19th century and is thus a completely authentic setting for the adventurous courtship of Mařenka and Jeník.
Kind-hearted humour, rural shrewdness and genuine cordiality – and above all, Smetana’s outstanding music. This is The Bartered Bride, which almost everyone loves. The solo roles are performed by top local singers. The choir, orchestra and ballet of the South Bohemian Theatre and the Jitřenka Children’s Choir also take part in the performance.

www.jiznisveraz.cz/en

A grand spectacle featuring a live orchestra, bursting with laughter, dance, and jazz melodies, will take you back to 1920s New York – the era of prohibition and the lights of Broadway. And, of course, the world of mafiosi, who have money and make their own rules.

The ambitious playwright David Shane wants to break through on Broadway, but his dream show needs funding. When a powerful mobster steps in as a sponsor, success seems assured. There’s just one catch – his poorly talented girlfriend must be given the lead role. And then, her personal bodyguard unexpectedly showcases a surprising talent for drama...
A lavish gangster retro-musical based on Woody Allen’s legendary film, featuring art deco-inspired set design and top-class jazz performances, will take you right to the heart of Broadway. The opera, drama, and ballet ensembles join forces for an exclusive Czech premiere that is certain to thrill you!

A gripping story of a charismatic seducer who lives to the full in the present moment. He sees life as a game and people as trophies. He mocks rules, feels no remorse, and believes he can escape his own past — until the past unexpectedly knocks on his door. Don Giovanni is an opera full of energy, passion, and unforgettable music — a story that entertains, touches, and provokes reflection. A story about freedom, responsibility, and the truth that life cannot be lived without consequences.

A vocal and orchestral piece performed in the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in Piaristické náměstí. On Good Friday, at a time when we turn from the deepest darkness back towards light and emerging hope, the concert cycle will be concluded with a liturgical composition by a prominent composer

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebration with the glitter of operetta 

Apples, nuts, the smell of Christmas and the snow-covered countryside of our great-grandmothers outside the windows. A poetic and gentle staging of two key works about Christmas in South Bohemia, Jakub Jan Ryba’s Czech Christmas Mass, and a selection from Holy Year Music by Adam Václav Michna of Otradovice. With this performance, we wish to introduce a new Christmas tradition.
 

A festive spiritual evening in the cathedral of České Budějovice. This year, for the last time, the programme will include the traditionally performed cantata Mít v sobě hvězdu (Carrying a Star Inside Me) by Mikoláš Troup.

Do you know what goes on behind the scenes during a theatre performance? You don’t? If you want to find out, then go on reading, because you will also have the chance to experience it. The fact is that the performance of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute is full of incredible setbacks. One trouble follows another, and the hapless stage manager in charge of the show tries his best to save the day. We hope you will help him to discover the cause of such bad luck. Are they mere coincidences, or is it something else...? Whatever it is, the performance must end successfully and the audience in the auditorium shouldn’t realize that something is wrong. And it is only up to you and Mozart to make sure the performance succeeds. Who knows whether he will arrive...

A family show mainly for children aged 6 to 12.

The legend of the outlaw Juraj Jánošík, which every generation likes to recount, but each time a little differently. This work does not ask only who Jánošík was, but above all why his story continues to speak to us. Was he a true hero, or rather an idea people created to give meaning to their own longing for justice? Distinctive melodies inspired by folklore meet the energy of a late 20th century musical, forming a unique style that is both playful and raw.

“Freedom, my dear freedom,
Men tremble before you,
And the lords fear you!”

Under the open sky in the castle gardens of Český Krumlov, we embark on a journey to the mountainous landscape of our ancestors – a world where people lived closer to nature, love, death, and thus to themselves.

Jižní Svéráz 2026 – festival echoes
The festival is held under the auspices of the mayor of the statutory city of České Budějovice.

Rosenberg Night is a unique experience that goes beyond the boundaries of an ordinary concert, theatre performance or historical sightseeing tour; it is a magical journey into the past, where history comes alive through music in the settings of one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic. Enter a night of mystery and elegance as you walk through the night apartments of Třeboň Castle, lit only by flickering candles, for an hour-long immersive tour with a glass of wine in hand. This historic space will come to life thanks to more than 50 musicians and singers who will fill the entire castle with the sound of almost half a millennium-old compositions that reverberated in these same rooms during the time of the last Lords of Rosenberg.

www.jiznisveraz.cz/en

A gentle and deeply poetic interpretation of Dvořák’s Rusalka, set against the enchanting backdrop of Blatná Castle in South Bohemia, creates a truly unique theatrical experience. This Czech opera, which in 1901 symbolically brought the era of operatic Romanticism to a close, disguises a multilayered and timeless story beneath its fairy tale surface.

Rusalka tells of an irreversible transformation and the price that must be paid for such a change. It speaks of human longing, fragility, and the fateful clash between two incompatible worlds – the world of humans and the world of supernatural beings. It is also a story of profound loneliness experienced by those who dare to cross a boundary, only to find themselves lost somewhere halfway through.

“…I cannot die, I cannot live.”

In this world renowned opera by Antonín Dvořák, the music blends perfectly with Jaroslav Kvapil’s libretto making Rusalka a timeless reflection on love and sacrifice in between life and death.

A concert rendition of the world premiere of Jaroslav Krček’s opera on Saint Wenceslas’ Day in the Riding Hall of Hluboká nad Vltavou Castle. The concert includes a charity event in cooperation with the Diocesan Caritas.

The opera ensemble of the South Bohemian Theatre continues its tradition of presenting world premieres of original Czech musical dramas. This time it is a concert performance of an opera by Jaroslav Krček that has not been staged yet.
Immerse yourself in the dramatic story of Duke Wenceslas, whose legacy has shaped Czech history for over a thousand years. The clash between paganism and Christianity, the struggle for power, his martyrdom and its religious significance – all are explored in this two-act opera about the most famous duke of Bohemia, who later became the patron saint of the nation.

The opera was composed by Jaroslav Krček, a distinguished contemporary composer and native of České Budějovice. His work masterfully blends medieval musical traditions with a modern musical language to bring Wenceslas’s tale to life.
 

A concert performance of Symphony No. 3 by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki. This meditative, deeply human work will be presented as a gesture of solidarity, remembrance, and a silent prayer for the victims of the war in Ukraine. The concert is held at the Slavie House of Culture.

A comic opera in the distinctive style of the bon vivant Gioacchino Rossini, based on the Italian bel canto, and with a plot preceding Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Sparkling arias that will make you tap your feet and will echo in your head for a long time afterwards. Part One: how a cunning barber helps a desperate count find a beautiful countess.

The Csárdás Princess is one of the most frequently performed and most beloved operettas in the world. In this work, Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán masterfully fuses enchanting waltzes, passionate csárdás dances, and catchy melodies with a love story that defies social rules and the era in which it was composed. The plot takes us into the world of stern aristocratic salons and frivolous nightclubs, where a young prince from a conservative family falls in love with a famous cabaret singer. Their relationship is placed under pressure by the power of tradition, convention, and the harsh reality of approaching historical changes.
Kálmán began composing the operetta in 1914 in Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad), completed it in Budapest, and its premiere took place in Vienna in 1915. The work thus emerged on the very threshold of the First World War and carries within it the nostalgia of the “golden age” nearing its end. Beneath the lightness and brilliance of the music lies a gentle melancholy and the awareness of life’s transience.

“...life is sweet and yet so short, enjoy it while there is still time...”

The Csárdás Princess is a period celebration of the joy of life, music, and love, but also a poetic farewell to an era that wishes to dance one last waltz.

South Specific 2026 – first time at the festival
The festival is held under the auspices of the mayor of the statutory city of České Budějovice.

Site-specific staging of the most important work of Czech Baroque mysticism. The lute has always been an image of celestial harmony, and Michna’s work depicts the story of the human soul on its journey towards this perfect harmony. It is populated with a multitude of characters, abounds in dialogue and changes of scenery, and alternates intimate meditations with mass scenes. The final destination of the spiritual journey is represented by the spectacular image of a wedding feast – a colourful celestial celebration. An extraordinary immersive production by Tomáš Ondřej Pilař that will vibrate the strings of your desire to experience beauty.
 

www.jiznisveraz.cz/en

This day marks 350 years since the death of Adam Václav Michna of Otradovice, an eminent native of South Bohemia. Just as Má vlast is performed annually in Prague on the anniversary of Bedřich Smetana’s death, this is a new South Bohemian tradition. The concert is held at the Slavie House of Culture.

Films, podcasts, books – the story of the Holocaust has been told countless times. Yet, there remains a void and a fear in our souls that words alone cannot express. Where words fail, music penetrates like light through darkness. Grigory Samuilovich Frid, now a celebrated composer of the 20th century, translated the emotions of a Jewish girl hiding from the Holocaust into an opera, capturing her hopes and fears. Through music, he pays tribute to the unwavering literary power of Anne Frank’s diary.

“I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness and, yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better and all this cruelty too will end,” Anne writes. Her fervent wish came true 80 years ago, even though she herself did not live to witness it.

South Specific 2026 – festival premiere
The festival is held under the auspices of the mayor of the statutory city of České Budějovice.

24. 7. - 9. 8. 2026

The timeless adventure of a young boy who leaves the safe embrace of his tiny planet to travel across the universe. Through a series of extraordinary encounters, he discovers the true essence of what matters in life.

"All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it." This magical work by Rachel Portman, a British film composer and an Academy Award-holder, will be presented in its Czech premiere as a spectacular production for the whole family.

www.jiznisveraz.cz/en

Two famous chamber cantatas by Bohuslav Martinů. Although The Opening of the Wells is typically performed in spring, its key dramaturgical framework is autumnal – a return home and to one’s inner self. The concert is held at the Slavie House of Culture.

Franz Schubert’s song cycle will be performed exactly 200 years after it was composed in the original version for piano and male voice. A pinnacle of Romantic song literature in which the winter landscape becomes a landscape of the soul – quiet, unsettling, and enchantingly beautiful. This intimate musical confession of a solitary wanderer who is walking through snow and through his own memories, emphasizes detail, expression, and atmosphere. The concert is held at the Slavie House of Culture.