Orchestral concerts
A symphony orchestra combines the colours of strings, winds and percussion. A programme may include a symphony, an overture or an instrumental concerto featuring a soloist.
ProMusica · a guide and live programme
Classical music
From your first chamber concert to a full symphonic evening. ProMusica brings together concert listings across Czechia and Svět Hudby, a magazine about the people who make classical music.
Číst českyConcert details, articles and the linked programme are in Czech.
Exploring classical music
Classical music embraces orchestral, chamber, solo and vocal works. You can explore Baroque, Classical and Romantic music as well as twentieth-century and contemporary compositions. The Classical period refers to a particular historical era associated with composers such as Mozart and Haydn.
Chamber music and recitals
A quartet, trio or solo recital lets you hear the details of individual performances. With a smaller ensemble, you can follow how musicians pass a melody between them and respond to one another.
Opera and choral music
Opera brings together music, storytelling and the stage. A choral concert puts the human voice at its centre, whether unaccompanied, with instruments or alongside an orchestra.
Musical eras at a glance
Classical music spans several centuries. A rough division into eras helps you find your way – the boundaries are approximate and many composers cross them.
Baroque
c. 1600–1750
An age of strong contrasts, rich ornaments and the basso continuo that carries the harmony of a whole piece. Opera, oratorio, cantata and the instrumental concerto were born; the era culminates in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.
Classical period
c. 1750–1820
Music of balance and clear form. The symphony, the string quartet and sonata form became established, with Vienna at the centre. Czech composers working abroad, such as Josef Mysliveček, Johann Baptist Vanhal and Anton Reicha, played a significant part.
Romantic era
c. 1820–1910
Music of feelings, stories and nature. Orchestras grow, and symphonic poems, song cycles and virtuoso piano works appear; composers draw on folk music and the history of their nations. In the Czech lands, this is the age of Smetana, Dvořák and Fibich.
20th and 21st centuries
from around 1900
A century of new sounds: impressionism, expressionism, neoclassicism, minimalism and contemporary music exploring unusual colours and rhythms. Alongside Janáček and Martinů, Debussy, Stravinsky and Shostakovich are among the most performed composers.
Upcoming classical concerts
A selection from the current ProMusica programme. Each concert page contains the venue, performers and programme provided by its organiser.
- Pražské kytarové kvartetoLidové sady - Velký sál · Liberec
- Klavírní festival Rudolfa Firkušného 2026 – Grigorij SokolovRudolfinum – Dvořákova síň · Praha
- Česká filharmonie • BarcelonaPalau de la Música Catalana · Barcelona
- West Side Story – Veřejná generální zkouškaObecní dům, Smetanova síň · Praha
- Collegium PF & Koncert pro hrdinykatedrála sv. Bartoloměje · Plzeň
- KPH Děčín / Václav Hudeček a Arnau Izard, laureát luhačovické AkademieMěstské divadlo Děčín · Děčín
Concerts by city and composer
Choose a city or a composer to see all upcoming concerts listed on ProMusica (pages in Czech).
Cities
- Praha 246
- Hradec Králové 29
- Plzeň 19
- České Budějovice 19
- Brno 18
- Znojmo 14
- Olomouc 9
- Děčín 7
Choosing your first concert
- Start with a convenient place and date. Search the ProMusica programme by city, performer or composer and narrow down the period.
- Open the concert details to check the works, performers, venue and information supplied by the organiser. A video invitation or short recording can give you a feel for the event.
- Choose a sound that appeals to you: a solo instrument, a small ensemble, an orchestra or voices. You do not need to read music or know specialist terms to enjoy a concert.
- Confirm the time and ticket availability with the organiser. Arrive early and silence your phone; an usher can help you find your way. If you are unsure about applause between movements, follow the performers and the audience.
How to start listening
- Start with well-known shorter pieces or single movements: Smetana's Vltava, Dvořák's Slavonic Dances, Vivaldi's Four Seasons or Ravel's Boléro.
- Listen to the programme before the concert. A melody you already know is easier to recognise in the hall, and you can follow how the performers shape it.
- Compare the same work in different performances. Differences in tempo, dynamics and colour show how much the performance itself shapes the music.
- Try different line-ups: orchestra, chamber ensemble, solo recital, choir and opera. Each offers a different experience and a different closeness to the musicians.
- Read interviews and reviews in Svět Hudby – the stories behind the music and its performers add a new dimension to listening.
A short concert glossary
- Symphony
- A large-scale work for orchestra, usually in four movements, established in the Classical period by Haydn and Mozart.
- Concerto
- A work for a solo instrument and orchestra, usually in three movements, in which the soloist also displays their virtuosity.
- Movement
- A self-contained part of a larger work such as a symphony or sonata. Audiences usually do not applaud between movements.
- Opus (Op.)
- The number of a work within a composer's output. Some composers have their own catalogues, such as the Köchel catalogue (K.) for Mozart or BWV for Bach.
- Chamber music
- Music for a small ensemble, typically two to nine players, each with their own part – a string quartet or a piano trio, for example.
- Recital
- A concert by a single soloist, often with piano accompaniment.
- Conductor
- Leads an orchestra or choir, sets the tempo and the overall interpretation, and holds the ensemble together.
- Concertmaster
- The leader of the first violins, who leads the string section, tunes the orchestra before the concert and plays the violin solos in orchestral works.
- Oratorio
- A large-scale work for soloists, choir and orchestra on a sacred or epic subject, performed in concert without staging.
- Encore
- An extra piece played at the end of a concert to thank the audience for its applause.
- Subscription
- A season ticket for a series of concerts, usually with the same seat and a lower price per concert.
Read about the music you hear
Svět Hudby publishes reviews, interviews, reports and news. Discover the performers, recordings and stories behind concert programmes.
- Kam s dětmi za klasikou. Od koncertu na dece po vánoční balet
V Plzni se z malých posluchačů stanou detektivové, v Olomouci poznají Mozarta jako kluka a v Českých Budějovicích pomohou zachránit operní představení. Vybrali jsme rodinné koncerty, hudební dílny a balety v jedenácti městech po celé republice, na které můžete vyrazit v listopadu a prosinci 2026. Na některé se chodí už s miminkem, jiné si nejlépe užijí školáci.
- Čtyři kytary pod Ještědem. Lidové sady pokračují v 68. sezoně komorní hudby
Liberecký komorní cyklus má za sebou desítky sezon i stěhování během rekonstrukce. Teď se jeho posluchači znovu scházejí v obnoveném Velkém sále Lidových sadů. V neděli 8. listopadu tam vystoupí Pražské kytarové kvarteto. Do června se na stejném pódiu potkají klavírní improvizace, hoboj s Pavlíčkovou kytarou i operní zpěv.
- Alpská symfonie z Musikvereinu vychází na analogovém vinylu
Z nočního ticha až na horský vrchol, přes bouři a zase dolů. Straussova Alpská symfonie zvládne celou výpravu za necelou hodinu. Její živá nahrávka s Petrem Popelkou a Wiener Symphoniker teď vychází na vinylu, při jehož výrobě se zvuk obešel bez digitálních mezikroků.
- Morricone bez filmu a viola v hlavní roli. Pražákovo kvarteto míří do Basileje
Mozartův kvintet, Morriconeho smyčcové trio a dvě komorní skladby Bohuslava Martinů. Pražákovo kvarteto uzavře v neděli 8. listopadu basilejský festival Martinů Festtage s hostem z Berlínských filharmoniků – violistou Amihaiem Groszem.
More ways to explore
Search for music by a favourite composer or explore a performer or venue. For music professionals, ProMusica also lists jobs and courses.