15th International Organ Festival in St. Vitus Cathedral

St. Vitus
Organ
Evenings

30/6–1/9 2026

The festival

The Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus in Prague, in cooperation with the Prague Castle Administration, is proud to present the 15th annual International Organ Music Festival at the Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert.

St. Vitus Organ Evenings is a unique summer festival that offers you the opportunity to listen to masterpieces of organ music right in the heart of the Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert at Prague Castle.

Each year, the festival brings leading organists from both the Czech Republic and abroad to the cathedral. This year will be no exception, as we welcome performers from the USA, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the Czech Republic. The program will be further enriched by a concert featuring a symphony orchestra and a special evening with a guest soloist on the French horn. A true celebration of organ music awaits.

The 15th edition will be extraordinary in many respects. For the first time, the festival will feature the new and long-awaited organ created by Gerhard Grenzing and his team in Barcelona (Spain). Additionally, visitors can look forward to a double portion of musical experiences, with a total of ten concert evenings.

Immerse yourself in the majestic acoustics of the Gothic cathedral and let yourself be carried away by the tones of the new cathedral organ—all within Prague’s most breathtaking historical gem!

Festival programme

Concerts begin at 7.00 p.m.
The cathedral always opens for festival visitors at 6:20 p.m.

As is tradition, tickets are available for purchase through the following portals: GoOut, Ticketportal, and Via Musica, as well as at the Prague Castle Information Center (3rd Courtyard).

30/6
Cameron Carpenter (USA)
– BACH – CARPENTER –

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Detailed program

J. S. Bach: The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988
Aria
Variatio 1. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 2. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 3. Canone all’Unisuono. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 4. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 5. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
Variatio 6. Canone alla Seconda. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 7. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav. al tempo di Giga
Variatio 8. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 9. Canone alla Terza. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 10. Fughetta. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 11. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 12. a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quarta. a 1 Clav. in moto contrario
Variatio 13. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 14. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 15. Canone alla Quinta. a 1 Clav.: Andante
Variatio 16. Ouverture. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 17. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 18. Canone alla Sesta. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 19. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 20. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 21. Canone alla Settima. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 22. a 1 Clav. alla breve
Variatio 23. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 24. Canone all'Ottava. a 1 Clav.
Variatio 25. a 2 Clav.: Adagio
Variatio 26. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 27. Canone alla Nona. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 28. a 2 Clav.
Variatio 29. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
Variatio 30. Quodlibet. a 1 Clav.
Aria da Capo

C. Carpenter: Improvisation
I., II., III.

7/7
Ondřej Valenta and orchestra Symphony Prague, conductor Johannes Skudlik (DE)
– BACH – WIDOR – SAINT-SAËNS –

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Detailed program

J. S. Bach
Toccata, adagio a fuga C dur, BWV 564

Ch.-M. Widor
Symfonie pro varhany a orchestr, op. 42bis:
Allegro maestoso
Andante
Final

C. Saint-Saëns
Symfonie č. 3, “Varhanní” / Symphony no. 3, “Organ”:
Adagio – Allegro moderato – Poco adagio
Allegro moderato – Presto – Maestoso – Allegro

14/7
Willibald Guggenmos (CH/DE)
– LISZT – BRUCKNER – VIERNE –

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Detailed program

Herbert Murrill
Carillon

Franz Liszt
Première Légende La prédication aux oiseaux (Arr. Camille Saint-Saëns)

Charles Tournemire
Choral-Improvisation sur le Victimae Paschali (Arr. Maurice Duruflé)

Tomaso Albinoni
Adagio g-moll

Petr Eben
Moto ostinato z Nedělní hudby

Anton Bruckner
Adagio ze 7. Symfonie (Arr. Vinzenz Goller)

Louis Vierne
Final ze 6. Symfonice op. 59

21/7
Michaela Káčerková and Ondřej Vrabec (french horn)
– VIERNE – SAINT-SAËNS – LITAIZE –

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Detailed program

Louis Vierne
Symfonie č. 2 e moll, op. 20:
I. Allegro

Gaston Litaize
Triptych pro lesní roh a varhany

Louis Vierne
Pastorale, (z cyklu / from 24 Pieces en style libre, op. 31)

Camille Saint-Saëns
Andante pro lesní roh a varhany

Bernhard Krol
Laudatio (lesní roh sólo / horn solo)

Pēteris Vasks
Te Deum (varhany sólo / organ solo)

Jaroslav Tůma
Vzdálené dialogy pro varhany a lesní roh (Premiéra):
I. Quasi sinfonia
II. Quasi ben ritmico
III. Da lento a veloce

William Bolcom
Free Fantasia on O Zion, Haste and How Firm a Foundation (varhany sólo)

28/7
Ben van Oosten (NL)
– BACH – FRANCK – VIERNE – DUPRÉ –

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Detailed program

Johann Sebastian Bach
Sinfonia “Wir danken dir, Gott” z Ratswahlkantate, BWV 29 (úprava: Marcel Dupré)

César Franck
Chorál č. 2, h moll

Louis Vierne
24 Fantazijních kusů, 2. Suita:
– Hymne au soleil, op. 53/3
– Clair de lune, op. 53/5

Marcel Dupré
Pašijová symfonie op. 23:
I. Svět očekávající Spasitele
II. Narození Páně
III. Ukřižování
IV. Vzkříšení

4/8
Pavel Černý
– BACH – REGER – BOK –

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Detailed program

Johann Sebastian Bach
Pièce d´Orgue BWV 572

César Franck
Chorál č. 1 E-dur

Max Reger
Fantasie a fuga d-moll op. 135b

Josef Klička
Legenda h-moll

Miloš Bok
Preludium, rondo a fuga (Symfonická fantazie pro varhany) světová premiéra

11/8
Michal Novenko and Jiří Houdek (trumpet)
– LUYTHON – TELEMANN – NOVENKO –

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Detailed program

Michal Novenko
Svatováclavská fanfára pro trubku a varhany (premiéra)

Carolus Luython
Fuga suavissima

Johann Sebastian Bach
Chorál "Jesus bleibet meine Freude" pro trubku a varhany

J. S. Bach / J. F. N. Seger
Fuga G dur

Josef F. N. Seger
Fuga f moll "Když Prušáci Prahu bombardovali"

Bohuslav Martinů
Vigilia (revise a dokončení M. Novenko)

Pavel Josef Vejvanovský
Sonáta g moll pro trubku a varhany

António Correa Braga
Batalha de VI. tom

Michal Novenko
Fantasia Mallorquina

Georg Philipp Telemann
6 Marches heroiques pro trubku a varhany
(La Majesté – La Grâce – La Vaillance – L'Armement – La Générosité – La Réjouissance)

Michal Novenko
Improvizace

18/8
Jaroslav Tůma
– KLIČKA – JANÁČEK – EBEN –

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Detailed program

Josef Klička
Koncertní fantasie na chorál Svatý Václave (1895)

Leoš Janáček
Varhanní sólo z Glagolské mše (1926)

Jaroslav Tůma
Andělské přátelství na téma Adama Václava Michny ze sbírky Loutna česká (2026)

Petr Eben
Nedělní hudba (1958):
Fantasia I
Fantasia II
Moto ostinato
Finale

25/8
Ondřej Valenta
a Markéta Fassati (soprano)
– BONNET – STANFORD – SMART –

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Detailed program

J. Bonnet:
Variations de concert op. 1

Ch. V. Stanford:
Bible songs, op. 113:
A Song of Freedom (Psalm 126)
A Song of Trust (Psalm 121)
A Song of Hope (Psalm 130)

H. Smart:
Choral with Variations

Ch. V. Stanford:
Bible songs, op. 113:
A Song of Peace (ISh 11)
A Song of Battle (Psalm 124)
A Song of Wisdom (Ecclesiasticus 24)

A. Hollins:
A Song of Sunshine

A. Dvořák:
Biblické písně (výběr)
7. Při řekách babylonských
9. Pozdvihuji očí svých k horám
10. Zpívejte Hospodinu píseň novou

E. Gigout:
Grand choeur dialogue

1/9
Konstantin Reymaier (A)
– BACH – BRUCKNER – SCHUMANN –

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Detailed program

Johann Sebastian Bach
Čtyři úpravy částí kantát (transktipce K. Reymaier):
Gott soll allein mein Herze haben BWV 169,1
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele BWV 180,1
Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid BWV 3,1
Jesu, der du meine Seele BWV 78,1

Anton Bruckner
Scherzo z Nulté symfonie (transktipce Erwin Horn)

Robert Schumann
Nachtstücke op. 23 (transktipce K. Reymaier):
Mehr langsam, oft zurückhaltend
Markiert und lebhaft
Mit grosser Lebhaftigkeit
Einfach

Performing Artists

Ben van Oosten

Dutch organist Ben van Oosten is widely regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of the French symphonic organ repertoire on the international stage. He studied in Amsterdam and Paris, made his concert debut at a young age, and has since appeared at many of the world’s leading concert halls. He has recorded the complete organ works of César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, Louis Vierne, Marcel Dupré and Camille Saint-Saëns, earning numerous accolades including the Echo Klassik. He is organist of the Grote Kerk in The Hague and an emeritus professor at the Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam.

Cameron Carpenter

American organist Cameron Carpenter is a phenomenon on the contemporary organ scene. He studied at the Juilliard School in New York and became the first organist to be nominated for a Grammy Award. He gained recognition through his International Touring Organ project, a mobile instrument of his own design, with which he performs around the world. He collaborates with leading orchestras, records for Sony Classical, and is a recipient of both the ECHO Klassik and the Leonard Bernstein Award. His artistry brings together traditional craftsmanship and a distinctly modern vision.

Pavel Černý

Organist and organologist Pavel Černý teaches at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where he specialises in organ performance and improvisation. He is a laureate of competitions in Opava, Ljubljana and at the Prague Spring Festival. He has performed on three continents and is involved in both the restoration of historic organs and the construction of new instruments, including the organ at St. Vitus Cathedral. As a jury member and creator of radio programmes, he is one of the leading figures of the Czech organ scene, active for many years as a performer, teacher and organologist.

Markéta Fassati

Soprano Markéta Fassati studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and is a laureate of the Emmy Destinn Competition and Ad honorem Mozart. She has performed at the National Theatre, the State Opera, the Rudolfinum and at various international festivals. Her extensive repertoire includes Baroque opera and Romantic works, song cycles and arias, as well as contemporary styles, including jazz and film music. She collaborates with Czech and international orchestras and is one of the most sought-after performers on the Czech music scene.

Willibald Guggenmos

German organist Willibald Guggenmos performs worldwide, earning critical acclaim for both his brilliant technique and his artistry. He studied piano, conducting and organ in Munich, and has appeared in some of the most prestigious cathedrals in the world, including Notre-Dame in Paris and St Paul’s in London. For many years he served as organist at St. Gallen Cathedral, and he now acts as director of the International Organ Festival in Augsburg. His recordings are a testament to the breadth and depth of his musical personality.

Jiří Houdek

Trumpeter Jiří Houdek is a laureate of the Concertino Praga competition and principal trumpet of both the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and the National Theatre Orchestra in Prague. He has appeared with many leading ensembles in the Czech Republic and abroad, and is a regular guest with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the Solistes Européens Luxembourg. He has been recording since 1996, and his discography includes works from both the classical and contemporary repertoire. He is regarded as one of the leading Czech trumpet players.

Michaela Káčerková

Czech organist and music manager Michaela Káčerková is one of the leading figures of the contemporary music scene. She studied in Prague and Leipzig and performs across Europe, Japan and South America. She has collaborated with orchestras including the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Capella Regia Praha and Barocco Sempre Giovane. She is the founder of the J. C. F. Fischer International Music Festival and acts as director of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. Her recordings in the series Historical Organs of the Karlovy Vary Region represent a unique project showcasing Czech culture.

Michal Novenko

Organist and composer Michal Novenko studied at the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, as well as attending masterclasses with Jean Guillou in Paris. He has performed throughout Europe, the United States, South Africa, and Mexico. He is a professor of organ at the Prague Conservatory and serves on the juries of various international competitions. He collaborates with the British label Priory Records, for which he has recorded numerous historical organs across Europe. His performances are notable for their refinement and improvisational creativity.

Symphony Prague

The Symphony Prague orchestra, founded in 2008, brings together leading players from the Czech Philharmonic, Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK), Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and the National Theatre Orchestra. Symphony Prague appears on major European stages and acts as an ambassador for Czech music in Germany, France, Spain, and Austria. Its repertoire includes works by Dvořák, Smetana, Janáček, and other great composers. The ensemble collaborates with leading soloists and its principal conductor is Štefan Britvík.

Konstantin Reymaier

Austrian organist and priest Konstantin Reymaier studied music and theology in Vienna and has taught at the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. He served as Director of Church Music for the Archdiocese of Vienna and led the project for building of the new organ in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, where he has served as organist since 2016. He gives concerts across Europe, the United States and the Middle East, and records for Priory Records and Deutsche Grammophon. He is widely recognised for the depth of his interpretation and his musical sensitivity.

Johannes Skudlik

Conductor and organist Johannes Skudlik is from Munich and performs internationally with orchestras such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and I Virtuosi Italiani. He has appeared at the Philharmonie Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie, and the Sagrada Família, and in 2022 made his debut at the Teatro La Fenice. His repertoire includes Mahler, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, and Berlioz. Since 2016 he has served as principal guest conductor at Symphony Prague and leads masterclasses around the world.

Jaroslav Tůma

Jaroslav Tůma is a Czech organist, harpsichordist and teacher, professor at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and has won prizes at competitions in Haarlem, Leipzig and Linz. He performs worldwide and his discography comprises more than sixty CDs. As titular organist at Svatá Hora in Příbram, he has recorded the complete organ works of J. S. Bach and, through a range of audiovisual projects, has helped to popularise music. As a composer and author of various publications, he consistently combines artistic precision with his own distinctive voice.

Ondřej Valenta

Ondřej Valenta is organist at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, a concert organist, and teacher at the Prague Conservatory. Between 2016 and 2024 he served as organist and choirmaster of the Royal Collegiate Chapter at Vyšehrad, where he founded the international festival “Organ Vyšehrad”. He studied at the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, and continued his education at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and in Munich. He performs with soloists, choirs and orchestras, and appears at festivals across the Czech Republic and in many European countries.

Ondřej Vrabec

Conductor and horn player Ondřej Vrabec is a soloist with the Czech Philharmonic and Chief Conductor of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. He has appeared with leading orchestras across Europe and Asia and has collaborated with internationally acclaimed conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Semyon Bychkov. He has won prizes at numerous competitions and records for both Czech and international labels. He teaches at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and is a highly respected artist with an exceptionally broad repertoire.

Past years

Are you interested in who performed in past years and what they played? You can download official program brochures dating back to the 10th edition here.