St. Vitus Organ Evenings

14th International Organ Festival in St. Vitus Cathedral

1. 7. — 29. 7. 2025

The Festival

The Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus in Prague is this year organising the fourteenth year of the now traditional international festival St. Vitus Organ Evenings in the St. Vitus, Wenceslas and Adalbert Cathedral at Prague Castle in collaboration with the Prague Castle Administration.

For the 14th edition of the St. Vitus Organ Evenings Festival, we are preparing a programme focusing on two giants of musical history - Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Händel. Both saw the light of day in 1685 and in 2025 we will celebrate the round anniversary of their births. We have taken this opportunity to enjoy the music of these two geniuses, as well as the music of the composers who inspired them, performed by outstanding performers. In a broader context, we will learn about their legacy.

In the beautiful surroundings of St.Vitus Cathedral on Tuesdays in July, listen to recitals by leading artists - Ruben Sturm (organist of Munich Cathedral), Irena Chřibková (organist of St. James in Prague), Andreas Jetter (organist of the cathedral in Chur, Switzerland) and Vladimír Roubal (organist of the Basilica of the Assumption of St. Mary in Strahov) and Ondřej Valenta (our home organist of St. Vitus Cathedral). In addition to them, Miroslav Kejmar, a master of the trumpet, and one of the leading Czech orchestras devoted to early music, the Barocco sempre giovane orchestra, will also perform.

During the concerts, in addition to the listening experience, you can also look forward to the transmission of images from the choir directly from the organ.

Festival programme

Concerts begin at 7.00 p.m.

Tickets soon available:

GoOut, Ticketportal, Via Musica, Information Centre, Prague Castle 3rd Courtyard.

1. 7. — First Organ Evening

Ruben Sturm – organ

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Prelude and fugue D major

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Ouverture from „Music for the Royal Fireworks” (1748), transcription: Ruben J. Sturm

Johann Sebastian Bach
Invention C major

Georg Friedrich Händel
A Voluntary on a Flight of Angels

Johann Bernhard Bach (1676-1749)
Ciaccona B flat major

Georg Friedrich Händel transkripce / transcription: Martin Schmitz
Andante larghetto e staccato B flat major, from Organ concerto No.11 op.7

Ruben Johannes Sturm (geb.1979)
Improvisation on themes by Bach and Händel

8. 7. — Second Organ Evening

Irena Chřibková – organ

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Prelude and fugue G major

Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Fugues no. 3 and 6 on B-A-C-H

Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Chorale prelude „Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr“ BWV 662

Jiří TEML (1935)
Toccata Yamaha

Camille SAINT- SAËNS (1835-1921)
Fantasy op. 157, no. 3

Joseph BONNET (1884−1944)
Rhapsodie catalane from Douze pièces pour grand-orgue

Matin provençal from Poèmes d´automne

Charles TOURNEMIRE (1870-1939)
Choral-Improvisation sur le „Victimae paschali laudes“

15. 7. — Third Organ Evening

Ondřej Valenta – organ

Markéta Fassati – soprano

Barocco Sempre Giovane – chamber orchestra

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Concerto a minor, based on Vivaldi

I. without tempo indication
II. Adagio - Senza Pedale a due Clav.
III.. Allegro

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Six German Arias (selection)

Singe Seele, Gott zum Preise HWV 206
Flammende Rose, Zierde der Erden HWV 210

Organ Concerto F major, „The Cuckoo and the Nightingale“

I. Larghetto
II. Allegro
III. Larghetto
IV. Allegro

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Cantata Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, (selection)

            I. Aria Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen
            IV. Choral
            V. Finale. Aleluja

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Ciacona from Suite C major, transcription: O. Valenta

22. 7. — Fourth Organ Evening

Andreas Jetter – organ

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Sinfonia from Cantata Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken („Ratswahlkantate“) transcription: Alexandre Guilmant

Aria „Schafe können sicher weiden“ from Jagdkantate
transkripce / transcription: Virgil Fox

Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)
Marche sur un theme de Händel

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Toccata, Adagio and Fugue C major

Hermann Schellenberg (1816-1862)
Fantasy „On the hundredth anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach"

Georg Friedrich Händel (1685-1759)
Variations E major, „Der harmonische Grobschmied“
transcription: Sigfrid Karg-Elert

Arno Landmann (1887-1966)
Variations on Theme by Händel

29. 7. — Fifth Organ Evening