December16 2026 (Wed)
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
Advent Organ Concert
Great Arias for soprano and trumpet
St. Francis Church - Charles Bridge
60 minutes | Classical Music | Available
| Date: | December 16, 2026 | 19:00 (Wed) |
|---|---|
| Venue: | St. Francis Church - Charles Bridge |
| Duration: | 60 minutes |
| Intermission: | No |
| Status: | Available |
Group discount 10+ people
Ticket in your mobile device accepted
An evening of classical music in Prague doesn't get more atmospheric than this
Step into one of Prague's most breathtaking settings, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, nestled just steps from Charles Bridge. Let the sounds of classy music fill the centuries-old stone walls as you discover the church's crown jewel: the second oldest organ in Prague, still resonating as magnificently as it did in the Baroque era. This historical city has a thousand stories to tell — let this one move you.
Program:
The program varies during Advent and Christmas. In addition to some of the compositions mentioned below, it also includes Christmas melodies and carols.
- Pavel Josef Vejvanovský | Sonata in G minor
- Antonio Vivaldi | Laudate pueri Dominum – Amen
- Bohuslav Matěj Černohorský | Fugue in C minor
- Jan Dismas Zelenka | Laudate pueri Dominum – aria
- Josef F. Norbert Seger | Toccata in D minor
- Antonín Dvořák | 2 Biblical Songs
- Georg Friedrich Händel | Suite in D major ** Overture, Menuetto, Bourrée, March
- Georg Friedrich Händel | Eternal source of light divine
- Domenico Zipoli | Verso 1-4, Canzona
- Giulio Caccini | Ave Maria
- Johann Sebastian Bach | Fantasia in G major
- Wolfgang A. Mozart | Alleluia (Exsultate jubilate)
Soloists:
- Hana Jonášová - soprano
National Theatre Prague, The State Opera Prague - Vladimír Rejlek - trumpet
National Theatre Prague, professor at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts - Josef Popelka - organ
Professor at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts
HANA JONÁŠOVÁ - SOPRANO Hana Jonášová is a graduate of the Prague HAMU, Professor Jana Jonášová. Audiences in many countries have admired her pure coloratura soprano, both in concert halls and opera houses. At present, Hana Jonášová is a soloist of the Prague State Opera and sings at the Prague National Theatre. In May 2003, she appeared in the Czech premiere of the ragtime opera Treemonisha by Scott Joplin, where she successfully sang the title role. Apart from operas, Hana Jonášová is also involved in songs, oratorios, and cantatas. She appears with both Czech and foreign prominent orchestras and chamber bodies, such as FOK, PFK, Brno State Philharmonic, Liverpool Royal Orchestra, Ars rediviva and more). Hana Jonášová has been cooperating with the Czech TV and Czech Radio, Supraphon, and other recording companies. She was the second Prize Winner at the Golden Prague Festival for her role in the opera Les larmes du couteau (The Tears of a Knife) by Bohuslav Martinů.
VLADIMÍR REJLEK - TRUMPET was born in Tábor. He studied at the Conservatory and Academy of Music in Prague. He is the winner of the Prague Spring International Music Competition in 1978 and a prize-winner of the Toulon competition in 1976. His wide repertoire includes pieces of all styles with an accent on Baroque and contemporary compositions. He is a regular guest of concert halls both at home and abroad. In 2009, he was appointed professor at the Prague Academy of Performing Arts. Vladimír Rejlek is also the principal trumpet player in the opera orchestra at the National Theatre Prague.
JOSEF POPELKA - ORGAN Studied organ at the Conservatory of Kroměříž under K. Pokora. He continued at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague with Dr. J. Reinberger and Prof. J. Hora. He graduated under M. Šlechta. He is a prize-winner at numerous organ competitions. he won 2nd Prize and the title of laureate at the International Organ Competition of Prague Spring in 1979. He has recorded a great many recordings for the Czech Broadcasting. Recently, he has been a professor of organ at the Conservatory of Prague and the Academy of Performing Arts.
Our tip:
Listen to festive fanfare, played by two trumpeters in stylized costumes on the heraldic trumpets before the beginning of the concert at the staircase of the church. The artists typically perform 30 minutes before the concert begins.
About the organ:
The organ of St. Francis of Assisi Church is the second-oldest organ in Prague, built in 1702. Many famous personalities, such as W. A. Mozart, A. Dvořák, and J. Seger, played this unique musical instrument, which has been recently sensibly restored.
Important:
- No assigned seating, seating on a first-come, first-served basis
- The soloists perform most of the concert from the front right balcony by the organ
- The church opens 20 minutes before the concert
- Up to 3 children under 10 years old with one adult free of charge
- No intermission
- Dress code: casual
- Program subject to change
Venue photo gallery
St. Francis Church - Charles Bridge
| Address: | Křižovnické náměstí , Praha 1 |
|---|---|
| Capacity: | 180 |
| Type: | Church |
| Winter heating: | No |
| Wheelchair access: | No |
A Baroque monastery church next to Charles Bridge with a long tradition of organ concerts
The Church of St. Francis of Assisi from 1688, belonging to the Order of the Red Cross, is an exceptional work of a Burgundian architect, Jean Baptiste Mathey. Inconspicuous from outside, the church is in fact a very important part of the Old Town skyline.
In Baroque times, this building, inspired by contemporary Roman architecture, came across in Prague as a revelation and became a model for many contemporary architects. Interior decorations stand out for their sophistication, dominated by a fresco of the Last Judgement by the famous Prague Baroque painter Václav Vavřinec Reiner.
St. Francis Church houses the second-oldest organ in Prague, played by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonín Dvořák and other famous musical personalities. Nowadays, classical and organ concerts are held at St. Francis of Assisi church. Organ concerts at Knights of the Cross are drafted as one-hour-long coherent programmes.
Besides compositions of world-renowned masters of Baroque and Classicism, you can hear music of Czech authors. Popular dramaturgy (which is, however, artistically valuable) completes the rich sound of the organ and its combination with solo instruments or vocals, so the listener is always surprised by new colours and sound variations. Usually three artists perform at the concerts – soloists of our prominent opera and orchestra ensembles, pedagogues of the Academy of Music and Prague conservatory.
How to get there:
- Accessibility by Prague public transport:
Metro A (green line) - Staroměstská station
tram - Staroměstská stop or Karlovy lázně stop - Nearest car parking:
OLD TOWN PARKING, Alšovo nábřeží 12, Prague 1