Credit: Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation

Festival Ostrava Days kicked off on Aug. 24, 2023. There will be 16 concerts at 11 locations featuring a broad range of musical experiences, including opera and vocal pieces.

Here’s the lineup.

A Flash Mob Opera will take over the front of Forum Nová Karolina shopping mall. The opera will be set in motion by František Chaloupka’s techno-optimist opera “Rozlučka se svobodou,” which features  “mobile” performers: two singers rush through the square on e-scooters, and four saxophone players do their best to control four hoverboards. The featured vocalist is soprano Aneta Podracká Bendová

Performance Date: Aug. 25, 2023

“Little Copenhagen” will serve as the stage for Radim Hanousek’s opera “Principles of creation of street nomenclature,” which offers an unusual perspective on the operatic genre. Vocalists include soprano Aneta Podracká Bendová, alto Jana Vondrů, and bass Tomáš Krejčí.

Performance Date: Aug. 25, 2023

The Cathedral of the Divine Savior hosts innovative musical compositions such as Pavel Zemek Novák’s “Litany” and Michal Rataj’s “Načálo polunóščnici.” Jan Dobiáš premieres “Chví se čas [Time Shakes]” at Ostrava Days, along with world premieres of other pi “Music for Organ and Two Improvising Soloists” by Peter Graham and “Improvisational Suite” by Amina Claudine Myers. The Canticum Ostrava choir, directed by Jurij Galatenko, will perform. Vocalists include soprano Tereza Böhmová and alto Kamila Mazalová.

Performance Date: Aug. 29, 2023

“Solos and Ensembles” will introduce solo and ensemble works by contemporary composers. Canticum Ostrava will perform.

The “Long Night” concert demands a lot from listeners, organizers, and performers, who have to stay alert until early morning. The marathon offers a unique and intense musical experience in return. A highlight includes Bernhard Lang’s opera “Playing Trump” which uses quotes from the former American president to create a dynamic musical mix that blends diverse genres, including pop, jazz, minimalism, and electronic music. The opera features soprano Donatienne Michel-Dansac.

A site-specific piece by Peter Ablinger includes sopranos Eva Marie Kořená, Aneta Podracká Bendová, and Jana Vondrů.

Performance Date: Sept. 1, 2023