Discover Unforgettable Adventures: Immerse Yourself in Martinů in Polička
The Experience Martinů 2025 festival invites you into the enchanting world of the renowned composer through an artistic journey filled with joy and depth—not limited to just music. This entire event will occur on Friday at 6:00 p.m., featuring the unveiling of paintings by the gifted young artist Veronika Bílková, who is working on a book about Bohuslav Martinů. For the very first time in Polička, illustrations from this book will be showcased in their natural state. These impressive artworks involve large canvases created with both oil and acrylic painting techniques, promising a truly impactful exhibition. The exhibition will be held on the 2nd floor of the Baroque Town Hall located in the town square.
Saturday’s early afternoon will be aimed at children at the Polička Museum. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. with an engaging music and art workshop named Puppet Games, inspired by a piano collection from B. Martinů. During this workshop, children will explore Bohuslav Martinů’s music in a fun and exciting way while creating simple puppets resembling characters from the piano collection. Following this, at 3 p.m., there will be a Puppet opera Boža in the realm of puppets. This opera was developed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the completion of Bohuslav Martinů’s well-loved piano collection Puppets, and it will have its world premiere in Polička.
Adult Program for Saturday Afternoon
The Saturday lineup at the Experience Martinů Festival is absolutely packed with activities. After the children’s portion, it’s time for music enthusiasts. At 5 p.m., students from JAMU in Brno will present an original performance that reveals insights into Bohuslav Martinů’s life and works, intriguingly titled Compulsion des Compositeurs. This translates to The composer’s compulsion, referring to the creative drive that constantly pushed the composer to produce new works. The French title pays homage to Martinů’s cherished country, where he felt most at home.
The main highlight of the day will be an evening concert designed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the premiere of Hymn to St. James in Polička. This beautiful piece, along with other compositions by Martinů, will be performed by the Brno Academic Choir under the direction of conductor Pavel Šnajdr. The evening will also feature vocal soloists Marta Chia Reichelová, Maria Vrbová, and David Szendiuch, accompanied by various instruments. Martinů’s music will fill the air at 7 p.m. in the Church of St. James, the very place to which the Hymn was dedicated.
For those who enjoy the night, there will be an event called Stars Above the Tower. From 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., every half hour, visitors can climb the tower of St. James Church to use special equipment to view the starry sky.
