History

An Incredible Journey: the History of Strings of Autumn

Strings of Autumn came into being in 1996, when then-President Vaclav Havel took the unprecedented step of entrusting two students of arts management (Vrabec and Martin Pechanec) with the musical programming for Prague Castle, giving them free rein to build and shape the festival.

The two young founders were determined to create a festival with a unique character. They hit on the idea of putting on concerts by performers new to the Prague audience in parts of the castle not usually accessible to the public – a combination that quickly saw Strings earmarked as a festival to watch.

As the festival established itself in the years that followed, it was able to attract artists of the calibre of Michael Nyman and Jan Garbarek to Prague for the first time, and build a loyal and appreciative audience base. In 2003, Strings celebrated its most successful ever year, with most of its ten concerts sold-out well in advance. Less than a year later, however, the festival would be fighting for its life.

In 2004, with a new president in place (Vaclav Klaus), the castle’s cultural policy changed almost overnight. Many of Havel’s cultural initiatives were stopped dead in their tracks - and Strings itself was turfed out of the castle. Suddenly, the festival found itself without a home, without venues, and without financial backing.

Amazingly, with the support of both public and sponsors, the 2004 festival did, in the end, take place – albeit in pared-down form. Highlights included concerts by the Kronos Quartet and the Uri Caine Ensemble.

Against the odds, Strings had kept itself alive. 2005 saw the festival re-born with a full programme of world-class artists (including soprano Nathalie Dessay and jazz legend Gary Burton) and a series of partnerships with some of the finest venues in Prague: the Rudolfinum, the Estates Theatre, the Municipal House, and the Prague Crossroads church (home of Vaclav Havel’s Vision ’97 charity). These superb venues have since become synonymous with Strings of Autumn.

In recent years, Strings has continued to go from strength to strength, bringing a host of world-class artists to Prague: Brad Mehldau, Cassandra Wilson, Ute Lemper, Dianne Reeves, Anne-Sofie von Otter, Bobby McFerrin...and the list goes on.