Baroque Stories on Harpsichord and an Exceptional Evening of Vocal Art in the Heart of Bratislava.
Viva Musica! festival Announces New Names for This Year’s Programme.

Bratislava, 1April 14, 2026

The organisers of the 22nd edition of the Viva Musica! festival are gradually unveiling this year’s programme, which already promises several outstanding musical highlights. These include Philip Glass’s iconic opera Einstein on the Beach featuring Suzanne Vega in the leading role, a special concert by Lash&Grey with orchestra and an international band line-up, as well as the rescheduled birthday concert of violinist Dalibor Karvay with the Viva Musica! Orchestra. Festival audiences can also look forward to a concert by acclaimed soprano Adriana Kučerová and the Slovak debut of outstanding French harpsichordist Louise Acabo.

Adriana Kučerová has won audiences worldwide with her radiant voice, compelling stage presence, and natural charisma. She has performed on prestigious opera stages from Milan, Paris, and Vienna to Buenos Aires, and has collaborated with leading conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Gustavo Dudamel, Fabio Luisi, and Juraj Valčuha. Great acclaim followed her interpretation of the title role in Janáček’s opera The Cunning Little Vixen at Opéra Bastille in Paris, as well as in the internationally praised Bratislava production directed by Sláva Daubnerová. She has also repeatedly appeared alongside the world-renowned Plácido Domingo in gala concerts both in Slovakia and abroad.

At the Viva Musica! festival, Adriana will perform together with the French Thymos Ensemble under the direction of violinist Gabriel Richard. “I first met the Thymos ensemble many years ago in Paris, when we recorded an album of songs by Antonín Dvořák together with Christoph Eschenbach. We later performed together at the Fougères Musicales festival, and I very much look forward to performing again with these exceptional musicians – this time at the Viva Musica! festival” , said Adriana Kučerová. Their programme will feature music by Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Antonín Dvořák, Claude Debussy, and Gustav Mahler. The concert will take place on June 25, 2026, at 8:00 PM at the Great Evangelical Church.

Baroque Stories on the Harpsichord

French harpsichordist Louise Acabo is among the most distinctive representatives of the younger generation of early music performers. Her playing is marked by virtuosity and remarkable depth, rooted in a rich and diverse repertoire. She studied in Strasbourg and Basel and is currently based in Paris. A laureate of several international competitions, she regularly collaborates with leading early music ensembles such as Jupiter, Le Concert de la Loge, Pygmalion, and Masques. Her debut solo album Chambonnières Overseas, released in August 2025 by Alpha Classics, received international acclaim.

At the Viva Musica! festival, Louise will perform on July 22, 2026, at 8:00 PM in the Mirror Hall of the Primate’s Palace, marking her Slovak debut. The programme will offer a cross-section of harpsichord repertoire from the 17th and 18th centuries, highlighting the evolution of musical language and performance traditions across various European countries. “The selection of pieces highlights the diversity of keyboard music over more than a century often collectively referred to as the Baroque, yet encompassing a wide range of musical styles. Each piece reflects its specific musical and instrumental context in a period marked by richness as well as constant transformation of musical language”, said Louise Acabo, who also engages in music research alongside her performing career.