Classical Movements is pleased to announce the "Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Festival" featuring 4 fully-staged productions of Mozart's Don Giovanni under the stage direction of legendary American baritone, Sherrill Milnes. The Estates Theatre was featured in scenes from Amadeus and is the only remaining venue where Mozart conducted.

The 30 day Young Artist Festival with 100 students features multiple concerts, productions and travel, all arranged by Classical Movements, Inc. Nearly 500 singers and instrumentalists auditioned to be considered for the Prague Summer Nights Festival from all over the world and finally 45 singers and 55 musicians were selected along with leading faculty from all over the world including from the most important musical institutions in Berlin, London, New York, Boston, and Prague.

“I am so happy to return to the beautiful city of Prague where I was the first American to play Don Giovanni at the original Estates Theater where Mozart himself premiered it. It is exciting to be back after 20 years, this time in my Stage director debut for Don Giovanni as part of the Prague Summer Nights, Young Artists Program. I look forward to working with these brilliant young artists over the next 30 days and putting on these 4 productions of Don Giovanni with famous sets and costumes from the Estates Theater.” says Milnes.

“Classical Movements has created an extraordinary program and we believe that no other summer musical training offers young artists so many different opportunities to perform in such magnificent venues; both for opera singers and instrumentalists. We were fortunate to get such high caliber applications and to attract such superior faculty, especially the legendary Sherrill Milnes. The four Don Giovanni performances will use the sets and costumes from the famous 2002 production by the Czech National Theatre and will take place in the Estates Theatre, where the opera was premiered by Mozart himself in 1787,” says Neeta Helms, president of Classical Movements Inc.

The young students will also have additional programs at the Prague Proms Festival in Smetena Hall, in the Antonin Dvorak Museum, and in Historic jazz clubs and churches of Prague. The festival highlights include a grand Opera Gala in the Estates Theatre, a performance of Mozart and Duruflé with the Anchorage Concert Chorus in Smetana Hall, a production of Suor Angelica in St. Simon and Jude church, where Haydn and Mozart performed, a performance by the orchestra at Smetana Hall, chamber music and song recitals in the salon of the Antonin Dvořák Museum in Prague, and a cabaret in one of Prague’s famous jazz clubs. 

Sherrill Milnes is universally acclaimed as the foremost operatic baritone of his generation. With his powerful voice and commanding stage presence he sang over 650 performances at the Met, where he was honored with sixteen new productions, seven opening nights, and ten national telecasts. Mr. Milnes is the winner of three Grammy Awards, and is the most recorded American singer of his time. In 2008 he received the Opera News Award for Distinguished Achievement. Driven by his dedication to make the vocal arts vibrant, vital and entertaining in today’s world, Mr. Milnes continues to give master classes, judge competitions, and mentor new generations of singers. With his wife, Maria Zouves, he co-founded and runs the Sherrill Milnes VOICE Programs: VOICExperience Foundation and the Savannah VOICE Festival provide training for aspiring young artists while fostering new audiences for the arts.

Mozart’s Don Giovanni: Singers and Orchestra of the Prague Summer Nights Festival
Stavovské Divadlo (Prague Estates Theatre)

Friday, July 3 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, July 4 – 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Sunday, July 5 – 7:00 PM

Stage Director: Sherrill Milnes and Maria Zouves
Conductor: John Nardolillo
Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte