Cappella Mariana is a chamber vocal ensemble that had long specialized in performing medieval polyphony, Renaissance vocal works, and early Baroque music. Its performances were enthusiastically received by audiences and critics alike, who especially appreciated the ensemble’s expressive delivery and sensitive approach to the text. Under the artistic direction of Vojtěch Semerád, the group focused mainly on Baroque and pre-Romantic repertoire.

 

In 2014, Cappella Mariana took part in the celebrations of the Year of Czech Music and was subsequently invited regularly to prestigious festivals such as Oude Muziek Utrecht, Laus Polyphoniae Antwerpen, Voices of Passion Leuven, Klangvokal Dortmund, MAfestival Brugge, Prague Spring, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Innsbrucker Festwochen, St. Wenceslas Music Festival, and Concentus Moraviae.

 

With the unique program “Kryštof Harant or A Journey to the Holy Land” (An Oriental Odyssey), which explored Harant’s unfinished compositions and writings about his travels to the Holy Land, Cappella Mariana first performed alongside Constantinople and actor Saša Rašilov at Prague Spring in 2021. In December 2022, the ensemble embarked on its first overseas tour to Canada with this project. In 2025, Cappella Mariana crowned its run of successes by receiving the Anděl Award in the Classical category for its recording of Harant’s journey.

 

The concert, comprising works inspired by both Eastern and Western musical traditions and music from Ottoman, Persian, and post-Byzantine sources, was performed at the Stockholm Early Music Festival — the largest Nordic festival of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music.

 

Photo gallery: Petra Hajská and Ivan Malý

This event was organized in cooperation with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Stockholm.