At the beginning of the evening, the ambassador Radek Pech welcomed approximately 50 visitors, including several ambassadors, and pointed out that the concert takes place on the occasion of the second most important national holiday, the Czech Statehood Day (St. Wenceslas Day) on September 28. The concert also commemorated the 850th anniversary of the birth of King Valdemar II of Denmark, the husband of Czech Princess Markéta, who took the name Dagmar after the marriage.

The Ensemble Martinů was founded in 1978. The repertoire contains about 90 compositions. Along with the traditional repertoire from the 18th to the 20th century, the group has concentrated especially on the music of Bohuslav Martinů and on works by contemporary Czech composers. The Ensemble has performed on most major stages in the Czech Republic as well as international music festivals and performs often abroad.