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Czech Republic Takes Center Stage - Memphis in May

The Memphis in May International Festival will feature the Czech Republic as the honored country in its month-long celebration, showcasing a variety of top cultural programming in this southern U.S. city. During the celebration, the festival offers a special tribute, An International Salute to the Czech Republic, from May 7-13, 2018.           

Czech Ambassador Hynek Kmoníček said, “I am delighted that the Memphis in May International Festival has chosen to highlight the vibrancy of the Czech Republic in 2018, bringing exceptional talent from the heart of Europe, accentuating the many feats of my homeland, and simultaneously coinciding with celebrations surrounding the 100 years of Czech independence.” He and his wife Indira Gumarova will also be distinguished guests at the Memphis in May International Festival Gala Castles and Crystals.           
                 
Highlights of the festival include:
 

Dan Bárta & Illustratosphere

Dan Bárta & Illustratosphere

Dan Bárta and Illustratosphere
May 5, 3:50 pm | Beale Street Music Festival

Seven-time Czech Grammy-winner Dan Bárta and Illustratosphere, comprised of Robert Balzar, Filip Jelínek, Martin Valihora and Miroslav Chyška, bring world music, pop, and cross over jazz to the Beale Street Music Festival.
Epoque Quartet

Epoque Quartet

One Night in Prague - Epoque Quartet
May 10, 7 pm | The Orpheum Theatre

One Night in Prague features a gourmet sampling of Czech cuisine and the performance of the world-class Epoque Quartet, including David Pokorný (violin I.), Vladimír Klánský (violin II.), Vladimír Kroupa (viola), and Vít Petrášek (cello), who fuse their classical training with the sounds of jazz and rock.  
Domažlice Bagpipe Band

Domažlice Bagpipe Band

Domažlice Bagpipe Band
May 9, 11, 14, and 15 | Area Schools in Memphis

The Domažlice Bagpipe Band ranks among the leading ensembles performing various styles of bagpipe (dudy) music of the Chod region of Western Bohemia in the Czech Republic for more than twenty years. Along with the bagpipe, clarinet, violin and string bass, various ancient Czech folk rhythmic musical instruments will be played, such as fanfrnoch, vozembouch, and hrábě.
Chef Zdeněk Pohlreich

Chef Zdeněk Pohlreich

Cuisine of the Czech Republic – Chef Zdeněk Pohlreich
May 12, 7 pm | Peabody Hotel, Chez Philippe
May 16-19 | World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Tom Lee Park

Renowned Czech chef and best-selling author  Zdeněk Pohlreich dishes up cuisine of the Czech Republic at the Peabody Hotel, Chez Philippe and oversees executive chefs at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest.
Kamil Mrva

Kamil Mrva

Architects of the World Lecture Series
May 9, 6 pm (reception), 6:30 pm (lecture) | Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

Kamil Mrva, Ph.D., is one of the most prominent representatives of the younger generation of Czech architects.  Through the series, presented in collaboration with AIA Memphis, Mrva will give insight into the unique architectural, cultural, social and economic environment of the Czech Republic.
Czech Scientists and Their Inventions

Czech Scientists and Their Inventions

Czech Scientists and Their Inventions
May 1-31 | Goodwyn Gallery at the Benjaming L. Hooks Central Library

Composed of caricatures of leading Czech scientists and their most famous discoveries, this educational exhibition is part of the Open Science projects of the Czech Academy of Sciences and spotlights the pioneering steps of these brilliant researchers. The original graphic design by  Přemek Ponáhlý presents historical and contemporary Czech scientists via a humorous and hyperbolic depiction.
Witness the Revolution

Witness the Revolution

Witness the Revolution: Accounts from Americans Who Were There
May 1-31 | National Civil Rights Museum
As communism fell in Europe in 1989, several Americans in Czechoslovakia had the opportunity to witness a pivotal moment in history. This travelling photography exhibition by the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library uses eye witness accounts from Americans who were there, including a professor, student, reporter, and U.S. Embassy staff. Their notes, pictures and videos combine to tell a fascinating story of revolution and freedom. 
Daisies

Daisies

Film Series
May 8-May 30 | Various Venues

The film series features a selection of some of the most beloved films of the Czech New Wave, such as Milos Forman’s Loves of a Blonde and Vera Chytilová’s Daisies, as well as top contemporary films including director Jan Hřebejk’s Family Friend, with the director in person for a Q&A, and Bohdan Sláma’s Ice Mother, which garnered the best screenplay award for an international narrative at the Tribeca Film Festival 2017.
History of the Floods in Prague

History of the Floods in Prague

History of the Floods in Prague
May 1-31 | TBA

The History of the Floods in Prague, presented in collaboration with the City Museum of Prague, is an interactive exhibition of the floods that brought destruction and suffering along the Vltava, the longest river in the Czech Republic. 
Cross-Cultural Student Exchange

Cross-Cultural Student Exchange

Cross-Cultural Student Exchange 
March and April, 2018 | Czech Republic and Memphis, TN

In the spring of 2018, select juniors and seniors from Memphis and Czech high schools had the opportunity to participate in a week-long  exchange program facilitated by the Memphis in May International Festival. All students stayed with host families in the host country, attended classes, visited famous monuments and landmarks, and experienced a different culture first-hand.

For additional information and a complete schedule for the Memphis in May International Festival, please visit: http://www.memphisinmay.org/.

PR_MemphisinMay_Final (PDF, 224 KB)

Press Contact:
Pavla Veličkinová, Head of Public Diplomacy
pavla_velickinova@mzv.cz