Foreigners: Top 10 events around Slovakia in November

The selection of events not to miss in various regions around Slovakia this month.

Day of wine cellars 2013 in TrnavaDay of wine cellars 2013 in Trnava (Source: TASR)

CONCERT: Donny Benét tour, November 8-10, Zvolen, Banská Bystrica, Košice
CONCERT/OPERA: Requiem, November 10, State Opera Banská Bystrica
JAZZ FESTIVAL: Jazz FOR SAle, November 10, 17, and 24, Košice
THEATRE: Night of Theatres, November 17, around Slovakia
CONCERT: Max Lilja mini-tour, November 17, Trnava
WINE ROUTE: Day of Open Cellars, November 23-24, Small-Carpathian Wine Route
MARTIAL ARTS: LCC Fight Night, November 24, Trenčín
LANGUAGE CAFÉ: BlaBlaBar #6: TV Edition, Nov 26, Žilina
CLASSICAL MUSIC: Ars Nova 2018, November 26-29, Košice
EXHIBITION: Nikolaj Feďkovič: Great Things, open until November 28, Kežmarok

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CONCERT: Donny Benét tour, November 8-10, Zvolen, Banská Bystrica, Košice

The well-established Australian showman and musician Donny Benét – who enchanted crowds at the Pohoda 2018 music festival – returns to Slovakia, giving a concert in Bratislava, at the ŽSR House of Culture in Zvolen on November 8 at 20:30, in the Záhrada CNK culture hub in Banská Bystrica on November 9 at 19:00, and in Tabačka Kulturfabrik on November 10 at 20:00.

Tickets: www.pohodafestival.sk (€9 in Zvolen, €7 in Banská Bystrica and €14 in Košice)

CONCERT/OPERA: Requiem – commemorative concert on the centenary of the end of WWI, November 10, State Opera Banská Bystrica

Slovak premiere of Gaetano Donizetti’s Requiem, performed by Adriana Kučerová, Michaela Šebestová, Štefan Kocán, Miroslav Dvorský, Gustáv Beláček and conducted by Pavol Tužinský – with choir and orchestra of State Opera BB and Ars Vocalis Banská Bystrica – marks the 100th anniversary of end of World War I. The concert is in the auditory of the State Opera, starting at 19:00, and lasts for 1.5 hours.

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Tickets: €12 available here
More information.

JAZZ FESTIVAL: Jazz FOR SAle – I. II., and III., November 10, 17, and 24, 19:00, Historical Town-hall, Hlavná 58, Košice

In three evenings, the Jazz FOR Sale festival offers musicians of this genre from the Visegrad Group countries: Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The first event offers the Energit project of Gergő Borlai (renowned fusion drummer, HU), Hadrian Feraud (progressive, talented bass player, USA), and Scott Kinsey (world-renowned keyboardist, USA – ex-Tribal tech). The other gig on November 10 is Slovak combination AMC Trio and the Ľudová Hudba Stana Baláža folk ensemble.

The second evening presents Rhyt’m Desperados – Hungarians, acclaimed pianist Zsolt Kaltenecker & Markó Ádám, the Hungarian Special Providence drummer – and Polish troupe Anna Maria Jopek & Kroke.

On November 24, the last gig brings iconic Slovak band Fermáta, Polish Lukasz Pawlik Quartet, and the renowned and special in its category Československý Big Band Matúša Jakabčica.

More information and tickets: www.jazzforsale.sk or www.skjazz.sk

THEATRE: Night of Theatres, November 17, around Slovakia (Banská Bystrica, Banská Štiavnica, Bátovce, Bratislava, Drahovce, Hlohovec, Kladzany, Komárno, Košice, Malacky, Martin, Nitra, Prešov, Prievidza, Púchov, Rožňava, Semerovo, Senec, Soblahov, Spišská Nová Ves, Tesáre, Topoľčany, Trebišov, Trenčín, Trnava, Zohor, Zvolen, Žilina)

Dozens of theatres around Slovakia offer a special night, an insight for fans and a peep backstage. Some offer drama, others also bring ballet and dance performances, puppet theatre and other forms not requiring knowledge of Slovak language. Admission is mostly free or symbolic.

More information at nocdivadiel.sk

CONCERT: Max Lilja mini-tour, November 17, Berlín club, Trnava

The founding member of the band Apocalyptica, Finnish cellist, composer and collaborator of Tarja, Max Lilja, comes to Slovakia to present his solo works in two concerts: on November 17 in the Trnava cluib, and a day later in Bratislava.

Apocalyptica was the breakthrough of classical music players performing music of the legendary band Metallica. Max Lilja founded the iconic band with Eicco Toppinen, Anter Manninen and Paavo Lotjonen; but the graduate of the prestigious Sibelius Academy has also rich, diverse works of his own, from compositions on the third Apocalyptica album, the Cult, to solo projects in classic-rock and electronic music (Plays Electronica by One Cello, Morphosis and 10 000 Miens albums). Lilja will be joined by two top Slovak musicians, cellist Jozef Lupták and vibraphone player Dalibor Kocián, aka Stroon.

Tickets available here.
More info about the Trnava show on Facebook.

WINE ROUTE: Day of Open Cellars, November 23-24, Small-Carpathian Wine Route, western Slovakia

The 19th year of the Day of Open Cellars ® 2018 brings the chance to taste the best wines in 169 wine-cellars in the Small Carpathians, from Bratislava to Trnava, in a two-day event, on Friday between 14:00 and 21:00 and on Saturday between 12:00 and 21:00. The wine pass (€50) includes vouchers to buy wines, worth €25 – but potential accommodation must be booked separately. Reservations: 0421/33643-3489; application form at www.mvc.sk (a variable symbol will be allocated automatically, in a copy of the order with all necessary information).

More info at www.mvc.sk.

MARTIAL ARTS: LCC Fight Night, November 24, 18:00 City Sport Hall, Mládežnícka 1, Trenčín

The gala-evening of martial arts brings amateur and professional boxing and MMA duels in cage.

Tickets: €9 (in advance), €10 (on the spot); VIP table for 5 people – €150 (includes snacks, alcoholic and soft drinks).

More info and tickets here.

LANGUAGE CAFÉ: BlaBlaBar #6: TV Edition, Nov 26, 19:00, Stanica Žilina-Záriečie, Závodská Cesta 3, Žilina

The culture hub in the city of Žilina, Stanica Žilina-Záriečie, advises people to “turn to our channel Stanica Zariecie, because today they will broadcast BlaBlaBar #6 for the whole evening. The sixth edition of BlaBlaBar is focused on worldwide news, your favourite soap opera, tv-shop and ugly TV advertising.” Visitors are advised to bring their own soda and favourite snacks and to inform organisers (at dobrovolnici@stanica.sk) about topics they want to discuss at the following language tables: English, Slovak, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Dutch.

Admission is free.

CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL: Ars Nova 2018, November 26-29, venues around Košice

This edition of the festival of contemporary music and art, Ars Nova 2018, hails the half centenary of the State Slovak Philharmonic Košice. The first event takes place in the concert hall of the Košice Conservatory (Timonova 2) on November 26 at 17:00, presenting achievements of the conservatory students. Two days later, at the same venue and the same time, two piano virtuosi, Ivan Šiller & František Király, will play pieces for four hands from the 20th and 21st centuries. On November 29, the State Slovak Philharmonic Košice (conducted by Leoš Svárovský) will perform – together with the Collegium Technicum choir (led by Tatiana Švajková), and soloists Michaela Varády (soprano), Andrea Nemcová (mezzo-soprano), Maksym Kutsenko (tenor) and Marián Lukáč (baritone), Marek Gurbaľ (bass) the works of Béla Bartók, Joseph Haydn and premiere the operatic scenes from Tartuffe by Slovak composer Norbert Bodnár.

Tickets (€4-€13 – loge) can be purchased here.

More info at www.sfk.sk.

EXHIBITION: Nikolaj Feďkovič: Great Things, open Tues-Fri 12:00 – 18:00. Sat 10:00 – 13:00 until November 28, At the Angel’s Gallery / Galéria u Anjela, Starý Trh, Kežmarok

Slovak artist Nikolaj Feďkovič exhibits his works in Slovakia, after having spent the last 20 years living and working in Germany. The current collection of his large-sized works, often inspired by 17th-century Dutch painting, Gothic stained-glass, the Leipzig art school and Russian miniatures and icons, is called Great Things.

More info at galeriauanjela.sk (Slovak only)

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