Cigánski diabli band playing a New Year’s Eve concert. (source: TASR)
Western Slovakia
Červený Kameň Castle
MUSEUM/EVENT: Cinderella – Annual performances marking the end of the year offer different stories – in the Slovak language but often understandable for non-speakers. The tale of Cinderella will be performed in the authentic environment of the Medieval Castle as special Christmas tours between December 27 and 30. Starts: Dec 27-30; each full hour between 10:00 and 16:00; Červený Kameň Castle, Častá village. Admission: €4-€8. More info: http://hradcervenykamen.sk.
Staged tours at the Red Castle / Červený kameň are popular. (source: SITA)
Trnava
CONCERT/PARTY: BURN!_2016 / BURN! Vol. 3 – The traditional heavy metal concert BURN!_2016_BURN! In its third event brings melodic metal, as performed by the local band Ohen playing a fusion of blackened symphonic metal and melodic dark metal; the Czech band Sage from Kojetín, combining guitar riffs with growl and the Levice-based Slovak band Achsar playing folk metal. Starts: Dec 30, 21:00 (line-up is Ohen, Sage and Achsar); ArtKlub, Hlavná 17. Admission: €3. More info: www.kamdomesta.sk.
Trnava
EXHIBITION: Marián Oravec: Tajomný svet / Mysterious World – Slovak painter and graphic artist Marián Oravec, a student of Albín Brunovský, follows in the footsteps of his professor and draws inspiration both from him and from the works of Salvador Dali. His current exhibition, put together mainly from surrealist art from private collections, presents graphic artworks, oil paintings, ex-libris, illustrations and drawings, as curated by Stanislav Háber. Open: Tue-Wed-Fri 9:00 - 17.00, Thur 10:00 – 18:00, Sun 13:00 – 18:00 until Jan 29; Ján Koniarek Gallery, Synagogue – Centre of Contemporary Art, Halenárska 2. Admission: €0.60-€1.30. Tel: 033/5511-659; www.gjk.sk.
Central Slovakia
Banská Bystrica
OPERETTA: Franz Lehár – The Land of Smiles – The special performance of the popular operetta by Franz Lehár – as rehearsed and conducted by Ján Procházka, directed by Jana Andělová Pletichová, with costumes by Tomáš Kypta, stage design by David Bazika, with choirmaster Iveta Popovičová and choreographer Ján Ševčík – will mark the end of the year. Starts: Dec 30, 18:00; State Opera, Národná 11. Admission: €12. More info: www.stateopera.sk.
FRanz Lehár - Land of Smiles, in State Opera Banská Bystrica (source: Jozef Lomnický)
Žilina
CLASSICAL MUSIC: Epiphany Concert by the Gipsy devils / Trojkráľový koncert Cigánskych diablov – The Slovak band playing classical music, Roma folklore and fusions, will give a concert at the beginning of the new year. Cigánski diabli line-up: Ernest Šarközi-cymbalom, Silvia Šarköziová-cello, Štefan Banyák-first violin, Emil Hasala-second violin, Jozef Farkaš-viola, Róbert Fehér-double bass, Zoltán Grunza, clarinet and tarogato. Starts: Jan 5, 19:00; Fatra House of Arts, Dolný Val 47. Admission: €20 (seasonal tickets B). More info: www.skozilina.sk.
Banská Bystrica
CLASSICAL MUSIC: New Year’s Concert – The first concert of 2017 at the State Opera offers seasonally-themed arias and duets from operas and operettas, performed by soloists Dušan Šimo, Katarína Procházková, Šimon Svitok, Patrícia Macák Solotruková, Jana Kurucová as guest, conducted by Igor Bulla, with concert master Oldřich Husák, accompanied by the Orchestra of the State Opera. Starts: Jan 5, 19:00; State Opera, Národná 11. Admission: €15 (season tickets A, D). More info: www.stateopera.sk.
Žilina
EXHIBITION: Stano Filko in Žilina – This exhibition is, rather than a compact curatorial programme, a presentation of works by avant-garde Slovak conceptual artist Stano Filko – some never exhibited before, from his US visit – as well as selected works by younger artists, e.g. Martin Vongrej, András Csefalvay, František Demeter, Ján Gašparovič, and others) as curated by Fedor Blaščák and Christian Kobald. Open: weekdays 12:00-17:00 until Dec 31 (possibly longer); New Synagogue, Kuzmányho 1. More info: www.novasynagoga.sk.
Banská Štiavnica
EXHIBITION: Paralelné svety / Parallel Worlds – This exhibition is the group project of ten Slovak visual artists, teachers at the Institute of Artistic Creation and Multi-media at the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava: Gabriela Gáspárová Illéšová, Paulína Edbringerová, Jozef Hobor, Martin Kellenberger, Bohuš Kubinský, Milan Lukáč, Vladimír Petrík, Eva Ploczeková, Ján Šilinger, and Michal Šuda. Open: Tue-Sun 8:00-16:00 until Jan 15 (except for Dec 25 and 26). Admission: €1-€2. Galéria Jozefa Kollára (Jozef Kollár Gallery), Námestie sv.Trojice 8. Tel: 045/6913-431; www.muzeumbs.sk.
Eastern Slovakia
Košice
CHRISTMAS CONCERT: Christmas Concert – I Will Find You There – The fifth year of this event brings Christmas carols, a series of scenes, a message, and lots of music. Starts: Dec 30, 18:00; Spoločenský pavilón, Trieda SNP 61. Admission: €7. Tickets: City Information Centre, Hlavná 32; more info: www.kamdomesta.sk.
UPDATED: Košice
NEW YEAR’S EVE/CHILDREN’S RAILWAY: The New Year’s Eve can be spent aslo with a festive ride on historical railway, called the Silvester Express, with a programme for children, a workshop, mascots, and more. Starts: Dec 31, 11:20 (from Čermeľ station, and 13:20 (back from the Alpinka station; Košice. Admission: €1 (for children)-€4 (adults). More info: www.detskazeleznica.sk.
Košice
NEW YEAR’S EVE/OPERETTA: Grófka Marica / The Countess Marica – The popular classical operetta by Emmerich Kálmán combines a comical plot and many romantic storylines, with popular and well-known melodies. At the SDKE, it has been staged in Slovak, with a libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald; directed by Dagmar Hlubková; rehearsed and conducted by Igor Dohovič; stage by Jaroslav Milfajt; costumes by Tomáš Kypta, and choreography by Oleksandr Khablo. Cast includes Helena Becse Szabó / Tatiana Paľovčíková – Paládiová; Jaroslav Dvorský / Zsolt Vadász; Oľga Bezačinská / Eva Nováková; Titusz Tóbisz; Marek Gurbaľ / Filip Tůma, and others. Starts: Dec 31, 16:00; State Theatre Košice (SDKE), Hlavná 58. Admission: €4-€15. Tickets: www.navstevnik.sk; more info: www.skde.sk.
Prešov
BALL: 3rd Castle Ball in Prešov / III. Hradný ples v Prešove – The third Castle Ball in Prešov strives, apart from entertaining brave men and beautiful ladies, to collect €1,500 for the renovation of the cultural monument that is chosen as the Castle of the Year. People who buy tickets will also decide which of the six nearby castles will get the title, and thus the collected resources. The programme will feature the grouping Lady Colors, an historical fencing troupe SHŠ Cohors, period dances and a period fashion show by the Pulcherrima Rosa troupe and a video-screening of a documentary on the Prešov Castle Route, and more. Starts: Jan 7, 19:00; PKO-Čierny orol, Hlavná 50; pkovstupenkypo@gmail.com. Admission: €30: Tel: 051/77 237 41-2; sekretariatpko@gmail.com. More info: www.pkopresov.sk.
Košice
CHRISTMAS ZOO: The Christmas zoo is not just seasonally decorated but allows visitors to explore the winter habits of the animals. Open: daily 9:00-16:00 until Jan 8 (except for Dec 24-26). Zoo Košice-Kavečany, Široká 31. Admission: €2.50. Tel: 055 /7968-011; www.zookosice.sk.
Košice
DANCE/WORKSHOP: Open Tabačka – DanceFabrik – Body Language Café – The modern dance workshop with coaches Katka Rampáčková and Miška Sabolová of PST – Space of Contemporary Dance strives to develop and lecture non-verbal communication at a movement workshop without words, exploring individual work, work in couples, or in groups. Also open to people without previous dance experience, aged over 15. Starts: Jan 8, 16:00, Tabačka KulturFabrik, Gorkého 2. Admission: free. More info: www.tabacka.sk.
Kežmarok
EXHIBITION: Tribute to Albín Brunovský / Pocta Albínovi Brunovskému – This exhibition, curated by Carmen Kováčová and conceptualised by Peter Panenka, will commemorate the birthday of the famous Slovak graphic artist, painter and teacher Albín Brunovský (who would have turned 81 on December 25). It will also show the graphic friendship between Ivan Panenka and Albín Brunovský, resulting in a collection of works by the latter, as owned by the former. Instead of evaluating and summing up the whole vast work of Brunovský, the exhibition wants to present as wide a selection as possible of his graphic artworks, across the years of his career. Open: Tue-Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-13:00 until January 26; U Anjela Gallery, Starý trh 53. Admission: free. More info: www.galeriauanjela.sk.
Brunovský: The Lady in Hat (source: Courtesy of GUA)
