Name: 31st International Organ Festival - From Bach to the Far East
Start: 2026-08-27T19:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-08-27T20:00:00+02:00
Location: St. James Basilica

Date:	August 27, 2026 \| 19:00 (Thu)
Venue:	St. James Basilica
Duration:	60 minutes
Intermission:	No
Status:	Available

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Group discount 10+ people
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An evening of music in a setting where history, artistry, and the majestic sound of the organ come together in perfect harmony

Each summer, the Basilica of St. James hosts one of Prague’s most renowned and long-standing organ festivals, attracting distinguished performers and music lovers from around the world. In the inspiring setting of this magnificent Baroque church, you will hear masterworks of the organ repertoire performed on one of the largest and most impressive organs in the Czech Republic. The festival is celebrated for its artistic excellence, refined atmosphere, and unforgettable acoustics that bring every note vividly to life. For discerning listeners seeking a meaningful cultural highlight during their stay in Prague, this event offers a truly exceptional musical experience.

Program:

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685−1750)
Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 538
GABRIEL PIERNÉ (1863–1937)
Trois Pièces / Three Pieces Op. 29
Prélude – Cantilène
SIGFRID KARG-ELERT (1877–1933)
Stimmen der Nacht / Voices of the Night
Op. 142 No. 1
OSKAR LINDBERG (1887–1955)
Sonata in G minor Op. 23
Marcia elegiaca – Adagio – Alla Sarabanda – Finale – Allegro con brio
TAN KAH BENG (1964)
Moonlight in the City
(arrangement for organ and dizi by E. Chan)
ZHAO JIPING (1945)
Song of the Valiant
(arrangement for organ and suona by E. Chan)

Performing:

Eric Chan (Hongkong) - organ
Chrysoberyl Chan - dizi, suona

About the organ:

The St. James´ organ is the largest in Prague and the Czech Republic. The two-manual organ with a pedal keyboard and 26 stops was completed in 1705 by Abraham Stark of Loket.

The organ´s case, which is still admired today, was unique in its time. So far, the latest major reconstruction was carried out between 1981 and 1982 by "Varhany Krnov" (Rieger-Kloss). At present, the organ has four manuals, 91 speaking stops, and 8,277 pipes.

More information about the organ

Important:

No assigned seating, seating on a first-come, first-served basis
We recommend arriving at the venue 30 minutes early before the start of the performance
No intermission
Dress code: casual
Program subject to change

Other organ concerts in Prague

Venue photo gallery

St. James Basilica

Address:	Malá Štupartská 6 , Praha 1
Capacity:	230
Type:	Church
Winter heating:	No
Wheelchair access:	Yes

St. James Basilica is renowned for its organ concerts and festivals

The impressive interior of the St. James Basilica is a treasury of Baroque art. Since the 13th century, St. James Basilica belonging to the Franciscan order has been an important spiritual center of Prague. It has been also a stop on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Throughout history, the church was spared from destruction by butchers' guild who had their meat market close by.

Of many legends related to the church the most famous is the legend of a thief whose severed hand of sin is still hanging on a chain in the church.

The origin of St. James' large organ dates to the very beginning of the 18th century. After a major fire in 1689, a new organ was built by Abraham Stark of Loket, who had by then already produced several organs for various localities in Bohemia. The new two-manual organ was completed in 1705. The organ´s case, which is still admired today, was also unique for its time.

In 1941, the organ was enlargened and the Romantic disposition was added to original Baroque one. The latest reconstruction was completed in 1982 by „Varhany Krnov“ (Rieger-Kloss). All of Stark’s original voices, mostly including original pipes, were preserved, as well as many interesting Romantic tone-colours. At present the organ has four manuals, 91 speaking stops and 8,277 pipes.

See the detailed information about the organ.

Did you know?

The monastery of St James is one of the stops on the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostela. In 1974, Pope Paul VI awarded the church of St. James the honourable title of Basilica Minor.

How to get there:

Accessibility by public transport:
metro B (yellow line) - Náměstí Republiky station
tram - Náměstí Republiky stop
Nearest car parking:
underground of Kotva Shopping Centre or Palladium Parking, Prague 1

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