Guitar festival of J. K. Mertz – one of the oldest of its kind in the world and a traditional part of Bratislava’s Cultural Summer – once again offers an attractive program.
The 50th anniversary edition of the Guitar Festival of J. K. Mertz, taking place from June 21 to 26, 2026, will host more than 30 artists from Italy, Spain, Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The event features solo guitar recitals, chamber music – guitar duos, quartets, and ensembles – as well as guitar combined with violin or vocals. The program will include Baroque, early Romantic, and contemporary guitar works from the Central European region, as well as Cuban, Italian, and Spanish music.
Neapolitan Passion
The opening concert of the 50th Guitar Festival of J. K. Mertz on Sunday, June 21, in the Mirror Hall of the Primate’s Palace will feature performances by the phenomenal Italian artists Aniello and Gennaro Desiderio. Guitarist Aniello is already well known to Bratislava audiences, but the duo with his brother, violinist Gennaro, will be making its Slovak debut. The two virtuosos from Naples will come together in an original program featuring works by composers such as Chopin, Paganini, Piazzolla, and Vivaldi, promising an extraordinary artistic experience.
Leo Brouwer – Portrait
The renowned Cuban composer Leo Brouwer undoubtedly deserves our attention! It was a major event when he personally visited Bratislava in 2015 as a special guest of the festival’s 40th edition. He will be present at the 50th edition through his music. His compositional portrait will be directed by the most qualified person for the job – Greek virtuoso Costas Cotsolis, who has invited Bratislava Guitar Quartet to join him. Monday evening, June 22 at 7 pm in the Hall of Mirrors of Primate’s Palace, will offer the enchanting world of Cuban guitar music.
J. K. Mertz – Gala
This year marks the 220th anniversary of the birth and the 170th anniversary of the death of J. K. Mertz, a native of Bratislava and one of the most significant guitarists and composers of early Romantic guitar music. Two festival concerts, Mertz for 2 and J. K. Mertz Gala, will be dedicated to the work of our guitar genius on Tuesday, June 23.
In the early evening at 5 pm at Klarisky Concert Hall, the winners of the 2026 Slovak children’s guitar competitions – Dominik Krajmer, Lilien Ondrášiková, and Veronika Figedyová – along with young guitarists Timotej Streďanský (SK) and László Szegedi (HU), will perform, including works by J. K. Mertz.
Following the young, up-and-coming guitarists who will perform at 5 pm (Mertz for 2), the Klarisky Concert Hall will be taken over at 7 pm by artists who have dedicated their artistic lives to Mertz’s music – Raphaella Smits, Pavel Steidl and Petra Poláčková, alongside Slovak performers Martin Krajčo and Matúš Šimko. The J. K. Mertz Gala concert will be a tribute to the composer whose work, thanks in part to these artists, has been embraced by the entire guitar world.
Ensembles
Chamber guitar music from Central Europe has always had a place and a purpose at the festival. Its presentation by leading ensembles proves that the world of classical guitar would struggle to exist without chamber music. At the concert on Wednesday, June 24, at 7 pm in the Hall of Mirrors of Primate’s Palace, the Bratislava audience will be treated to performances by top ensembles from our neighboring countries – the Polish guitar duo Marek Nosal & Jakub Moroziński, and the Hungarian 9-member Guitar Ensemble of the Ferenc Liszt Academy.
Carlo Domeniconi – Portrait
The double concert on the evening of Thursday, June 24, at the Klarisky Concert Hall will feature two long-time friends of the festival. Greek guitarist Jorgos Panetsos, who is based in Austria and whose artistic beginnings were closely tied to our event, will once again perform for the Bratislava audience after many years. His solo program, featuring the famous Koyunbaba suite, will introduce listeners to the unique music of the world-renowned Italian composer Carlo Domeniconi. Other works will be performed by his close friend and regular collaborator, Pavel Steidl. The world-renowned Czech guitar virtuoso, together with singer Eva Šušková and guitarist Martin Krajčo, will delight not only our audience but also the composer himself, who will be a special guest at the anniversary festival.
A Spanish touch to finish
Thanks to our long-standing excellent collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Slovakia, we are able to present leading Spanish soloists to our wonderful audience every year. The successful young guitarist Rafael Aguirre is currently one of the most sought-after performers on the international scene. His programs are a balanced combination of traditional classical guitar music and compositions with elements of flamenco and Latin American music. Aguirre’s solo recital, on Friday, June 26, in the Hall of Mirrors of Primate’s Palace, will undoubtedly be a magnificent finale to the 50th anniversary edition of the J. K. Mertz Guitar Festival.
Slovak music at the festival
Two early-evening festival concerts at 5 pm at the Klarisky Concert Hall will feature Slovak performers and original Slovak guitar music.
On Monday, June 22, the program will feature compositions by Ľuboš Bernáth, Karol Kompas and Peter Machajdík, performed by guitarists Vladimír Ondrejčák and Karol Kompas, violinist Samuel Mikláš and violinist and violist Blanka Ondrejčáková.
On Wednesday, June 24, compositions by Vladimír Godár and Jozef Kolkovič will be performed by Ondrej Veselý, members of the Bratislava Guitar Quartet, and singer Eva Šušková.
The festival will again include a rich accompanying program (master classes, lectures, presentations) intended for both professionals and the general public.
TICKETS will be available in advance through the TICKETPORTAL network and one hour before each concert at the venue.
Organiser of the event: SPOLOČNOSŤ J.K. MERTZA - občianske združenie, sídlo: Rozvodná 11B, 83101 Bratislava, IČO: 42131570, DIČ: 2022558208, kontakt: +421 903 951 618, mail: festival.jkmertz.info@gmail.com
Co-organiser of the event: Bratislava Cultural and Information Centre. Implemented thanks to the BKIS Support Program.
Educational activities are taking place in cooperation with the Július Kowalski Primary music school and ALBRECHT FORUM, o.z.
Something from the recent history of our festival:
The first 40 years of our festival in pictures:
