Partnership with Collegium 1704

Starting May 2021, the Lobkowicz Collections has partnered with Prague Baroque orchestra Collegium 1704. The ensemble was founded by harpsichordist and director Václav Luks on the occasion of the Bach - Prague - 2005 project. Since 2007, Collegium 1704 has been performing at festivals across Europe. In 2008, the Prague - Dresden Music Bridge was launched, connecting the rich cultural traditions of both cities. Collaborations with world-renowned soloists Magdalena Kožena, Vivica Genaux, Bejun Mehta and others in 2012 culminated in a second Collegium 1704 concert series at Prague´s Rudolfinum. Since fall of 2015, these two cycles have merged as one concert season hosted in both Prague and Dresden.

In the field of opera, Collegium 1704 followed up on the international success of Handel Rinald's production of Josef Mysliveček's opera L'olimpiade, nominated for the 2014 International Opera Awards, Antonio Vivaldi's Arsilda, regina di Ponto in the new era of its world premiere. Recent invitations to Collegium 1704 include prestigious shows such as Salzburger Festspiele (2015, 2016, 2018), Berliner Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall in London, Theater an der Wien, Konzerthaus Wien, Lucerne Festival, BOZAR (Palais des Beaux-Arts) in Brussels, Warsaw Chopin Festival, Wratislavia Cantans, Elbphilharmonie or residences at the renowned Oude Muziek festival in Utrecht and at the Bachfest festival in Leipzig. In 2014, Collegium 1704, under the direction of Václav Luks, collaborated with Bejun Mehta on a DVD with Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice, directed by Ondřej Havelka, and on the filming of BBC 2 Mozart in Prague with Roland Villazón. The ensemble participates in the shooting of the feature film Il Boemo, directed by Petr Václav about the life of Josef Mysliveček.

Collegium 1704's recordings are popular with listeners and music critics alike (repeated Diapasond’Or awards, CD of the Month & Editor’s Choice or Gramophone Magazine CD of the Year nominations). Their successful CDs include recordings of Josef Mysliveček's violin concerts and oboe concerts and cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach, Bach's Mass in B minor, J. D. Zelenka's Missa Divi Xaveria in the world premiere and Zelenka's sonatas (both awarded the prestigious Diapason d’Or). In 2019, Collegium 1704 released the first complete Czech recording of Handel's Messiah and a selection of secular Baroque cantatas with Magdalena Kožena Ilgiardino dei sospiri. The latest recordings are the imaginary mass by J. D. Zelenka Missa 1724 and the opera Les Boréades by Jean-Philipp Rameau.

The Baroque orchestra Collegium 1704 offers an online platform on its website called UNIVERSO 1704 where viewers can watch video concert recordings. In collaboration with the Lobkowicz Collections, some future recordings will be filmed at Lobkowicz venues, such as Nelahozeves Castle. 

A concert of W. A. ​​Mozart's composition Bella mia fiamma, addio was recorded in the Lnáře Chateau in 2020. Director: Václav Luks, Soprano: Simona Šaturová).  On UNIVERSO 1704, you can enjoy an online recording of the program in Czech, English and German.