Slovakia

The Slovak National Theatre's opera company began performing in Bratislava on 1 March 1920 with Smetana's The Kiss. Its history includes the premiere of Eugen Suchoň's Krútňava in 1949 and productions of works by Ján Cikker and other Slovak composers.

The Slovak Philharmonic was established in 1949, with Václav Talich and Ľudovít Rajter among its founding artistic figures. Its home, the Reduta, was constructed between 1913 and 1919 on the site of a demolished granary dating from 1773. The building combines Neo-Baroque, Rococo and Art Nouveau features and became the Philharmonic's headquarters in the early 1950s.