Czech Center Museum Houston
Czechs and Slovaks celebrate rich culture with ...

Attendees reveled in Czech and Slovak rich culture with food, music, and more at the CCMH Annual Spring Festival.

Czechs and Slovaks celebrate rich culture with food, music, and more at the CCMH Annual Spring Festival

Opening Reception: Jan Reich 2026

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the FotoFest biennial, Czech Center Museum Houston presented a large cross-section of Jan Reich’s work.

Jan Reich, one of the last classic proponents of Czech photography, relentlessly photographed the history and architecture of his childhood Prague, hauntingly picturesque Bohemian landscape, and finally historical and religious landmarks of his nave Czech Republic. Drawing on the rich history of early 20th century Czech photography, Reich was inspired to document the obvious and hidden beauty of his surroundings.

Remarks were given by Igor Malijevsky and Tom Van de Ven.

Harafica: Moravian Folk Music Night 2026

This February 27, the Moravian band Harafica wowed and captivated an excited audience at the Czech Center Museum Houston! Many hope for their return!

A young group born in the heart of Moravian Slovakia, Harafica ranks among the best bands to listen to in the Czech Republic. Led by experienced cimbalom player and music director Petr Gablas and lead violinist Martin Melichárek, this charismatic group has earned recognition on the domestic front, gaining many fans among Czech audiences.

Although firmly rooted in folk music, their music-making and projects stretch much further, and they don't shy away from mixing both modern and classical music either. The result is a fusion of overlapping genres and the band’s own compositions. An evening with Harafica is a one-of-a-kind experience filled with folk and traditional tunes and a cocktail of genres including cinematic, modern, and world music.

Evie Harbury - My Bohemian Kitchen 2026

This February 10, famed chef and cookbook author Evie Harbury visited the Czech Center Museum Houston as a part of her tour through the United States. Not only did she sign copies of her book, My Bohemian Kitchen, for esteemed readers, but she also answered pressing questions and gave a talk about her experiences and her book to a captive audience!

We’d like to thank both Evie Harbury and our guests for attending the CCMH!

Masupust Ples Winter Ball 2026

This February 7, distinguished, festive guests arrived to attend the Masupust Ples, or Winter Ball. They danced the night away under the chandeliers, enjoying their memorable evening with fine food, live music, and winter elegance with the vibrant community that the Czech Center Museum Houston fosters.

Ahoj Tužko Parts 1 and 2 2026

On Saturday, January 10 and Saturday, January 17, artist and architect Helen Peter visited the Czech Center Musuem Houston to teach 10 esteemed students the very basics of art and drawing!

Everyone brought their sketchbooks and pencils to begin the journey of becoming hobby artists. The goals were to learn how to handle and draw with pencils, introducing and building muscle memory, visualize and utilize the dark to light range in values, struggle with hatching, revisiting and recontextualizing shapes, weighing line variations, in addition to other basic skills and fundamentals. The student artists also tested their mettle against fruits and vegetables as still life.

Bohuslav Martinů Celebrates 2025

On Friday, December 5, we celebrated the Bohuslav Martinů’s 135th birthday with compositions compositions from two important periods of his life, his pre-WWII years in Paris and years in the United States.

This program included a Sonatina for Clarinet & Piano, Three Madrigals for Violin & Viola, Songs on Moravian Folk Poetry, and a Quartet for Clarinet, Horn, Piano & Side Drum. The evening concludes with La Revue de Cuisine featuring violin, cello, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, and piano.

Performers on this program included members of the Houston Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, and music faculty members from the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, and Sam Houston State. The performers were Robert Walzel (clarinet), Randall Adams (trumpet), Amber Archibald-Sešek (viola), Nathan Cloeter (horn), Christian McGee (piano), Terry McKinney (side drum), Tali Morgulis (piano), Martin Nedbal (moderator), Benjamin Rorabaugh (piano), Whitney Wells Rorabaugh (soprano), Scott Walzel (bassoon), Bing Wei (cello), and Kirsten Yon (violin).

Czech Heritage Month Concert 2025

This Wednesday, October 29, we capped off our Czech Heritage Month celebration!

The Apollo Chamber Players, consisting of players Anabel Ramirez and Matthew J. Detrick, Aria Cheregosha, and Matthew Dudzik, along with the Evergreen Quartet, consisting of players Osako and Claire Loggenberg, Drayden Johnson, and Rashaud Lawrence, performed for an emotional, captive audience in the Czech Center Museum Houston’s Prague Hall.

Vaclav Havel Birthday Party 2025

On October 4, the Czech Center Museum Houston, along with several esteemed and generous guests, celebrated Vaclav Havel’s birthday with Jazz and a smorgasbord of food, lovingly brought and prepared by volunteers and dedicated board members of the museum. Many guests were even generous enough to adopt new tables for our museum, and we thank them for their generous contribution!

The jazz group is Silk Road, featuring Clayton Dyess, Vlad Morakhovsky, Victor Delagarza, Bob Antonoff. We thank them for their time at the Czech Center!

Mlada Muzika Šardice and Cimbalom group Jara Petru 2025

On Saturday, September 27 the music group Kyjov Mladá Muzika Šardice, composed of singers, musicians, and dancers young and old, entertained strongly at the Czech Center. Many attended the festive and energetic concert and may have even danced! We want to thank the group, our guests, and our volunteers and staff for bringing this celebration of Czech culture together!

Bohumil Hrabal Book Club Discusses and Watches Closely Watched Trains 2025

On September 6, book club attendees discussed Bohumil Hrabal’s Closely Watched Trains. This discussion was once again lead by Robert Cremins, who will lead the final discussion, concluding with Hrabal’s All My Cats.

A video of the discussion can be found in the Sessions Recording page.

Additionally, whether they previously attended the book club or not, additional attendees watched the film adaptation of the book on September 12.

Summer Intern Student Showcase 2025

On September 6, the summer interns at the Czech Center Museum Student demonstrated their hard work from the last 3 months, which is now permanently displayed on the museum’s third floor, which reopened for the event! The open house was visited by many, including the interns’ parents!

Slovakia Through Your Eyes Contest 2025

This 2025, from August 15 to September 15, the Czech Center held its first Slovakia Through Your Eyes Contest!

There were not many submissions but everyone received was spectacular!

The Baroque Churches of Broumov Photo Exhibit and Lecture 2025

This July 25, 2025, the museum unveiled Tempus Fugit II, a traveling photographic exhibition by Dano and Jana Veselský which captures the Broumov group of Baroque churches, an exceptional ensemble of sacred architecture nestled in the northeastern Bohemian countryside.

Tempus Fugit II not only showcases the architectural beauty of these spiritual landmarks, but also documents the efforts to preserve and restore them for future generations.

On July 25, the photographers gave a beautiful lecture on opening night about their experience and efforts. We would like to thank Dano and Jana for their time at the CCMH.

Songs of Love and Longing 2025

On June 6, 2025, the duo of violinist Yu-Ming Ma and pianist Isaac Foreman presented works by Czech composers in memory of the Lidice massacre. The audience enjoyed a selection of songs based on two of the eternal themes of life and art: love and yearning. Jonathan Mak joined for Dvořák’s Sonatina in G Major.

On June 11, 1942, The New York Times delivered harrowing news: “Nazis Blot Out a Czech Village.” A German radio broadcast confirmed the destruction of Lidice, reporting that “all adult men were shot, women sent to concentration camps, and children brought to appropriate educational institutions.” The massacre was presented as retaliation for the villagers’ alleged involvement in the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia.

In a war marked by countless brutalities, Lidice might have faded from memory. Instead, it inspired an international outpouring of grief and resistance from artists, writers, filmmakers, and workers.

Beer and Moravian Brass 2025

On May 25, 2025, Stříbrňanka performed a rousing rendition of traditional Dechová tunes and favorite brass arrangements while guests savored Czech beers and root beer.

Stříbrňanka is a band from southern Moravia, consisting of professional and amateur, young, dynamic musicians. The band has a characteristic, unmistakable sound, and they play a wide repertoire – Moravian and Czech folk music, concert, solo, and dance compositions. Stříbrňanka's repertoire is based almost exclusively on its own compositions and pieces written specifically for this band.

Czech Consular Assembly 2025

From April 10th through the 12th, the Czech Center Museum Houston hosted the Annual Czech Consular Assembly in Houston, organized by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C. International and General Consuls of the Czech Republic from North and South America met to discuss important, contemporary topics of global policy and relations.

The annual gathering of Czech Honorary Consuls, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, DC, Consulates General in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, along with Czech governmental agencies, provided an excellent opportunity to review bilateral relations and set goals for the coming months. The agenda was packed with priorities set forth by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including consular and compatriot issues, economic and public diplomacy.

During Thursday night, the consuls and other esteemed guests, including Czech Ambassador to the United States of America Miloslav Stašek, the Chief of International Affairs for the City of Houston Gigi Lee, Greater Houston Partnership’s International Investment & Trade Sr. Director Jeffrey Blair, and Astros Senior Vice President of Business Operations Marcel Braithwaite, attended a welcome reception organized by volunteers and staff of the Czech Center Museum Houston. Engaging sessions highlighted Texas as a key partner of Czechia, strengthening the bridges of commercial and cultural exchange between the Czech Republic and the United States.

Spring Festival 2025

This April 5th was our annual Spring Festival, where our community had lots of fun with various activities and listened to great live music and songs from the afternoon to the evening by the Czech Folk Singers and Czexasanka!

Spring has sprung at the Czech Museum! Guests enjoyed a day filled with traditional music, delicious food, folk dances, and hands-on activities for all ages as we mark our annual Spring Festival! Whether you are reconnecting with your heritage or learning about it for the first time, we invite our growing community to welcome the spring season!