One of the concerts is regularly dedicated to young vocal talents—winners of singing competitions. This year, the concert took place on Tuesday, June 16, in the Great Gothic Hall.

To begin, the City of Jihlava Award was presented posthumously to Ing. Libor Ferda for his efforts in promoting the city of Jihlava. It was highly fitting that this took place during the festival, as Libor Ferda had served on the organizing committee for the 2000 celebrations marking the 140th anniversary of Gustav Mahler’s birth—celebrations that laid the foundation for the Mahler Festival.

Next, the stage was given over to young singers. The first to perform was Jan Kukal—recipient of the Gustav Mahler Prize at the 2025 Antonín Dvořák International Vocal Competition in Karlovy Vary—accompanied on the piano by Matouš Zukal. The young singer delivered a masterful performance, most notably of Gustav Mahler’s *Urlicht*, while also handling songs by Robert Schumann and Leoš Janáček with ease.

Following Jan Kukal was Nela Kindigerová, winner of the Lieder Academy competition. Her performance featured songs by Gustav Mahler, as well as works by French composers such as Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, and Francis Poulenc. She, too, left no doubt that she is an outstanding performer. She was accompanied on the piano by Momoka Ito.

To begin, students from the Jihlava Elementary School of the Arts performed: Trio Tragico, consisting of Terezie Traganová (violin), Hana Molvová (French horn), and Jan Molva (piano).