The Slovak Academy of Sciences New Year's Concert was a call for courage and a tribute to the greats of waltzes
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the Slovak Academy of Sciences held its traditional New Year's Concert in the Mirror Hall of the Primatie‘s Palace in Bratislava. Thanks to the performance of the Bratislava Metropolitan Orchestra and ballet soloists Silvia Najdená and Andrej Szabo, the event was marked by musical and dance elegance. The concert, subtitled On the Beautiful Blue Danube, was hosted for the first time by the President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Martin Venhart, who expressed a clear message of values and gratitude for the support in defending scientific facts in his speech.
The audience included prominent guests from public and social life, among them the Minister of Health of the Slovak Republic, Kamil Šaško. Several members of the diplomatic corps accepted the invitation, including Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Nicola Girasoli and leading representatives of SAS organizations. The audience also included representatives of institutions and personalities who, at the end of the summer of 2025, did not hesitate to publicly stand up for the Slovak Academy of Sciences and express their support at a time when not only the institution itself but also truth, scientific knowledge, and trust in science as such were under attack.
A powerful moment of the evening was the speech by the President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, who recalled the legacy of Věra Čáslavská as a symbol of personal courage and civic stance. He described her memorable and famous gesture at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico during the gold medal ceremony as a spontaneous and unambiguous expression of non-violent resistance that won the hearts of the whole world. The speech also drew a parallel with the present: "Just as Věra Čáslavská was supported in Mexico, the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Biomedical Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences experienced a similar wave of public support last summer," said M. Venhart.
The President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences also emphasized that science has a duty to stand on the side of truth, even if it is not always convenient: "Science reveals the truth and must do so regardless of whether it suits a particular politician. And it is worth standing up for the truth." He concluded his speech with a call for personal courage, symbolically expressed in the words: "Vera, courage." (The full speech is available at the end of the text.)
The evening's artistic program offered a selection of the most famous works of the Central European musical tradition. Performed by the Bratislava Metropolitan Orchestra under the baton of chief conductor Dušan Štefánek, the program included works by Johann Strauss, Franz Lehár, and Franz Schubert, including the iconic waltz The Blue Danube, Pizzicato Polka, the overture from the operetta The Gypsy Baron, and Fata Morgana.
The program also included a dance performance by ballet soloists Silvia Najdená and Andrej Szabo, who performed a pas de deux from the ballet Le Corsaire and the romantic waltz The Blue Danube. The evening was hosted by Alena Heribanová.
Prepared by: Katarína Gáliková
Photo: Martin Bystriansky