Just when it seemed there was nothing left to wring out of this anniversary-laden year, the Bertramka villa and museum has come up with a fresh take on its Mozart-centric programming: a September series focused on young performers and contemporary composers. There's still plenty of Mozart in the mix, along with a dose of this year's other major anniversary figure, Dmitri Shostakovich. But there are premieres of new works along with a tribute to Czech composer Jaroslav Jezek, who was born on the same day as Shostakovich: Sept. 25, 1906.

"There's not much space for this kind of programming during the rest of the year," says Bertramka Director Lenka Pokorná. "But for this festival, we can do something special."

Two highlights stand out. On Sept. 20, Czech composer Karel Janovicky´ is coming from London for the world premiere of his Sonata for bassoon and piano, written specifically for bassoon player Václav Vonásek, who will perform the piece with pianist Petr Novák. And Sept. 14, J.A. Benda's Ariadna na Naxu is on the bill, a seldom-performed costume melodrama by a composer who was a contemporary and personal favorite of Mozart's.

"We're very excited that Janovicky´ is coming from London for the performance," says Pokorná. "And this will be the first time that we're doing Ariadna at Bertramka. One of the reasons it's not performed more often is because it's a difficult piece, quite demanding for both the orchestra and singers."

Most of the concerts feature works of varying difficulty, which is why the youngsters are paired with more experienced musicians to handle the hard parts. But Pokorná says that's no reflection on her handpicked youthful talent. "They're all competition winners and serious students, no amateurs," she stresses. "I can stand by the quality."

And certainly there's no arguing with established names like the Zemlinsky Quartet, which opens the series Sept. 2 with a trio of string quartets. The M. Nostitz Quartet will be at the villa Sept. 23 with an unusual and promising program: a Shostakovich string quartet, a Mozart horn quintet (with young Ondrej Vrabec on French horn) and a Jezek string quartet. "Jezek only wrote two string quartets," notes Pokorná, who had hoped to offer them both. "But we couldn't locate the music for the second."

Jezek, who died at the same age as Mozart (35), was best known for the light, jazz-influenced stage revue music he wrote for Prague's Liberated Theater during the 1920s and '30s. But the pieces in this festival are from his "serious music," formal yet inventive classical works that he composed in his spare time. His 1933 Sonata for violin and piano, regarded as one of the best pieces he ever wrote, will get an airing Sept. 9 in the talented young hands of pianist Ivo Kahánek and violinist Jan Fiser.

In another departure from Bertramka's normal programming, a number of foreign performers are on the bill. A Bulgarian flute and piano duo will be in town Sept. 6 with an ambitious program ranging from Baroque to contemporary pieces. On Sept. 27, Louis Schwizgebel-Wang, a young Swiss pianist whom Pokorná describes as "very, very good and talented" will give a solo performance of classics by Mozart, Bach and Lizst.

While there's lots to recommend musically, what may be most impressive about this festival is the balancing act Pokorná has pulled off, expanding the normal range of Bertramka programming and performers without abandoning the museum's core mission — showcasing Mozart's life and work.

"This is an international place," she acknowledges. "People come from all over the world to see the villa where Mozart stayed and worked and to hear his music, so we have to respect that. But this is a good year to work in some other themes and composers. And this is a great experience for young musicians, who are always proud and happy to perform here."