Like every other music festival this year, the Haydn fest is paying tribute to Mozart. But the organizers have included another anniversary figure and early music star, Joseph's brother Johann Michael Haydn, who worked for more than 40 years as kappelmeister to the Archbishop of Salzburg.

Other highlights of this year's festival include an opportunity to hear music in two privately owned venues not normally open to the public: a chateau in Pfiíchovice (Sept. 17), and a resplendent chapel in Lužany (Sept. 23). The former concert features Societas Incognitorum, a vocal ensemble from Brno. "They're fantastic, a local ensemble that performs on a European level," says Freemanová. The latter is the festival finale, featuring three Baroque musicians from Prague — Adéla Štajnochrová on violin, Hana Fleková on cello and Monika Knoblochová on fortepiano. "Each is very good in her own right; they will be something to hear together," Freemanová says.

The opening concert in Dolní Lukavice (Sept. 15) is one of two being performed on modern instruments, with violinist Josef Žák joining the Plzeň Conservatory Orchestra for a Haydn/Haydn/Mozart program. The other is the following day in Nebílovy, where the Martinů Quartet and fortepianist Petr Šefl add Jan Kfititel Vaňhal, a celebrated contemporary of Haydn and Mozart, to the bill.

The basset horn was one of Mozart's favorite instruments, and the Lutz Trio plays it in triplicate at a concert Sept. 17 at the ornate Church of the Assumption in Pfieštice. The next day adds a new venue to festival roster, the Franciscan Chapel of St. Barbora at the Diocesan Museum in Plzeň, where a young organist, Pavel Čern˘, solos on another Haydn/Haydn/Mozart program.

A set of Michael Haydn works for male voices rarely performed get an airing Sept. 19 at St. John the Baptist church in Star˘ Plzenec. "I had to ask colleagues in Salzburg to find and send me the music," Freemanová says. Two early music stars from the Netherlands will be at a beautiful chapel in Blovice the next day — harpsichordist Jacques Ogg and flutist Wilbert Hazelzet. "They're very good and very special performers," Freemanová says.

One of the striking things about this year's festival is how many of the musicians are Czech. Freemanová and her husband, David, who have been promoting early music in the Czech Republic for nearly 20 years, have a network stretching across Europe that they can tap for first-rate performers. But, increasingly, they're using local players.

"Fifteen years ago, there was hardly anyone in this country who knew how to play this music," Freemanová says. "But young people became interested in it, and today it's possible to hire musicians here and know that the performances will be outstanding."

The enthusiastic turnout for these concerts in the villages also reflects the growing popularity of early music, which apparently has no age barriers. Freemanová recalls sitting at the concert in Blovice last year behind an 8-year-old girl. "It was a lute recital, excellent but not what you'd think a young child would be interested in," she says. "After an hour, the mother turned to the girl and said, 'Do you want to go home?' She said, 'No!'"