How was the International Trebbia Award created?

In 1143, the Premonstratensian Canon founded the Strahov Monastery on the Prague hill Hradčany. In the years 1602–1612, the Premonstratensians and Emperor Rudolf II had a church built in gratitude for Prague having avoided the plague. This church was named after the French Saint Roch, who, at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries, helped wherever the plague appeared. When Saint Roch himself fell ill, he left France and went across the Alps to northern Italy, where he lived for many years in a shack on the banks of the Italian river Trebbia. According to the legend, an angel visited him and healed him from his illness.

In 1993, the MIRO Gallery, founded in Berlin in 1987, moved to the Church of St. Roch on Hradčany in Prague. In 2000, the MIRO Company initiated the formation of an international award named after the Italian river Trebbia. This award was created as an expression of gratitude to entrepreneurs, patrons, and artists across all artistic genres. The Trebbia Gala Evening has been one of the most prestigious international events in the Czech and Slovak Republics over the past 20 years. The Trebbia International Awards are presented annually to laureates from many countries around the world in a live broadcast by Czech and Slovak Television, and on the Trebbia Foundation YouTube channel from 20:00 CET, with a simultaneous English translation. A replay of the Trebbia Gala Evening was broadcasted a week later on TV Noe in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Between 2001-2022, the International Trebbia Awards was awarded to 118 laureates from 31 countries around the world (Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, the People‘s Republic of China, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Cambodia, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Hungary, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Poland, Austria, Russian Federation, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Federal Republic of Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, and Venezuela).

2Oth anniversary of the TREBBIA International Awards. Sunday 12 June 2O22, Spanish Hall of Prague Castle. Broadcast live on Czech and Slovak Television, broadcast worldwide in English via the Trebbia Foundation YouTube channel and replayed on TV Noe

Petr Nečas, ex-prime minister of the Czech Republic with his wife

Anton and Inga Karaseva, 1OO CZ Company; Viktoria Sion, publisher of Statuss magazine and René Sion, CEO of Dallmayr

From left: Václav Pavlas – Prague ZOO, Dhalia Yaari – a businesswoman from Israel, Meshulam Zisso – Czech & Slovak Leaders Magazine, Hana Březovská – LL.M. and Jiří Březovský – VIP financial consulting

The charity cheque was received by Chantal Poullain, founder of the Archa Foundation

The painting “Nostalgic Poeticon 93“ by Jiří Anderle was auctioned by Vladimír Lekeš, owner of Adolf Loos Apartment & Gallery

Soprano Alena Miro and tenor Štefan Margita performed at the benefit gala evening, accompanied by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, lead by conductor Leoš Svárovský

The painting “St. Roch with a dog“ by Barbara Barbar Kysilková was auctioned by Jana Chmelařová

Pavel Šmíd’s painting “Pregnant“ was auctioned by Vladislav Stanko, founder of the European Institute of Business and Public Education

Painting by Martin Šárovec “Thank God! The view of Charles Bridge 2” was auctioned by Roman Knap, the CEO of the Czech Post

The gala evening included a benefit auction in favour of the Archa Chantal Foundation and the TREBBIA Foundation. Miro Smolák, bidder and founder of the Trebbia International Award

The TREBBIA International Award in the category for lifetime achievement was awarded to Soňa Červená, opera singer. The award was presented to her by Eva Blahová, professor of opera singing, director emeritus of the Janáček Opera Brno, member of the Trebbia INJ, and Jiří Heřman, artistic director of the National Theatre Opera Brno

The TREBBIA International Award for Contribution to the Dialogue of National Cultures was awarded to Papia Ghoshal, a versatile artist, publisher, and producer from India. The award was presented to her by Mrs. Seema Kotalwar, wife of the Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Czech Republic, and through a video greeting by H.E. Hynek Kmoníček, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the USA, member of Trebbia INJ

The TREBBIA International Award for Contribution to the Dialogue of National Cultures was awarded to Phanuel Osweto, a parish priest from Kenya, working in the Czech Republic. The award was presented to him by Leoš Ryška, parish priest, director of TV Noe and Daniel Peter Janáček, O.Praem., abbot of Strahov Monastery

The TREBBIA International Award for Support of Culture and Arts was awarded to Roman Bělor, the long-time director of the Prague Spring Festival. The award was presented to him by Ilja Šmíd, former Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic and René Zavoral, general director of Czech Radio

Laudatio for the 2Oth anniversary was delivered by Daniel Peter Janáček, O.Praem., abbot of Strahov, Royal Canon of the Premonstratensians

The TREBBIA International Award for Creative Activity was awarded to jazz singer Jana Koubková. The award was accepted on behalf of Ms Koubková by her friend, independent journalist and chairwoman of the Czech Roots Association, Martina Fialková. The award was presented by MUDr. Martin Jan Stránský, a doctor, pedagogue, publisher, and publicist, member of the Trebbia International Nomination Jury

The TREBBIA International Award for Creative Activity was awarded to composer Juraj Filas In Memoriam. The award was received by Katarína Szabados and Šimon Lomský, the daughter and grandson of the laureate. The award was presented by Ivan Ženatý, violin virtuoso, and remotely via video greeting by Stanislav Kotyza, an American entrepreneur and philanthropist of Czech origin. The gala evening was moderated by Jitka Novotná (Czech Television) and Ľubomír Bajaník (Slovak Television)