KODÁLY ARTS FESTIVAL 2025
2–8 AUGUST 2025
TOGETHER, IN ONE VOICE
Host: Dénes Gulyás, Kossuth Prize and Liszt Ferenc Prize-winning opera singer
Saturday, 2 August 2025
6:00 PM
Opening: FACES OF KODÁLY – IN BLACK AND WHITE
Original photographs of Zoltán Kodály from the collection of Csaba Kertész
(Kodály Institute)
Zoltán Kodály had “many faces.” The selection of 30 photographs from the Kodály collection represents this remarkable diversity. In addition to portraits, the images present Kodály as a conductor and composer, in the company of his family members and Hungarian and internationally renowned musician colleagues, and friends—offering a multifaceted portrayal of the man behind the legacy.
Alongside the works of the era’s finest photographers, amateur snapshots by friends and acquaintances reveal his kind and cheerful side of his personality.
The exhibition features works by Károly Gink, Edit Molnár, László Várkonyi, Éva Keleti, Sándor Bojár, Aladár Székely, Klára Langer, Zoltán Szalay, and other outstanding photographers.
“As the collector—well aware of the monumental legacy he left behind—I contemplate all his faces with affection and respect, and I hope visitors will receive them with the same spirit.” Csaba Kertész
Opening remarks by: Judit Rajk, Director of the Kodály Institute
On view until: 29 September 2025, between 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM
7:00 PM
Kodály Point – Deák Square
Concert by the Participants of the 27th International Kodály Seminar
8:00 PM
Concert of the Panula Masterclass Excellences
(Hírös Agóra Theatre Hall)
The fourth edition of the Jorma Panula International Conducting Masterclass offers a true showcase of the emerging generation of outstanding young conductors at the Hírös Agóra Cultural Centre. At the age of 95, Maestro Panula—who has trained dozens of star conductors since the 1970s—continues to teach the art of conducting with remarkable energy and dedication. From nearly 40 applicants, nine conductors from around the world were selected through a rigorous video audition process. Over the course of a week, the selected conductors studied under the guidance of Maestro Panula and Huba Hollókői, Artistic Director of the Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra, and now they take the conductor’s podium for the final concert. The audience will have the special privilege to compare how the same orchestra sounds under nine different conductor’s batons in one concert, accompanied by a unique highlight: the first concert piece, Evening in the Village by Bartók will be conducted by Maestro Panula himself.
Programme:
Béla Bartók: Evening in the Village
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Intermission
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 5
Zoltán Kodály: Dances of Marosszék
Performed by: Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by: Jorma Panula and the participants of the masterclass
Duration: approx. 85 minutes + 20 minute intermission
Tickets: General admission: 4000 HUF, Senior: 3600 HUF, Student: 1500 HUF
10% discount with Kecskemét Card
THE BAGPIPE’S NEW CLOTHES – A SOUNDING EXHIBITION
“40 Years of Piping – BAGPIPES, KNOWLEDGE, and TRAVEL” is the title of my composition and this sound-based exhibition through which I celebrate this anniversary. In 1992, I wrote my thesis entitled Content and Stylistic Elements in the Bagpipe Music of the Carpathian Basin, mentored by Katalin Paksa, and it was later included in the Hungarian Institute for Musicology’s archives. This exhibition, accompanied by original music, is a multimedia continuation of that work, exploring the free interpretation of form. Textile designers, costume designers, felt artists, puppet makers, and painters imagined their own unique bagpipes, dressing them up as if they were theatrical characters. Inspired by the Scottish bagpipe, these stuffed “bagpipe sculptures” were outfitted and then given their own imagined musical voices. My background in Hungarian bagpipe music helped me compose pieces tailored to the unique style of each creation, ranging in character from medieval moods to rock music. The pieces can be listened to on-site via QR codes or online by title.” Béla Ágoston
The exhibition was supported by the National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NKA).
Contributors: Gyöngy Terényi, Dóra Fekete, Angéla Thiesz, Krisztina Makrai, Judit Pócs, Mihály Jakab, Gábor Boka, Zsolt Vetlényi, Attila Balaskó
Opening: Panoráma Gallery, Friday, 1 August at 5:00 PM
Performer: Béla Ágoston, musician
Opening remarks by: Orsolya Földiné Mészáros, clarinetist
On view until: 23 August 2025, during opening hours from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Sunday, 3 August 2025
7:00 PM
Kodály Point – Deák Square
Concert by Sebestyén Kis (cello), cello soloist of the Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra
Zoltán Kodály: Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8 – Movement I
Gaspar Cassado: Cello suite
8:00 PM
Common Roots – Concert by the Ars Nova Vocal Ensemble
(Lutheran Church)
The Ars Nova Vocal Ensemble presents a light summer evening program featuring songs and choral works by Zoltán Kodály and Susan Brumfield, a prominent figure of the American Kodály movement.
Susan Brumfield is known as a teacher, author, composer and conductor. She is an internationally recognized expert on the Kodály Method and author of the book titled First, We Sing! Kodály-Inspired Teaching in the Music Classroom.
Guests:
Rebecca Hays (USA) – soprano
László Nagy (USA) – tenor
Performed by:
János Maczák – clarinet
László Gerhát – piano
Dániel Viktor – piano
Erika Koncz – piano
Maczák Márk – cajon
Conductor: Katalin Kiss
Free admission, reservation is on a first-come, first-served basis.
9:00 PM
Brass Magic
Atmosphere Concert – journey through the history of music with the brass and percussion ensemble of the Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra
(Main Square)
Programme:
Giovannoni Gabrieli: Sonata Pian’e Forte
Georg Friedrich Händel: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from Solomon
Giuseppe Verdi: Triumphal March from Aida
Johan de Meij: Brasserie Royale
Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 2
Robert Ramskill: Jazzamataz
Chris Hazell: Brass Cats
Alan Silvestri: Back to the Future film score
Ulvaeus-Andersson: Chess
Van McCoy: The Hustle
Conductor: Vilmos Kis-Fekete
Performed by: The brass and percussion ensemble of the Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra
Duration: approx. 50 minutes
Free admission
Monday, 4 August 2025
7:00 PM
Kodály Point – Deák Square
Concert by the Participants of the 27th International Kodály Symposium
8:00 PM
“KODÁLY SCHOOL 75”
Concert by the Choirs of the 75 year old Kodály School featuring works by Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók
(Kodály School)
Programme:
TRIOLA Children’s Choir
conductor: ERIKA ZÁVORI:
Zoltán Kodály: Selection from the collection Songs for Little People and Bicinia:
The Song Sounds Softly (lyrics by Sándor Weöres – Amy Károlyi) / A Stalk of Wheat Grew by the Ditch (lyrics by Sándor Weöres) / My Steed Is a Beautiful Bay (lyrics by Sándor Weöres) / The Bay Steed Runs and Gallops (lyrics by Sándor Weöres)
Violet Blooms in the Deep Forest / A Thrush Whistles in the Green Woods / This Is My Foot / An Apple Tree Stands Before My House
Seven Easy Children’s Choruses – No. 1: Éva, My Heart, Éva
No. 2: At the Edge of the Village
ANTANTÉNUSZ Children’s Choir
conductor: ILDIKÓ SZEGEDINÉ TÓTH:
Winding Game (folk game)
Zoltán Kodály: Three marches from Pentatonic Music: 100 Little Marches (lyrics by Sándor Weöres)
Angel Garden – Goat Game, Candle Game, Market Town Game
Bicinia: Hey, the Wind Blows from the Danube… Beneath the Gardens of Bárna… Hey, My Two Hens from Last Year…
Seven Easy Children’s Choruses – No. 6: Good Housewife
Epigrams – Spring
Piano accompaniment: Éva Lovászné Gajdos
MIRACULUM Children’s Choir
conductor: LÁSZLÓ DURÁNYIK
Zoltán Kodály: The Blacksmith of God
Villő
St. Gregory’s Day Procession
AURIN Girls’ Choir
conductor: LÁSZLÓ DURÁNYIK
Béla Bartók: Sorrow
Teasing the Lads
Marriage Proposal
Zoltán Kodály: Mountain Nights I
3rd Italian Madrigal (Chi d’amor sente)
Väinämöinen Makes Music
Piano accompaniment: Éva Lovászné Gajdos
MASSED CHOIR:
Zoltán Kodály: To the Hungarians (Dániel Berzsenyi)
Duration: approx. 70 minutes
Tickets: General admission: 2500 HUF, Senior: 2000 HUF, Student: 1500 HUF
10% discount with Kecskemét Card
Tuesday, 5 August 2025
6:00 PM
Opening: CREATOR SPIRITUS IX
CONTEMPLATION 2025
(Hírös Agóra Chamber Hall)
“It is not much knowledge that satisfies the soul, but the inner experience and savoring of things.” — Saint Ignatius of Loyola
This year marks the ninth edition of the Creator Spiritus Sacred Art Triennial, whose theme is: CONTEMPLATION – Gospel reflection and spiritual deepening.
According to Saint Ignatius, contemplation—based on the Gospel—means fixing one’s gaze upon Christ. In doing so, I view my own existence in that light, allowing my perspective and judgments to find their proper course, thus becoming a person of action.
Contemplation can also mean the pursuit and experience of the beauty and mysteries of the created world, for those who observe and explore the eternal laws of nature may draw closer to the mystery of creation itself.
Opening remarks by: Ágnes Képiró, art historian
On view until: 27 August 2025, during opening hours from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
7:00 PM
Kodály Point – Deák Square
Concert by the Students of the Kodály School
8:00 PM
Balázs Fülei Piano Recital
“Turn of the Century with Kodály”
(Hírös Agóra Theatre Hall)
Programme:
Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances
Kodály: 7 Piano Pieces, Op. 11 – excerpts
Debussy: The Joyful Island
Ginastera: Argentine Dances, Op. 2
Kodály: Piano Pieces, Op. 3 – excerpts
Grieg: 17 Norwegian Peasant Dances, Op. 72 – excerpts
Janáček: On an Overgrown Path – excerpts
Kodály: Dances of Marosszék
Balázs Fülei is a Liszt Ferenc, Artisjus, and Junior Prima Prize-winning pianist, regarded as one of the most creative performers of his generation. His repertoire includes over thirty piano concertos, encompassing the complete concertos of Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms, and Bartók. He is Head of Department and Associate Professor at the Liszt Academy of Music, and gives masterclasses around the world. Fülei is also the founder and artistic director of the Echo Summer Academy, held annually at the Károlyi Castle in Fehérvárcsurgó.
He entered the international music scene at an early stage: in 2005, he won the Arcangelo Speranza International Piano Competition in Taranto, and went on to collect further prizes in Milan, Cagliari, and Moscow. On two occasions, he was selected as a soloist for the New Masters On Tour concert series of The International Holland Music Sessions.
Milestones of his professional career include performances at the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy, the Palace of Arts (Müpa) in Budapest, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Tokyo’s Kioi Hall, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, the NCPA in Mumbai, and Carnegie Hall in New York, where he made his solo debut in 2008. He has collaborated with many leading symphony orchestras both in Hungary and abroad, and has performed across nearly every European country, as well as in Israel, the United States, Australia, Japan, China, and Vietnam. A frequent chamber music partner of the Kodály String Quartet, with whom he has also toured India, Fülei has been a soloist with the world-renowned Camerata Bern. His concert programs and recordings are known for their carefully curated thematic concepts.
Thanks to his exceptional verbal skills, Balázs Fülei frequently appears in special concert formats where he introduces the performed works in his own words, bringing them closer to the audience. In his unique concert series titled “Listen to Fülei!”, he demonstrates how the same piece of music can be interpreted in multiple ways, allowing listeners to experience the freedom and ephemerality of musical performance.
He has released 16 albums; his solo record Christmas with Franz Liszt won the 42nd International Grand Prix du Disque from the Liszt Ferenc Society in 2022.
In 2020, Balázs Fülei was honored with the title of “Steinway Artist” by the Steinway & Sons piano company.
Duration: approx. 80 minutes (no intermission)
Tickets: General admission: 4500 HUF, Senior: 3600 HUF, Student: 1500 HUF
10% discount with Kecskemét Card
9:30 PM – 12:00 AM Kodály Dance House
Organized by the Kecskemét Folk Dance Ensemble
(Hírös Agóra Foyer)
In the past—when entertainment options were limited—dance events were virtually the only form of leisure for rural communities.
Communal dancing was a key element of folk traditions tied to major life events (such as name days, enlistments, weddings), seasonal celebrations (like Carnival, Easter, Christmas), and agricultural work (such as spring sheep-shearing, harvest, or grape picking). Young men would hire a band for the season and rent a suitable house—thus establishing a táncház or “dance house.” Over time, the term came to refer not only to the venue but to the event itself. A traditional dance house features a succession of solo, partner, and occasionally chain or circle dances, all accompanied by music that is deeply rooted in the character of the given dance type. Despite its structured format, improvisation plays a vital role—through the spontaneous interplay between musical motifs and dance movements.
At our Kodály Dance House, the teaching of dances will focus on regions of Hungary where Zoltán Kodály once collected folk music and songs during his ethnographic research journeys.
Dance instructors: Nóra Polyák, Máté Molnár
With dance demonstrations by members of the Kecskemét Folk Dance Ensemble:
Dániel Babos and Bettina Misek
Live music provided by Győző Inoka and Friends:
Bálint Vizeli, Márton Szilágyi, János Szabó „Csiga”, Luca Hegedűs, Győző Inoka
Tickets: General admission: 1500 HUF, Senior: 1000 HUF, Student: 1000 HUF
10% discount with Kecskemét Card
Wednesday, 6 August 2025
5:00 PM
The Musical Heritage of Hungarian Shepherds – Lecture by Zoltán Juhász, folk musician and research engineer
(Katona József Library) (Programme in Hungarian)
6:15 PM
Book Launch
Olli Varonen: Key to the Miracle – Colour Strings in Finland
The Work of Géza and Csaba Szilvay
(Kodály Institute) (Programme in Hungarian)
Presentation of the Hungarian edition of the book, originally published in Finland in 2023
Translated by: Ottilia Kovács
Publisher: Foundation for the Kecskemét Kodály Institute, 2025
Supported by: Hungarian Academy of Arts and the Liszt Institute Helsinki
The 50-year musical legacy of the Szilvay brothers in Finland offers a compelling example of how a music education initiative can rise from challenging beginnings to international acclaim. Sometimes moving, sometimes humorous, their story is always marked by the highest level of professional dedication. Colour Strings—a distinctive method for teaching string instruments—is grounded in Zoltán Kodály’s principles of music education: from singing folk songs to reading notation, from musical mother tongue to the most refined layers of composed music. The international success of the Helsinki Youth String Orchestra left a lasting mark on 20th-century music pedagogy.
This book explores that journey and is recommended for anyone involved in the education of children.
Participants of the launch event: Géza Szilvay, Csaba Szilvay, Dr. Ágnes Horváth, Péter Erdei
Admission is free.
7:00 PM
Kodály Point – Deák Square
Concert by Huba Hollókői (violin) and Gergő Sipos (cello)
Zoltán Kodály: Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7
8:00 PM
Balázs Szokolay Dongó: Supplication
(Great Church)
Balázs Szokolay Dongó – traditional wind instruments
Éva Bodrogi – vocals
János Fejérvári – viola
Márton Levente Horváth – organ
On this evening, Balázs Szokolay Dongó invites the audience to a moment of reflection. The concert features almost exclusively his own compositions, drawing inspiration from various seasons of the liturgical year. Among the sources are Latin chants, hymns, folk songs, and liturgical melodies. As the music unfolds, listeners are offered a renewed experience of the timeless nature of ecclesiastical culture—and of the organ’s universality, with its capacity to absorb every style and sonic ideal.
Join us in becoming part of this eternal flow.
Programme:
Balázs Szokolay Dongó: Supplication
Regős Song
Folk song from Árvátfalva
Balázs Szokolay Dongó: Mariam Matrem
Blessed Lady
In the Stone Garden of Paradise I
Blue Violet – folk song
Balázs Szokolay Dongó: Fragment from the Age of Sigismund
My God, My God – folk song
Balázs Szokolay Dongó: Drop Down Dew
In hoc anni
Licet eger cum egotis
On This Day a Small Child Was Born
Béla Bartók: Folk Song from Csík County
Balázs Szokolay Dongó: New Year
Be Blessed, Infant Jesus!
Do Not Let Me Fall
In the Stone Garden of Paradise II
Vite perdite me legi
Fas et ne fas
Prayer
Duration: approx. 70 minutes
Tickets: General admission: 4000 HUF, Senior: 3600 HUF, Student: 1500 HUF
10% discount with Kecskemét Card
Thursday, 7 August 2025
6:00 PM
MÜPA CONCERT FILM SCREENING
THREE BARTÓK
(HA Otthon Cinema)
Programme:
Bartók: Two Portraits, Op. 5
Piano Concerto No. 3, Sz. 119, BB 127
Bluebeard’s Castle, Sz. 48
Conductor: Zsolt Hamar
Performers:
Dezső Ránki – piano
Ildikó Komlósi – soprano
András Palerdi – bass
Jenő Koppándi – violin
Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra
The concert programme explores Bartók’s relationship with women, presenting works that reflect key emotional moments in his life. Two of the compositions capture deeply personal experiences, while the third—through a mythical narrative—elevates the male–female dynamic to the level of mystery, as the composer envisioned it.
The opening piece of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert, Two Portraits, was inspired by Bartók’s unrequited youthful love for the violinist Stefi Geyer. The first movement (Ideal), portraying the beloved woman’s idealised image, is identical to the opening movement of his Violin Concerto No. 1. The second, more passionate movement (Distorted) is an orchestral adaptation of the final piece from Bartók’s Fourteen Bagatelles, originally titled My Lover Dances, composed for solo piano.
Bartók’s unfinished swan song, the Piano Concerto No. 3, was composed while he was terminally ill and intended as a gift for his wife, Ditta Pásztory. As a graceful heir to the classical tradition of “lady’s concertos,” it departs from Bartók’s typically hard-edged sound, embracing instead a gentler, more lyrical tone. Dezső Ránki has been one of the work’s most authentic interpreters since the beginning of his career.
The mystery opera Bluebeard’s Castle, set to a libretto by Béla Balázs, delves into themes of isolation, secrecy, discovery, possessiveness, jealousy, and solitude. It reflects the psychological introspection characteristic of early 20th-century art, expressed in a magical blend of styles that incorporates elements of Romanticism, folklorism, Art Nouveau, and Symbolism. Ildikó Komlósi and András Palerdi are acclaimed, seasoned performers in the opera’s two central roles.
Free admission, reservation is on a first-come, first-served basis.
7:00 PM
Kodály Point – Deák Square
Concert by Clarinetist Claudia Turóczi-Koós
Béla Kovács: Hommage à Kodály
Kamilló Lendvay: My Respects, Mr. Goodman!
Astor Piazzolla: Tango Études No. 1, No. 3
7:30 PM
Peacock
Jubilee concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Kodály Institute, the 50th anniversary of the Hírös Agóra, and the International Kodály Society
(Liszt Academy, Budapest)
Programme:
Zoltán Kodály: Fölszállott a páva – Variations on a Hungarian folk song Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra
conductor: Huba Hollókői
Zoltán Kodály: Geneva Psalm CXIV
Performed by the Choir of the 27th International Kodály Symposium
Márton Levente Horváth – organ
conductor: Huba Hollókői
Zoltán Kodály: Budavári Te Deum