Hosts
Kodály Philharmonia Debrecen
Founded in 1923, Kodály Philharmonia Debrecen ranks among Hungary’s top symphonic ensembles. Owned by the municipality of Debrecen, the second largest city of Hungary, it coordinates the classical music life of both the city and the region. The Philharmonia unites and manages two nationally acclaimed ensembles, the Kodály Philharmonic and the Kodály Choir, both the pride of the city, and thus it is one of Hungary’s leading cultural institutions. Dániel Somogyi-Tóth was appointed as its General Music Director in 2022. The orchestra is often joined by the 46-member choir for their immensely popular season ticket concerts. Furthermore, the orchestra often invites renowned musicians both from Hungary and around the world, while the choir gives a cappella concerts with guest artists or presents exciting productions that include other forms of art.
Jeunesses Musicales Hungary
JM International (JMI) is a global network of NGOs that provide opportunities for young people and children to develop through music across all boundaries. It was founded in Brussels, Belgium in 1945 by a group of compassionate musicians and organizers who saw music as a means of bringing young people together to overcome the divides created by the two World Wars. With its 73 member organizations in 61 countries, JMI provides opportunities for young people to engage with music. The JMI network reaches over 7 million young people aged 13-30 per year through more than 40,000 activities, embracing all styles of music and coordinating cross-border exchange opportunities on the international level. JM Hungary, which exists since 1965, could claim such musicians among its members as Zoltán Kocsis, Dezső Ránki and Kálmán Berkes. The aim of the association is providing kids and young people with after-school musical activities, educating them to better understand music, cultivating talents and fostering international relationships.
Contributors
Kodály Philharmonic Debrecen
Celebrating its centenary in 2023, the Kodály Philharmonic is the professional orchestra of Debrecen. It adopted the name of the composer Zoltán Kodály in 2011 and is one of the leading orchestras in Hungary. They perform symphonic, oratorio, and chamber music and also serve as the orchestra for the opera performances of the Csokonai Theatre in Debrecen. During the Kodály Memorial Year they gave a series of concerts and made tours to Rome, Oradea, and Uzhhorod. They gave nine concerts during their Italian tour in 2018, and the following year took them to Skopje. Imre Kollár is the chief conductor of the Kodály Philharmonic. In autumn 2022, Tibor Bényi from Salzburg will join the ensemble as permanent conductor.
Kodály Choir Debrecen
The Kodály Choir founded by György Gulyás in 1955 worked as the choir of the Secondary Music School at the time its foundation. The Kodály Choir has been working as a professional choir since 1971; it is sponsored by Debrecen, the second largest town in Hungary. The repertoire of the ensemble is very rich; it ranges from the unaccompanied, a’capella pieces through the European classical oratorios to the newest contemporary choral works. Several world presentation and first Hungarian presentation of compositions of Hungarian and foreign composers may be attached to the choir, but naturally the compositions of Zoltán Kodály are in the centre of the repertoire.
