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Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Music Festival
July 2 - August 16
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Dates: from 02. July till 16. August 2018., on Mondays and Thursdays
Enjoy classical melodies on summer evenings in 2018 at one of Budapest’s most romantic venues, the Vajdahunyad castle in City Park.
Venue: City Park (Városliget-Vajdahunyadvár), M1 underground, Hősök tere stop
The mock castle of Vajdahunyad in City Park hosts a series of classical music, klezmer, swing, and gypsy music concerts in the middle of summer.
Concerts start at 20.30.
Tickets cost 3 500 – 5 500 HUF.
Program 2017
03. July, Monday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 04. July, 20:30)
King Saint Stephen Symphony Orchestra – Orff: Carmina Burana
- Conductor: Kálmán Záborszky
- Zugló Philharmonia – King Saint Stephen Symphony Orchestra and Oratorio Chorus,
- Children’s choir of the Liszt Ferenc Primary Music School, choirmaster: Katalin Kovács
- Zita Szemere – soprano
- Donát Varga – tenor
- Zsolt Haja – bass
Tickets: 3 500 HUF.
06. July, Thursday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 07. July, 20:30)
MÁV Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven Evening
Conductor: Tamás Gál
With: Vilmos Szabadi (violin)
- Beethoven: Fidelio – overture
- Beethoven: Violin concerto in D major Op. 61
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major Op. 92
Tickets: 3 500 HUF.
10. July, Monday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 11. July, 20:30)
MÁV Symphony Orchestra – Gala Evening
Conductor: Imre Kollár
With: Ingrid Kertesi (voice)
- Verdi: La forza del destino – overture
- Verdi: Sicilian Vespers – Elena’s area
- Mussorgsky: Khovanshchina – Dawn over the Moscow River
- Bellini: La Sonnambula – Amina’s aria
- Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana – Intermezzo
- Glinka: Ruslan and Ludmilla – overture
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- Rossini: La gazza ladra – overture
- Puccini: Gianni Schicchi – Lauretta’s aria
- Bizet: Carmen suite No. 1
- Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the flowers
- Arditi: Il Bacio
Tickets: 3 500 HUF.
24. July, Monday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 25. July, 20:30)
Musica Sonora Chamber Orchestra
- Conductor: Péter Illényi
- Semmelweis Choir (artistic director: Márta Oláh)
- Judit Andrejszki – soprano
- Boglárka Pejtsik – child soprano
- Péter Bozi – countertenor
- Gábor Légrádi – tenor
- Tibor Szomora – violin
Meeting Of Musical Worlds
- Elgar: Salut d’amour, Op.12
- Tchaikovsky: Violin concerto in D major Op. 35.
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- James Rado – Gerome Ragni – Galt MacDermot – Péter Pejtsik
- Hair – musical arranged for classical orchestra
27. July, Thursday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 28. July, 20:30)
Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra – Water Music
Artistic director: Károly Botvay
Concertmaster: János Pilz
- Vivaldi: Symphony in G major RV 149
- G. F. Händel: Water Music HWV 348-350
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- G. F. Händel: Concerto grosso in D minor, op. 6 No. 10 HWV 328
- F. Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 9 in C major MWV N9
31. July, Monday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 01. August, 20:30)
Budapest Bar
Artistic director: Róbert Farkas (violin, guitar)
Mihály Farkas – cimbalom
Károly Ökrös – accordion, piano
Richárd Farkas – double bass
Ferenc Kisvári – drums
With: singers: Dóri Behumi, Juci Németh, Frenk, György Ferenczi, András Keleti, László Kollár-Klemencz.
- Skilfully orchestrated Gypsy music – old film music and hits, music hall couplets and pop songs in a bar mood.
- Selection of numbers from the group’s CDs.
Tickets: 5 500 HUF.
03. August, Thursday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 04. August, 20:30)
Sabbathsong Klezmer Band – More Than Klezmer – Klezmer And Gypsy Musicians
With: Nándor Beke Farkas on violin and the Kossuth Prize-laureate Oszkár Ökrös, the Paganini of the cimbalom.
Traditional Eastern European klezmer music, with Hebrew and Yiddish songs, extracts from musicals, world hits, even Russian Jewish and Gypsy songs.
08., August, Tuesday 22:00 – (Rain Day: 09. August, 22:00)
Mendelsshon Chamber Orchestra – Night in the Park
Artistic director: Péter Kováts
With: Péter Kováts and Ágota Bendik (violin)
- Beethoven: Contradances
- Bach: Concerto in D minor for two violins and orchestra BWV 1043
- Brahms: Liebeslieder waltzes Op. 52a
- Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake – Hungarian dance, Spanish dance
- Nino Rota: Scherzo from the Concerto
- Piazzolla: Four Seasons in Buenos Aires – Summer
- Strauss: Éljen a Magyar! Op. 332
Due to the late start, the concert will be held without an interval!
Tickets: 3 500 HUF.
14. August, Monday, 20:30 (Rain Day: 15. Aug, 20:30)
Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra
Artistic director: József Lendvai Csócsi
- Rossini: William Tell – overture
- Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5
- Erkel: Palotás
- Monti: Csárdás
- Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs)
- Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 1
- Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 14
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- J. Strauss: Die Fledermaus overture
- J. Strauss: Éljen a magyar!
- Tchaikovsky: Waltz of the Flowers
- Bizet: Carmen
- J. Strauss: Radetczky March
Tickets: 5 500 HUF
17. August, Thursday 20:30 – (Rain Day: 18. August, 20:30)
Hungarian Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra – Baroque Evening
With: Miklós Szenthelyi (violin) and friends
Concertmaster: Román Oszecsinszki
- Vivaldi: Four Seasons
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- Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings Op.48.
See also the official website of the concert series.
Short concerts entertain everyone for free at a dozen Budapest venues all summer.
The Evening Concerts in the Zoo & Botanical Garden on Wednesdays betweeen 06. July – 24. August are also excellent summer programs.