Between 17th April and 5th May 2022, the second Bartók Spring International Art Week will feature the best of the Hungarian and international art scene, world to renowned companies, exceptional soloists, new productions, and extraordinary performances, with surprises not only in the capital but also in Debrecen.
“This year, thanks to the cooperation of Budapest’s Müpa Budapest, the team of the Főnix Event Organising Nonprofit Ltd. has joined the programme series, and we will host several prestigious events at the Kölcsey Centre. As one of the national venues of the All Arts Festival, Debrecen will also be visited by the international art event series showcasing high artistic values. It is important for us because it is a unique opportunity to choose from the grandiose programme of Bartók Spring in the cultural life of the city and the region, and we are proud to be part of the cooperation” – said Réka Mészáros, Managing Director of Főnix Rendezevvényszervező Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft.
The Bartók Spring International Art Weeks, a unique series of all-arts events, will be launched in spring 2021, the 140th anniversary of the birth of the world-famous Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. The festival will offer a glimpse into Bartók’s impressive oeuvre, but rather than exclusively showcasing the compositions of the world-famous composer, it will also seek to showcase Bartók’s spirit, creativity, and creative approach in a wide range of genres, from contemporary classical music to world music, jazz, dance, visual arts, and popular music, through the works of the best of the Hungarian and international art scene.
The series of events in Debrecen will feature more than 15 musical and theatrical performances in four venues, including the Kölcsey Centre, the MODEM Modern, and Contemporary Arts Centre, the Nagyerde Water Tower, and several public spaces in the city.
Performers include the “classical music clowns” Igudesman & Joo, ten-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, world-famous tenor Ramón Vargas accompanied by the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, and BANDALOOP, who use the facades of the buildings as dance floors; the four fantastic young singers Ohnody, Дeva, Saya Noé, and Drimba Cristina will perform on the same evening; the public spaces will be filled with life and experience with world music programmes by Ritmo PIKNIK.
27th April at 19.30
Igudesman & Joo
Play it Again
Location: Kölcsey Centre
The virtuosity, humour, creativity and captivating performances of world-renowned musician-comedian duo Aleksey Igudesman and Hyung-ki Joo have brought classical music to millions of people, with audiences from stadiums and concert halls in the thousands to university clubs and online video sharing sites.
They have performed not only as duos but also with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. World-renowned soloists are also welcome to take part in their meticulously planned “madness”, having played with Joshua Bell, Janine Jansen, Gidon Kremer, Misha Maisky, Julian Rachlin and Yuja Wang.
They come to Hungary with one of their most popular shows, Play it Again, which is like a concert that starts immediately with the encores, often with the audience shaping the programme.
29th & 30th April 2022 at 6:00 p.m. and 11 a.m respectively.
Ritmo PIKNIK
Location: public spaces in Debrecen
Ritmo – for the first time in its history – will welcome world music lovers not only in Budapest, but also in three cities across the country. In Debrecen, Miskolc and Győr, the Ritmo Picnic offers creative children’s and family programmes during the day and unmissable world and folk music pop-up concerts in the evenings.
The city buzz and the buzz-free atmosphere will be provided by exciting performers such as Sena, the Bohemian Betyars, Los Orangutanes, Mónika Lakatos and Romengo, Julcsi Paár, Mordái, Mihály Dresch Ballance Trio, Napfonat and many others.
The Ritmo Picnic is organised by Müpa Budapest as part of the Bartók Spring Festival in collaboration with Hangvető.
29th + 30th April 2022 at 6:00 p.m.
BANDALOOP
Location: MODEM Modern and Contemporary Art Centre
Turning the dance floor on its side, the world-famous ensemble has combined body dynamics, complex choreography, and a wide variety of climbing and hanging techniques into a single, harmonious artistic expression. Founded in Oakland by Amelia Rudolph and under the artistic direction of Melecio Estrella, BANDALOOP reimagines dance and in doing so activates public spaces, which has led to admiration from audiences around the world.
The stunning performances take place in a variety of settings, from historical settings, ancient castle walls, to the glass surfaces of hypermodern skyscrapers in big cities, to the natural world, on sheer cliff faces. The productions have been seen by millions of people in 22 countries. The company, which has captivated Budapest’s facades with its dizzying dance, returns with three site-specific performances.
30th April at 7:30 p.m
Szergej Krilov (hegedű) and Kodály Filharmonic Debrecen
Musorgsky: Night on a Barren Mountain
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64
Bartók: Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 87, BB 94
Weiner: Suite (Hungarian folk dances), op. 18
Conductor: Imre Kollár
Sergey Krilov is a celebrated violinist of our time, a regular guest in prestigious concert halls and orchestras. The sparkling, lively musicality, poetic intensity and magical sound of his playing have been admired by Hungarian audiences. Since 2008, as artistic director of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, he has demonstrated his unrivalled class in a wide range of styles and genres, from baroque to contemporary music. He has been a regular guest with orchestras such as the Russian National Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and has worked with renowned conductors such as Mikhail Pletnyov, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Vasily Petrenko, Vladimir Jurowski, Valery Gergiev and Marin Alsop. At the Bartók Spring concerts in Debrecen and Győr, Imre Kollár will appear as a partner with the Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra, performing popular compositions by Bartók and Mendelssohn.
30th April 2022 8:00 p.m.
Ohnody / Дeva / Saya Noé / Drimba Cristina
Venue: Nagyerdei Water Tower
Four brashly young and talented singer-songwriters, Ohnody, Дeva, Saya Noé, and Drimba Cristina, will give a concert in Debrecen as part of the Bartók Spring Festival. Their songs, based on their own experiences, have a wide emotional spectrum, honesty, and philosophical nature, and speak to the audience with elemental power and directness.
Ohnody is Dóra Hegyi’s solo project, in which her minimalist drawings and deep and sincere poems merge with her emotional singing voice to form an indissoluble unity. Дeva (Deva), the special music of Dorina Takács, transports the listener to an ancient land, with atmospheric soft sounds, silky pulsating basses, and polyphonic mantras spiced with the magical lyrics of Hungarian folk songs. Saya Noé, aka Mimi Kőrös, has recently released her debut album Museum of Sins, a melancholic electro-pop with elements of trap and a hint of hip hop. Cristina Drimba, a 16-year-old singer-guitarist from Oradea, appeared in the Fülesbagoly talent contest in 2020 with her own compositions.
Sponsored by Petőfi Cultural Agency
3rd May 2022 8:00 p.m.
Arturo Sandoval
Helyszín: Kölcsey Központ
Featuring Arturo Sandoval – trumpet, Michael Tucker – saxophone, Maxwell Haymer – piano, William Brahm – guitar, John Belzaguy – double bass, Johnny Friday – drums, Tiki Pasillas – percussion
When ten-time Grammy winner Arturo Sandoval first took to the stage at Müpa Budapest in February 2015, the air was hot. This time, the legendary figure of Latin jazz, who has already shown many facets of his impressive musicality, superior technical skills and exceptionally entertaining personality, will give concerts in Debrecen and Győr.
The Cuban musician began his classical music studies at the age of twelve but was soon influenced by jazz, with the legendary trumpeter and bandleader Dizzy Gillespie paving the way. As a mature artist, he played an invaluable role in deepening the interaction between jazz and Latin music. His enchanting stage persona has captivated millions, performing at such globally televised events as the Oscars, Grammys, and Billboard Awards.
He has over 30 albums, ballet, and film scores, his life story has been made into a film, but most importantly, he is a steadfast performer beyond the seventh x.
5th May at 7:00 p.m.
Ramón Vargas (vocals) and the Győri Philharmonic Orchestra
Location: Kölcsey Centre
Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro – Overture
Mozart: Don Giovanni – Il mio tesoro intanto
Donizetti: Prince Alba – Inosservato penetrava… Angelo casto e bel
Verdi: The Power of Destiny – Overture
Verdi: The Two Foscari – Dal più remoto esilio… Odio solo, ed odio atroce
Ponchielli: Gioconda – Cielo e mar
Donizetti: Don Pasquale – Overture
Cilea: The girl from Arles – È la solita storia del pastore
Puccini: Manon Lescaut – Intermezzo
Puccini: Tosca – Dammi i colori… Recondita armonia
Rossini: The Barber of Seville – Overture
Leoncavallo: La Mattinata
Cardillo: Core ‘ngrato – Naples song
Conductor: Pier Giorgio Morandi
After 2017, the world-famous tenor Ramón Vargas will return to the stage as a guest of the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Mexican star singer’s concerts in Hungary are set to be the highlights of the season. The great singer’s career took a decisive turn in 1992 when he replaced Luciano Pavarotti as Edgardo in the New York Metropolitan Opera’s production of Lammermoor’s Lucia. Soon afterward he appeared at La Scala in Milan, singing the role of Fenton in Verdi’s Falstaff, a sensational production directed by Giorgio Strehler and conducted by Riccardo Muti. Ramón Vargas is a regular guest at opera houses such as the Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), the Royal Opera House (London), the Teatro Real (Madrid), the Opéra National (Paris), the Staatsoper in Vienna, and the Arena di Verona.
The Bartók Spring International Art Week is organised by Müpa Budapest: the aim of the programme series is to make Hungary an even more attractive destination for international cultural tourism in the coming years, in cooperation with Hungarian and European partner institutions, and to gradually become a national event series with the involvement of Budapest and other major cities, thus ensuring that Hungarian and international audiences can experience a more colourful and richer artistic programme.
Further information and tickets for Bartók Spring programmes are available on the festival website.
