Hungarian culture to be introduced in Shanghai via a Müpa Budapest programme

2016. November 09.

Hungary will be one of the special guests at this year’s China Shanghai International Arts Festival, China’s most prestigious arts festival held annually since 1999. Following Russia, France and Germany, Hungary is the fourth country to be given this special opportunity to showcase its culture at the festival.

As part of the Hungarian Cultural Week to be held between 6 and 12 November 2016, Müpa Budapest has compiled a programme that combines rich Hungarian musical traditions with new, modern genres.

One of the highlights of the event series (as well as its opening performance) will be two Bartók pieces, already staged at this year’s CAFe Budapest – Contemporary Arts Festival, with great success. The opera Bluebeard's Castle, directed Csaba Káel and starred by Gábor Bretz and Andrea Szántó, and the ballet The Miraculous Mandarin, choreographed by Balázs Vincze and performed by Ballet Pécs. The orchestral background for both performances will be provided by the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by János Kovács.

Other concerts will also feature a wealth of Hungarian talent, such as the Muzsikás Folk Ensemble, showcasing Hungarian folk music traditions. Their performance gives the audience a taste of authentic Hungarian folk music as well as folk dance. Outstanding young Hungarian soloists – Kristóf Baráti, István Várdai and József Balog – will play well-known pieces rooted in folk music, written by Hungarian composers and ones with ties to Hungary. The concert presented by Roby Lakatos – the violin virtuoso well-known in China – is based on Hungarian and Roma folk music – a quasi intertwinement of the two, combining elements of gypsy music, jazz and world music.

At the expressed request of the festival's organisers, in addition to musical programmes, the programme will also feature an exhibition presenting the oeuvre of Franz Liszt entitled “Hungarian Rhapsody” and an exhibition on Bartók.