Although many young people have joined the Festival Orchestra in the past three decades, it has become more important than ever to find new musical talent, which has led the classical musical ensemble, considered to be in the top ten in the world, to launch a talent scout and motivation program. “It is no easy task to find the best young musicians. Many Hungarians continue their studies abroad, meaning the Liszt Academy is no longer the only place where Hungarian talent gathers,” explained Orsolya Erdődy, Managing Director. Nevertheless, finding young talent and offering them attractive prospects for the future is one of the important goals of the Festival Orchestra, and it requires methodological work. “Talent not only has to be found but also developed and prepared for participating in the BFO’s musical activities,” said Iván Fischer, Music Director. For example, the Orchestra’s famous Cocoa Concerts and Community Weeks, which has them playing in churches, old synagogues, and retirement homes, are excellent opportunities to attract talent.

The supporter of this complex program is AutoWallis Group, an automotive company registered on the Hungarian stock exchange: the vehicle sale company with operations in 14 countries in the region will help the Orchestra nurture young talent over the next four years. “The AutoWallis Group is happy to support the Budapest Festival Orchestra because we believe that we share many values. Besides quality, these include innovation, openness, and a no-border approach. We are proud to be a key supporter of the BFO as part of their talent scout and incentive program,” said CEO Gábor Ormosy. Orsolya Erdődy added: “This noble task will be entrusted to the most experienced of our brass musicians, who, thanks to the supported program, will be able to dedicate time to finding and providing musical education to the best talent after three decades of intensive work.” The program is led by tuba player József Bazsinka, who has been an Orchestra member for nearly 30 years. “The task I have been given is very rewarding but also very difficult. Every bright-eyed child in Hungary who learns music lives a unique life of his or her own talent. At the moment, we are following the development of eleven talented young people who are all outstandingly gifted; it is worth paying attention to them and helping them with the BFO’s knowledge and opportunities,” said József Bazsinka.

Budapest Festival Orchestra

The BFO is rated among the top ten orchestras in the world. The Orchestra regularly performs at the most important concert venues of the international music scene, including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Royal Albert Hall and Barbican Centre in London. They have repeatedly been invited to perform at international festivals such as the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Salzburg Festival and the Edinburgh International Festival. The BFO has won two Gramophone Awards. It was nominated for a Grammy in 2013 for its recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and won the Diapason d’Or and the Italian Toblacher Komponierhäuschen prize for its recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 in 2014. The BFO received the Association of Music Critics of Argentina’s award for Best Foreign Symphony Orchestra in 2016.

The BFO’S innovative concerts are well known around the world. The Autism-friendly Cocoa Concerts, the Surprise Concerts, the musical marathons, the Midnight Music concerts aimed at young adults, the Concertino series, the Dancing on the Square project integrating disadvantaged children, the free Community Weeks, and the Bridging Europe festival co-produced with Müpa Budapest are all stand-alone programs.

Iván Fischer conducts and directs the Budapest Festival Orchestra’s opera productions. These have been invited to the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Abu Dhabi Festival. The Marriage of Figaro was ranked first on the New York Magazine list of the best events in classical music in 2013. The Vicenza Opera Festival, founded by Iván Fischer, was inaugurated in the autumn of 2018.

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