Program:

20 July (Saturday) 2013, 8pm - Ágnes Herczku & Nikola Parov Band concert

Ágnes Herczku and Nikola Parov are outstanding characters of the traditional Hungarian folk and world music. During the concert Ágnes Herczku’s songs from her brand new folk CD and these two awarded authors own music compositions and world music processing will be on stage.

Featuring: Ágnes Herczku – vocal
Nikola Parov - guitar, buzuki, kaval gayda, nickelharpa, clarinet, vocal
Fodo – keyboards and percussions
Gábor Gera – accordion
Ferenc Kovács - violin

27 July (Saturday) 2013, 8pm - Tamás Vásáry and the Zoltán Kodály World Youth Orchestra charity concert

Mr. Zoltán Vásáry pianist, conductor and the Zoltán Kodály World Youth Orchestra’s concert going to be a traditional charity concert.  The youth talented orchestra will be arriving to Budapest after their closing concert at the “KZIV” Summer Academy from the City of Debrecen. This year, at the concert will be featuring compiled works by Verdi, Mendelssohn, Dvorák and Liszt. The Open-Air Theater has a tradition in offering the incomes to several fields of charities. Same goes this year as well.

Programme:
Giuseppe Verdi: The Power of Destiny Overture – conductor: Máté Hámori
Felix Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Franz Liszt: Les Preludes
Antonín Dvoŕák: New World Symphony

Teacher conductor: Máté Hámori
Conductor: Tamás Vásáry

4 August (Sunday) 2013t, 8pm - De Cobre: Between Two Fires
Gypsy-Hungarian Flamenco Fusion - Városmajor Open-air Stage

De Cobre is a young and visual project of original music with flamenco, Hungarian and Hungarian gipsy influences. Maria Keck dances and sings the melodies, texts, movements and rhythms that come into her mind or that other cultures or persons had given her as a gift. On her way such marvelous artists accompany her as Bettina Flater, Víctor Guadiana and Miguel Reyes.

Maria Keck flamenco dancer was born in Serbia as a Hungarian girl with a flamenco soul. She has the passion of the Balkans in her heart, the remote and ancient Hungarian voices and the restless pulse of flamenco. Since she was a child she had been in love with the authentic Hungarian songs and dances, it was inevitable for her to get involved in that world...

For a long while she defined herself as a choreographer, dancer and flamenco dancer, it took her to discover her "singer-side" and at that time she was starting to get interested in different ethnic cultures like for example the Indian, Arabic, Turkish, Gipsy.

Members: Mária Keck (HU) – vocal, dance
Bettina Flater (NOR) – vocal, flamenco guitar
Víctor Guadiana (ES) - violin
Miguel Reyes (MEX) – cajon, percussion
Guest: Ági Szalóki - vocal

11 August (Sunday) 2013, 8pm -  Roma Hungaricum: Evergreens and classicals slightly differently - concert

Gypsy music is known and recognized worldwide as a Hungarian cultural treasure though the music is not identical with gypsy folklore; it comprises of a unique performing style, orchestration and sound. Today Hungarian gypsy music is a national and European cultural value which Hungary has every right to be proud of and its preservation and renewal is a top priority. The sound and style of gypsy music is the valuable knowledge of urban “professional” musicians perfected over centuries and enhanced over generations. Gypsy music is not only a treasure of gypsy musicians but of all the Hungarians; a part of world culture.

The Roma Hungaricum State Ensemble aims at the high quality representation of this genre. The Roma Hungaricum State Ensemble was founded in 2012 with the support of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice and operated by the Forum Hungaricum Public Ltd. A professional jury selected the 19 band members out of 55 auditioned applicants. The average age of the musicians is 28. They are all qualified musicians trained in the Talentum International Dance and Music School and Bartok Bela Secondary School of Music.

They play pieces of folk music, gypsy music and operetta details and also the works of well-known composers such as Franz Liszt, Zoltan Kodaly, Bela Bartok, Jeno Hubay or Gyula Farkas.

27 August (Tuesday) 2013, 8pm  - Benkó Dixieland Band: Face to Face concert

The Benkó Dixieland Band plays some 200 – 250 concerts every year in Hungary and abroad. They have released 64 albums and have had a total of 110 hours of television show time. The interviews and other TV programs in which they feature are being annually seen by 600 million viewers in the world. Their regular international tours have taken them to the most different countries of Europe, America and the Far East where they have been received as traveling ambassadors of both Hungary and New Orleans jazz. What a wonderful combination!

Besides the band’s highest Hungarian cultural honors, the honorable recognition of two american presidents confirm their international recognition.

After a long absence, the Benkó Dixieland Band returned to the Városmajor Open-air Stage last summer. They presented their 55th Anniversary concert with full house and exploding success.

Their new programme "Face to Face" will be introduced with the special emphasys on their hits influenced by New Orleans and other music styles.

Star guests: Tamás Berki - vocal, György Ferenczi – harmonica, violin, vocal

The members of the Benkó Dixieland Band: 
Sándor Benkó - clarinet, leader and manager of the group
Vilmos Halmos - piano, vocal
Jenő Nagy – banjo
Gábor Kovacsevics – drums
Zsolt Kelemen – bass
Béla Zoltán – trumpet
Iván Nagy - trombone, vocal

Source: Budapest Summer Festival