Tracking down famous Hungarian composers

F

ollow the footsteps of the world famous Hungarian composers and musicians! Enjoy concerts and performances in the best concert halls of Budapest so as in the amazing Opera House!

Day 1:

Arrival in Budapest, transfer to the hotel, dinner.

Day 2:

Half-day sightseeing tour in Pest, focusing on the legacy of the great Hungarian composers; the renovated Kodály Museum, the Old Music Academy (Liszt Museum, the home of Liszt and Erkel, visit at the renovated Liszt Academy that is one of the masterpieces of Hungarian Art Nouveau.

Lunch, free time activity. In the evening, concert at Müpa Budapest (“Palace of Arts” – the largest and newest concert hall in Budapest).

Day 3:

Half-day sightseeing tour in Buda, Matthias Church, where Liszt’s Coronation Mass was first performed at the coronation of Franz Joseph and Sissi in 1867. Visit at the Institute for Musicology, panorama view from the Gellért Hill, followed by a lunch. Visit at the Bartók Béla Memorial House in Buda. It was the last residence of Bartók in Hungary, where the guests will enjoy a short concert where the performer plays Bartók’s piano. Optional visit at the Széchenyi or Gellért baths in the afternoon. In the evening, the guests are welcome to a boat trip to enjoy the sights of the illuminated Budapest.

Lunch, free time activity. In the evening, concert at Müpa Budapest (“Palace of Arts” – the largest and newest concert hall in Budapest).

Day 4:

A half-day programme: discovery of the “non-musical” wonders of Budapest: a visit at the Houses of Parliament in a 50-minute guided tour, after that the guests are welcome in the greatest Synagogue of Europe, the Dohány utca Synagogue that was inaugurated by Franz Liszt’s concert in 1859. Then we visit the Central Market Hall that is the most beautiful roofed hall according to a 2014 CNN survey. The lively atmosphere, the goods, the whirl of the crowd will leave the visitors fascinated. In the evening we visit one of the most beautiful Opera Houses on Earth. It has wonderful acoustics and a famous ensemble.

Day 5:

The guests can decide to visit a Musical Elementary School or a Musical High School to get an insight into the musical education methods in Hungary.

Free time activity during the daytime, and after dinner the guests will visit “Fonó” that is a dance house and concert hall in Buda. All year long, every Wednesday there are Hungarian and other folk dance shows and dance lessons, in which the guests may take part.

Day 6:

Today we are going on a popular country excursion. In the course of a full day programme we visit the Danube Bend. We will visit some of the famous galleries of Szentendre, we will walk the cobbled medieval streets, then we will travel on to Visegrád to enjoy the panorama view from the peak, the terrace of the 13th century castle. Then we have lunch in the famous “Reneszánsz” Restaurant next to King Matthias’ former palace. After that we travel to Esztergom where we visit the Basilica where the Mass of Esztergom was first performed in 1856, written by Liszt for the ordainment of this church. On the way back through the Pilis forests, we can enjoy the wonderful landscapes. Our farewell dinner will take place in a restaurant with excellent traditional Hungarian food and drinks, and the guests can also enjoy the finest folklore show in town with the best gypsy musicians.

Day 7:

Transfer to the airport after breakfast, departure.

Accommodation: in 4 or 5 star central hotels.

Catering: buffet breakfast and meals according to the programme, half-board catering, except for day 6.

The group is accompanied by a local tourist guide speaking excellent English who is knowledgeable in music. We provide an air-conditioned, comfortable bus.

Suggested date: between September and May, during the theater/concert season.

Of course there are concerts and performances in the summertime as well, but the variety is wider from Fall to Spring. Also, a visit in a music school is only available in this period. The programme may be shorter or longer on demand. If the group arrives in Summer, a one-day visit is possible at the Summer course of the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét. Next year it is the 135th anniversary of the birth of Béla Bartók that is celebrated by the issuance of all of his works, with lots of Bartók memorial events all over Hungary.

In Budapest, church choirs very often present concerts in the finest churches. If we have an exact appointment, and the guests are also interested, they can be taken to one of the beautiful, medieval or baroque churches for a concert. Our music enthusiast guests are warm welcome, and we are happily at their service. We are also very flexible in any modification of the base programme.