“Last week the Budapest Festival Orchestra played at the BBC Proms featuring a selection of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies and Brahms’s Hungarian Dances. After their unique encore – where they put down their instruments and sang a Hungarian Dance by Brahms – a standing ovation was not a surprise.” – as officially reported by the British Embassy in Budapest, we are not surprised of this success, the BFO’s frequent worldwide tours, and a series of critically-acclaimed and fast-selling records have contributed to Iván Fischer’s reputation as one of the world’s most high-profile music directors. Iván Fischer is the founder and Music Director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra, as well as the Honorary Conductor of the Konzerthaus and Konzerthausorchester Berlin. In recent years he has also gained a reputation as a composer, with his works being performed in the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, Germany and Austria. What is more, he has directed a number of successful opera productions. As a Music Director, he has led the Kent Opera and the Opéra National de Lyon, and was Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC. Many of his recordings have been awarded prestigious international prizes. He studied piano, violin, and later the cello and composition in Budapest, before continuing his education in Vienna where he studied Conducting under Hans Swarowsky. This year, the Bridging Europe festival (co-organised by the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Müpa Budapest), will focus on the Baltics – namely Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – and Poland. For the sixth time since its launch, the Festival will bring audiences a selection of works from countries with intriguing cultural values, featuring classical and popular music concerts given by superstars, extraordinary exhibitions, unique literature events and symposia from 16 to 26 September. How many people are there who know how jeans were actually invented? Or that Lithuania was the first to announce its independence among the members of the USSR? And many have no clue that Estonia gave the world one of the most frequently performed composers of our time. Even those who consider themselves familiar with the culture of Poland and the Baltics will find many novelties in the Bridging Europe event series, organised for the 6th time since its launch, with a variety of genres from classical and world music through literature to folk art. The Budapest Festival Orchestra will also demonstrate its versatility and prove that it is equally at home in all musical periods. On 21, 22 and 24 September, they will be playing works from some truly outstanding composers with Baltic roots. Iván Fischer is a good friend of Arvo Pärt, one of today’s most frequently played composers. He has veritable cult status, and his works has been featured in over one hundred films. The BFO will play two of them. This festival is also a great opportunity to meet the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Mr. Fischer, for tickets follow the links below for Bridging Europe: Čiurlionis, Pärt, Vasks 21 September, 19:45 at MüPa 22. September, 15:30 at MüPa Müpa Budapest 1095 Budapest, Komor Marcell u. 1 Go to profile Photo: Ákos Stiller / BFZ