Between September 4-11 the synagogues of
Budapest
will be decorated with special festive lights and open their gates to host countless acoustic concerts of Hungarian folk bands, such as
Ghymes
,
Besh o droM
,
Andrea Rost
, and the
Ferenc
Liszt Chamber Orchestra
.
The
Jewish
Cultural
Festival
aims to interlace the Jewish and Hungarian culture, while venues with a remarkable atmosphere welcome outstanding artistic productions. The festival will be a fusion of klezmer, jazz, swing and rock music, dance performances, literature, exhibitions and a gastronomy evening.
Besides the
Dohány Street Synagogue
, the
Rumbach Street Synagogue
, and the
Goldmark Hall
, this year for the first time the festival expands to additional venues: the synagogues in Bethlen Square and in Hegedűs Gyula Street.
The
Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
hosts a special joint concert of
Erika Lux
pianist, and the European Synagogue Choir conducted by
Andor Izsák
- Izsák is also the founder of the European Centre for Jewish Music and the retired professor at the Music Academy in Hanover.
In addition to such well-known Hungarian artists and bands as Tamás Pajor, Margaret Island, Mörk featuring Bea Palya, Petruska, InFusion, Kátya Tompos, Charlie, Caramel, Dániel Rudas, Vera Jónás, Myrtill Micheller, the Patché Group, and the Budapest Klezmer Band, the audience can enjoy special international performances, including Boban Markovic and his Orchestra, and the world-famous American klezmer-music group, the Klezmatics. The concerts of the Israeli violin virtuoso, Eyal Shiloach, and the Klezmerész group will take place at the Hegedűs Gyula Street Synagogue on September 8th. Award-winning Hungarian violinist, Katica Illényi will perform alongside the Swing De Gitanes group: the formation is one of the best-known gypsy-jazz-Django Reinhardt jazz bands in the Middle East. After numerous international concerts, they are coming to Budapest for the first time.
The synagogues will also host performances of the Pál Frenák Company, and Nigun, Mihály Borbély, the Sephardi Divas, Back to the Roots, the Finucci Bros Quartet, the Pankastic Orchestra, as well as Nikoletta Szőke’s Barbara Streisand evening. The special guests of the Sabbathsong Klezmer Band will be Nándor Farkas Beke, the leader of the 100 member Gypsy Orchestra and the "Paganini" of the dulcimer, Oszkár Ökrös and the Kinneret Chamber Choir.
The literary evening of Miklós Vámos, György Dragomán, Anna T. Szabó, Géza D. Hegedűs, Kovax and Balázs Galkó will take place at the Holdmark Hall. Besides the performance of János Karácsony and Anikó Für, there will be improvised cabaret shows with János Gálvölgyi and Miklós Benedek; András Kern will sing with Judit Hernádi and Gábor Heilig, accompanied by Iván Gátos and his orchestra. The festival will offer numerous programs for children, too: at 11am on September 11th the Gólem Theatre and the Donkey’s Ear Project will collaborate in presenting a Jewish story play for little kids.
