Budapest Spring Festival 2010

Each year, ready to greet the warm season, Budapest Spring Festival celebrates arts with classical music and jazz concerts, dance performances, unique exhibitions and various tourist programs, offering a genuine festive atmosphere. On the 19th of March 2010 the event opens in Budapest for the thirtieth time, and although organizers don't intend to succumb to nostalgia, the Stravinsky Evening of the Győr Ballet will represent a reminder of the early days of the festival, taking inspiration from Classicism as well as Modernity.

Pillars of the festival for three decades, the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Hungarian National Philharmonics will be there this year again with a Beethoven Evening and a Béla Bartók concert; then the Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra will bring to the final concert of the festival two world famous young artists: pianist Denis Matsuev and trumpet player Gábor Boldoczki.
The special guest of the event will be Denmark, a country known for its colourful culture that will present the Royal Danish Ballet and Hotel Pro Forma, a dance formation that defies genre classification. The show of the Ars Nova Copenhagen choir will blend archaic and modern in an unforgettable performance, and the Hungarian stage will also welcome the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. The gala opening event of the festival will be held in the Ludwig Museum, Palace of Arts (Ludwig Múzeum, Művészetek Palotája) where visitors can see the work of Danish artists and art groups in an exhibition entitled Power Games that examines current social and political problems as well as the role of contemporary art.
As usual, a whole buch of international artists and famous personalities will be part of the program, brought together at the Meeting of Worlds event: viola player Yuri Bashmet will play with the Moscow Soloists, there will be an aria recital by Uruguayan Erwin Schrott, a performance by the Italian ensemble Il Giardino Armonico and one by virtuoso percussionist Evelyn Glennie, and a concert by Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance and the Florilegium early music ensemble. The audience will also be able to see Nigel Kennedy playing Baroque and jazz, Bach and Duke Ellington and will get to meet the master of stirring Andalusian rhythms and melodies, Paco de Lucía; lovers of Spain should definitely be a part of the Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía's Lorca evening and fans of modern dance must watch the Arnie Zane Dance Company.
The major project of the two weeks will be the fullest possible presentation of the work of Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel, his birthday of 200 years ago marking a great musical history anniversary: six of his operas will be presented with interesting discussions before them.
Also, true to its traditions, the festival will try to serve its mission of encouraging social responsibility by introducing to the general public several artists of Rroma (Gypsy) origin.
Finally an International Theatre Festival will be organized as well, for the second time after last year's success - in cooperation with the National Theatre (Nemzeti Színház) organizers will welcome internationally acclaimed productions and different companies experimenting in the theatre genre.

This edition of the Budapest Spring Festival will end on the 5th of April - for the list of participants, for details about locations and venues, and information about dates and exact schedules you can see the event's website.