December 7-8-9: 3rd Hungarian Heritage Festival – Advent

Workshops for both adults and children to make your own presents, hands-on instruction in traditional handicrafts, Advent folk music concerts and folk dance programs, a Christmas exhibition, a visit from St. Nicholas, a Christmas fair and delicious Christmas foods — all await our dear visitors!

 

Friday, December 7, 2018

7 P.M. – OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION AND GUIDED TOUR

“Music of angels, candlelight. . .”: Christmases of bygone days

Exhibition organized by the Hungarian Open-Air Museum, Szentendre

Christmas – for each one of us it calls to mind something different: different tastes, smells, customs and family traditions. How were the trees decorated? Which trends influenced the types of ornaments and sweets hung on the Christmas tree? How did people in rural and urban homes celebrate? Since when have Hungarians had Christmas fondant? All these questions are answered in our current exhibition where the many photographs and snapshots evoke moments of Christmases from the distant past and from the more recent past.

Hungarian Traditional Craftsmanship

Exhibition organized by the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists, featuring artworks of Anikó Arvai weaver, Marta Bencsik basket weaver, Judit Szmelo gingerbread decorator, Vetro Mihaly felt maker, and Bernadett Pap Zelei embroiderer.

Featuring: Livia Bagoczky, voice Krisztian Olah, piano

Krisztian Olah has become a recognizable presence on the European jazz scene at just 22 years of age. In 2015 he won the third place at the Montreux Jazz Piano Competition. In 2016, the Hungarian Jazz Federation recognized Olah as the Young Jazz Musician of the Year. In 2018 he was selected to the semi-finals of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition in the US.

Livia Bagoczky is one of the most well-rounded singer in Hungary. The audience usually knows her from the Balkan Fanatik band. But her special voice – which you can easily recognize – is not only pleasurable in folk music but a good match with jazz music also. This voice and piano duo plays mostly jazz standards, and covers rearranged by Krisztian Olah.

8:00  P.M. – CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT

Libero Canto: Monteverdi & Bartok

The Libero Canto Approach has two important cultural and philosophical sources:  the traditions of the old Italian singing schools, and the Hungarian traditions of music pedagogy, folk music, and musical culture.  These two sources are represented in tonight’s program.

The Libero Canto Approach was first developed in Budapest in the 1920’s and ‘30’s by Lajos Szamosi, a Hungarian singer and singing teacher. After almost one hundred years in Europe, Libero Canto came to New York, where Deborah Carmichael and Kinga Cserjési are teaching and promoting this way of teaching.  Deborah and Kinga were students of Lajos Szamosi’s son, Edvin Szamosi, who worked in Vienna and New York.  Deborah was born in New York but has been immersed in Hungarian culture for more than twenty-five years through the Szamosi family.  Kinga was born in Budapest, where she completed her degree at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.  Marisa Michelson and Sara Serpa are both singers, teachers, and composers who have been working with the Libero Canto Approach for many years.

www.liberocanto.com/videos/

Featuring:

Deborah Carmichael – voice

Kinga Cserjesi – voice

Marisa Michelson – voice

Sara Serpa – voice

Doug Martin – piano

Hungarian specialties: Szekely style cabbage with stew, Bakony style pork ragout with dumplings

Desserts:An assortment of strudels and Beigli (nut or poppy roll)

Mulled wine

Donations to the Hungarian House are greatly appreciated.

Suggested donation: $15/adult, $10/student, senior

 

Saturday, December 8, 2018

4 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. – „MAKE YOUR OWN PRESENTS” HANDICRAFTS WORKSHOPSwith the artisans of the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists 

Featuring:

Aniko Arvai, weaver, Master of Folk Art

Marta Bencsik, basket weaver, Applied Folk Artist

Judit Szmelo, gingerbread decorator, Applied Folk Artist

Mihaly Vetro, felt maker, Master of Folk Art

 

6:30 P.M. – GUIDED TOUR OF EXHIBITION

“Music of angels, candlelight. . .”: Christmases of bygone days

Exhibition organized by the Hungarian Open-Air Museum, Szentendre

7 P.M. – FOLK MUSIC CONCERT: The Sounds of Advent

Featuring: Kobzos Ensemble (HUN), Ukrainian Village Voices (US), Supruli Georgian Choir (US)

The Kobzos Ensemble was founded in 2006 to perform mainly Hungarian spiritual songs with instrumental accompaniment. Apart from spiritual concerts the Ensemble also plays folk music concerts from different regions, dance-workshops (so called ‘dance-houses’) for adults as well as children, and early music concerts whose sets are made up of the musical themes from mediaeval Europe.

The members of Kobzos Ensemble have already been awarded different Hungarian awards all and singular too, such as: ‘Young Master of Folk Art Award’, ‘Bezeredj Price’ of The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, ‘Béla Bartók Prize’, ‘For the Hungarian Arts Award’ and ‘Award for Home Defense’.

Members:

Andrea Navratil Andrea – voice, gardon, bells

László Demeter – voice, lute, bells

Márton Komáromi – violin

Supruli is a vocal ensemble dedicated to the traditional folk and liturgical polyphonic singing traditions of the Republic of Georgia. Georgian polyphonic singing has captivated singers and scholars alike, and there are Georgian choirs in many countries. Predominantly a cappella, the music does not follow Western rules of harmony or voice leading, with fifths being more common than octaves. There is also remarkable diversity of styles within the form, despite the fact that Georgia is such a small country. For singers in Supruli, the music has great power on its own – but within the context of Georgian culture, it’s something that transcends music theory and reverberates through heart and soul. Anyone who delves into Georgian culture will discover that it’s impossible to do so in a purely academic manner; Georgians are intense and passionate about their culture, and that passion is highly contagious.

Ukrainian Village Voicessings in the polyphonic Ukrainian village style and its repertoire is constantly evolving, frequently focusing on seasonal celebrations, ritual songs, as well as lyrical music. They often sing songs recorded by ethnomusicologists from the oldest dwellers of villages in Ukraine. Thus they pay homage to the ancient spirit of these songs while also naturally bringing a unique North American feel to the music. Growing out of Ukrainian Women’s Voices (c. 2008), the group was renamed Ukrainian Village Voices in 2012 to more fully encapsulate the heart and mission of the collective. Since 2013, the ensemble has performed for a wide range of audiences in the New York metropolitan area and other locales in New York State, as well as in Canada.

9 P.M. – CHRISTMAS FOLK DANCE PARTY

Live music and dance teaching all night.

Featuring:

Members of Kobzos Ensemble (HUN), Életfa (NJ), Fényes Banda (NY)

Reka Marton and Daniel Horvath folk dance instructors, interns of Kőrösi Csoma Sándor Program

Hungarian specialties: Szekely style cabbage with stew, Chicken ragout with dumplings

Desserts:An assortment of strudels and Beigli (nut or poppy roll)

Mulled wine

Donations to the Hungarian House are greatly appreciated.

Suggested donation: $20/adult, $10/student, senior, $5/children under 7

 

Sunday, December 9, 2018

10 A.M. to 6 P.M. – CHRISTMAS FAIR

Christmas candies, smoked delicacies, sausage, Christmas ornaments, gifts, soaps, jewelry…, and exciting programs:

11 A.M. to 2 P.M. – „MAKE YOUR OWN PRESENTS” HANDICRAFTS WORKSHOPSwith the artisans of the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists

 Featuring:

Aniko Arvai, weaver, Master of Folk Art

Marta Bencsik, basket weaver, Applied Folk Artist

Judit Szmelo, gingerbread decorator, Applied Folk Artist

Mihaly Vetro, felt maker, Master of Folk Art

12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. – LUNCH

Hungarian specialties: Stuffed cabbage and Goulash soup

Desserts: An assortment of strudels and Beigli (nut or poppy roll)

Mulled wine

12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. – CONCERTS

Laura Angyal-Jeta Hyseni jazz duo, Kobzos Ensemble

1 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. – FILM SCREENING ON FOLK CUSTOMS

Organized by the Hungarian Open-Air Museum, Szentendre

Location: American Hungarian Library

2:30 P.M. – GUIDED TOUR OF EXHIBITION

“Music of angels, candlelight. . .”: Christmases of bygone days

Organized by the Hungarian Open-Air Museum, Szentendre

3 P.M. – VISIT OF ST. NICHOLAS 

Arts and crafts workshop with the artisans of the Association of Hungarian Folk Artists, concerts and folk dance party for children with the Kobzos Ensemble.

Kindly register each child participating: [email protected]

Admission: $15/child, St. Nicholas pack of goodies included

Admission to the Christmas Fair is free.

Participation in the programs is free of charge until 3 P.M.

Partner Organizations:

Association of Hungarian Folk Artists, Hungary

Skanzen – Hungarian Open Air Museum, Szentendre, Hungary

Supporters:

Consulate General of Hungary in New York

Csoóri Sándor Fund, Hungary

Gábor Bethlen Found, Hungary

Halmos Béla Program, Hungary

Human Capacities Grant Management Office, Hungary

Kőrösi Csoma Sándor Program, Hungary

National Cultural Fund, Hungary

Artistic director:

Ildikó Nagy

 Further information:

Hungarian House of New York

American Foundation for Hungarian Literature and Education Ltd.

[email protected]