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 Bagoczkyis 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
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.