The Hungarian capital celebrates the 35th Spring Festival this year. The cultural event was first organized in 1981 and has been held every year in April since then. The largest and most prestigious festival features many performances of both Hungarian and international artists and several venues each time and attracts thousands of visitors. This year, the festival offers more than hundred colorful programs; it pulls together the best in classical music, opera, jazz and folk music. This is the event when Budapest becomes the centre of culture in Europe and where classical music concerts are accompanied by opera, ballet, jazz, world music, crossover, dance and theatre performances, as well as events in the visual arts.

photo:bebudapest.hu

The venues include a variety of public places, squares, parks and streets therefore it will be almost impossible not to bump into a performance or program of some kind. Furthermore, there’ll be some special venues such as the Music Academy, Palace of Arts (MüPa), Matthias Church, the New Budapest Gallery in the Bálna (Whale) building, Ludwig Museum, the Budapest Music Centre in District IX.

Besides the several orchestral concerts, chamber evenings, church concerts, opera performances and exhibitions, the festival offers programs for children, too. The Budapest Opera premiers Aida, the Papp László Sport Arena celebrates the silver anniversary of the 'Hungarian Wedding Feast', the Palace of Arts features a series of classical concerts and several plays are on the repertoire at the theaters. Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamasov will be performed April 17 in the National Theater by the group of the Thalia Theater of Hamburg, Germany and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at the National Theater, too, among many others.

photo:stylemagazin.hu

Although the Budapest Spring Festival was remodelled last year, it continues to pay especial attention to a major Hungarian composer of international musical history, Ferenc Liszt, whose person keeps fascinating music lovers, and is a highly appropriate symbol of the Festival's universal message about the significance of culture.

More info and programs: www.btf.hu