Summer Festivals and Open-Air Music

Szöveg: Szűcs László | 2012. július 17. 15:08

This year the Hungarian Defence Forces organize four regional festivals of military bands. As a unique event, they invite the people interested to an open-air music performance in Budapest garrison, Col. Zsolt Csizmadia, the chief conductor of the Hungarian Defence Forces told us when we asked him about the summer programs of the military bands.

Organized in late June, the regional festival of military bands in Tata – the first program of this kind in 2012 – was a great success. Defying the searing heat, hundreds of people came to see and applaud enthusiastically the performance of the three military bands on stage, Col. Zsolt Csizmadia told us.

The HDF chief conductor added that this year they plan to organize four regional festivals of military bands. The one in Tata will be followed by another two festivals in Szentendre and Szolnok in August, whereas in September or October – the exact date is yet to be announced – they will welcome the interested audience in Hódmezővásárhely.

This year the International Festival of Military Bands in Debrecen will not take place, but needless to say, the Hungarian bands appear abroad. The central orchestra of the HDF “vitéz Szurmay Sándor" Budapest Garrison Brigade recently appeared at the NATO festival in Mönchengladbach, and the garrison band of Hódmezővásárhely made its debut in Solbiate Olona, Italy in early July at another NATO event, the chief conductor told us.

Like in recent years, the central orchestra will participate in several special events related to the Hungarian Defence Forces. For example, they will be present on July 22 at the ceremony to be held to mark the anniversary of the victory after the 1456 siege of Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade) and at the commissioning ceremony on August 20, Col. Zsolt Csizmadia told us. He also revealed that they are planning for this summer a special series of concerts to entertain the lovers of military music. Together with Brig.-Gen. István Kun Szabó, the commander of Budapest garrison, they have decided to give open-air garrison concerts on five occasions at famous spots in Budapest like the Vajdahunyad Castle, the Vörösmarty Square and outside the St. Stephen Basilica.

The next appearance will take place on Sunday, July 22!