The performance, held as part of the embassy's celebration of the 125th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, was attended by a number of officials from the Department of State as well as the heads of several American cultural institutions which could play a significant role organising a Hungarian Cultural Season in New York in 2009.
In remarks before the performance, Ambassador András Simonyi praised the ensemble's many decades of preserving and sharing the traditions of Hungarian-speaking regions.
The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble is touring the United States and Canada from January 8 until April 14. During the three-month tour, the troupe will perform 68 times before some 90,000 people. Stops on the tour include venues in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, Kansas City and Toronto.
The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble last toured the US in 1994.
