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| Csaba Káel |
?We?re reshaping the programme structure from 2012/13. We believe culture is a development sector and should be managed as other development sectors of the economy are,? Káel said.
He said the move would be made to a thematic structure, and the first broad central theme would be the concept of the horizon, ?understood in every sense of the word?.
MUPA will launch its thematic programme structure in the first half of 2012 with a series called Symphonic Discoveries, which is a further developed version of the Symphonic Panorama series.
?We have to think differently. We shouldn?t cry about how many orchestras we have, rather we must rejoice: how great it is that Hungarian culture could produce so much,? Káel said.
MUPA has asked the orchestras to involve the audiences in real discovery, show them new Hungarian works brought to the stage by well known performers or young, rising stars, he said.
Káel said it was a show of MUPA?s good name that some 400 representatives of the International Artist Managers? Association (IAMA) would hold a conference at MUPA on April 19-21. He added that MUPA was organising mini showcases of young Hungarian talent for the conference-goers.
Although MUPA?s budget hardly reaches that of 2005, in nominal terms, it can still invite the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the baton of Sir Neville Marriner. The Welsh star baritone Bryn Terfel will also bring material from his album Bad Boys to MUPA.
Le Poeme Harmoniqe will organise a Baroque carnival in MUPA?s halls and the violinist Leila Josefovwicz will perform with the London Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
The Day of Drums, part of the Budapest Spring Festival, will be crowed by an evening performance by Gary Burton and Chick Corea. Another co-production with the festival will be of Händel?s Herkules.
MUPA will again hold its traditional Wagner Days with performances of all the Ring Cycle operas and of Tannhäuser with the American tenor Robert Dean Smith in the title role directed by the German Matthias Oldag.
MUPA already has a rich programme for children and youth but it is expanding the offering. It will also shift its focus from families to schools to attract more young people.
?We see that teachers are happy about the initiative because the nice environment and the elegance about which so little is said these days has a good effect on the children,? Káel said.
Káel said it was more difficult to draw the university crowd. ?It is hard to get them to move, they?re chained to the internet, but this is how we?re trying to reach them,? he added.
Káel said a number of top managers from multinationals in Budapest had been invited to a concert by Cecilia Bartoli. ?It will certainly surprise the reader to learn that 80 percent had never been to the MUPA,? he added.
