The Metropolitan Orchestra, the predecessor of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, gave its debut concert on April 5, 1923 at the Pest Vigadó under the baton of Dezső Bor.
On the programme for the birthday concert is Pál Kadosa's Piano Concerto No. 3, with Dezső Ránki on the piano. Ránki, as well as the orchestra's conductor, Zoltán Kocsis, are former students of Kadosa. The orchestra will also perform Dohnányi's Festival Overture, op. 31, Brahms' Hungarian Dances Nos 1, 3 and 10, Kodály's The Peacock - Variations on a Hungarian Folksong and Bartók's Kossuth.
To mark the anniversary, a 228-page book, with 500 illustrations, presenting the orchestra's history will be published. Also, an exhibition of concert posters for the orchestra designed by Hungarian artists over the past several years will open at the Judit Virág Gallery. The Domino String Quartet, made up of members of the orchestra, will play a concert at the gallery at 6pm on April 4.
Saturday, April 5, 7:30pm - Béla Bartók National Concert Hall. 85th Birthday Concert. Dohnányi: Festival Overture, op. 31, Brahms: Hungarian Dances Nos 1, 3 and 10 Pál Kadosa: Piano Concerto No. 3, op. 47, Bartók: Kossuth - symphonic poem, Kodály: The Peacock - Variations on a Hungarian folksong.
