In the 2025/2026 season, the Hungarian Radio Art Groups, with more than 80 years of history and encompassing the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Choir of the Hungarian National Radio and the Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir, are about to stage exciting and passionate concerts. In the scope of a rich musical journey, these concerts will be conducted by renowned Hungarian and international conductors and will be performed by brilliant soloists.
Monumental works
From September, the Choir of the Hungarian National Radio will be in the spotlight as the Choir celebrates its 75th anniversary this season. The first occasion on this jubilee journey will feature Mendelssohn’s romantic composition entitled Paulus. This concert is also special in that this event will also reveal the winners of the Artists of the Season awards to be bestowed upon deserving members of the orchestra and the choir.
The next monumental production features particularly exciting pieces by Wagner and Bruckner: Wagner needs no introduction, and this composition by Bruckner is considered one of the most mysterious symphonies ever written.
Energised by Women Performers
On this musical evening entitled Sibelius, Dvořák and Tchaikovsky, the audience will be able to listen to performances by principal guest conductor of the Utah Symphony and of BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra Delyana Lazarova, and young Moldovan violinist Lilia Pocitari.
At the end of March, the Hungarian Radio Art Groups will perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 3: this is the composer’s most ambitious orchestral work, in which the universe itself and nature interpreted as soul are unveiled in the magnificent dimensions of music. At this concert, the Art Groups will be joined on stage by internationally acclaimed Hungarian mezzo-soprano Dorottya Láng.
Musical Delicacies
György Kurtág’s Colindă-Baladă tells the story of love between the Sun and the Moon, brother and sister. This time, young Bulgarian-born composer Georgi Stoyanov will join the production in the role of tenor.
Levente Gyöngyösi’s Christmas Oratorio, written in 2013 and sung in Latin, is based – following the fashion of musical pieces by the composer’s great role model Bach – on an exciting libretto based on a variety of textual sources. In addition, the piece employs thought-provoking associations and unusual musical insertions, such as the Latin translation of Hungarian poet Attila József’s poem entitled Betlehemi királyok (Kings of Bethlehem). The evening’s programme also includes popular pieces by Mozart and Beethoven.
The performance entitled Contemporary Orthodox Slavonic Hymns consists of works by present-day composers: this selection creates an incredibly exciting, thought-provoking and – in every sense of the word – unique and long-awaited concert programme, in the scope of which each of the pieces explores the possibilities of synthesizing traditional choral voices with innovative musical elements.
Romantic evenings
On 14th February, the day dedicated to lovers, Italian conductor Riccardo Frizza will be selecting from among Brahms’ and Bartók’s most popular works. This time those pieces will be chosen that have already conquered concert halls all around the world.
In the scope of this concert, with the participation of Balázs Fülei and conducted by János Kovács, the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform Rachmaninov’s and Dvořák’s melodious, intelligently structured and, in certain places, elemental themes.
Béni Csillag now returns to the Choir of the Hungarian National Radio as the conductor of some of the major compositions of 20th century choral works. The concert also features a true rarity: Herbert Howells’ Requiem, which was written in 1932.
International Waters
This musical evening will present exclusively Italian music, and will feature Roman Trilogy, Riccardo Frizza, and winner of International Mozart Competition Salzburg (2011) and winner of Leeds International Piano Competition (2012) pianist Federico Colli, who will perform G. Martucci’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor.
At this concert in Budapest, one of the world’s most virtuoso and music-wise adventurous flutists Erik Bosgraaf will perform a selection of works by the four applicants to the position of cantor at the Leipzig-based St. Thomas’ Church in the 1720s. The event has all that it needs to be an extravagant concert.
British conductor Howard Williams has selected the programme for this concert from that period of English music history which stretches over the last three hundred years. The Baroque period is represented by Purcell and Händel, while the 19th and 20th centuries are embodied by compositions by Hubert Parry, William Walton and Benjamin Britten. One of the unique works performed at this concert is a piece by Scottish composer James MacMillan: this composition was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II herself.
Conducted by Musical Director Domonkos Héja and with the participation of Mihai Damian, the artists of the Hungarian Radio Art Groups will dedicate this evening to the musical works of Russian composers. The first piece of the concert programme evokes an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov: the excerpts to be performed are hardly known to the audience. This piece will be followed by one of the most original song cycles of the 19th century: Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death.
Intimacy of Chamber Music
At the chamber concerts entitled Variations, the artists of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra will perform pieces they themselves have chosen for these occasions: the Orchestra’s musicians will perform pieces that the artists hold dear and consider special. Four to five, or at times even six shorter pieces will be performed during one evening. This year, popular compères will introduce the audience to the works to be performed at these concerts – but who the compères actually are remains a surprise for now.
Performances for Children
The Art Groups have not forgotten about children and their families either: the next season will once again feature concerts dedicated to St. Nicholas Day, the carnival season and Mother’s Day. At special concerts spiced with music history and targeted at younger generations, older children and school groups will be able to enjoy programmes where instruments will “compete” against one another, and the audience will be able to find out why music is played at night and how it is possible to travel around the world – certainly in a figurative sense and through music.
Further information and detailed descriptions of concerts can be accessed at radiomusic.hu. Tickets and season tickets are available at mrme.jegy.hu. For your convenience, the Hungarian Radio Art Groups’ season programme booklet can be flipped through online and can also be downloaded.