Season Opening Press Conference at the Palace of Arts

2012. April 24.

At its press conference, the Palace of Arts management presented the events and stars, 20 season tickets, a new publication structure and the principles of programming selection for the autumn 2012 season.

“Starting from autumn 2012, the Palace of Arts is to announce its events by season, in alignment with the European theatrical and concert scene. Thematic programming, which has already proven successful abroad, is the defining principle of its offering, with the intention of winning an ever broader audience,” said Csaba Káel, the Palace’s general manager. All of that will be interconnected through the horizon concept from the next season, allowing the Palace to present value that provides perspective. “European and Hungarian culture are our horizon. This is a centuries-old tradition for us to draw on, and this is what we need to build upon,” Káel added.
Describing the implementation of the plans specified in the Palace of Arts’ five-year strategy, he underscored the success of the Palace of Arts and the Hungarian State Opera’s co-production in Oman, as well as the launch of international sales activity for cultural tourism packages created jointly with the Palace of Arts’ strategic partners. He also described the strategic cooperation agreement concluded with the Hungarian Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund, as part of which the Palace of Arts’ productions will be aired on public service media channels.
“Two new series have been created in the spirit of our revamped programming: Artist of the Season, kicking off with Zoltán Kocsis (60), and Orchestra of the Season, featuring the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012. At these concerts, Zoltán Kocsis will contribute not only as a conductor but also as a performer on several occasions, for instance in the programme of our John Cage 100 concert, which has been created at his initiative,” revealed András Csonka, the Palace of Arts’ Deputy General Manager for Operation, about the series.
The Palace of Arts’ 20 season tickets connect the concert offering according to innovative criteria. The Maestros and Masterpieces season ticket will showcase Sir John Elliot Gardiner with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and the Monteverdi Choir, Sir Simon Rattle with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as the Stuttgart Chamber Choir and the Stuttgart Baroque Orchestra, plus Helmuth Rilling conducting the 2013 New Year’s Concert. The Great Cities, Great Orchestras season ticket provides admission to symphonic concerts featuring the Turkish Presidential Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Paris.
In addition, the now regular Wagner season ticket and Symphonic Discoveries will also remain on the bill in two assortments. The European Concert Hall Organisation’s (ECHO) initiative, an international series entitled Rising Stars is a new feature, with Ádám Banda representing Hungary this season and János Balázs during the following one, on their tour of renowned stages around Europe,” said András Csonka.
Ágnes Kovács, the Palace of Arts’ Director of Sales and Marketing spoke about the publication structure aligned with the new programming principles: “The Palace of Arts has built a successful brand over seven years and now it can afford to focus on content instead of raising awareness of the building, while retaining and using the established visual elements more flexibly. This is reflected in the new publication of the institution, which describes our season tickets and key productions.” The MÜPA’s well-known free programme booklet will also be revamped to follow seasonal programming, and published in the autumn, winter and spring to provide an overview of shorter periods. This change will allow audiences access to more up-to-date information.

24.4.2012