Conductor: Domonkos Héja Weber: Der Freischütz – overture Dvořák: Rusalka – Rusalka’s aria (Act 1) Verdi: Rigoletto – Gilda’s aria (Act 1) Delibes: Lakmé – Bell Song (Act 2) Tchaikovsky: Capriccio Italienne Gershwin: An American in Paris Gershwin: Porgy and Bess – Clara’s Lullaby (Summertime) Bernstein: Candide – Kunigunda’s song Bernstein: West Side Story – extract In Germany in the 14th century, a Corpus Christi procession sparked the development of a liturgical text which said: “You grow bread from the ground and wine which cheers the human heart”. So it is to be welcomed that in recent decades, Hungary’s superb winemakers have been fittingly celebrated – now for the seventeenth time. For ten days, the Budapest International Wine and Champagne Festival demonstrates the current state of Hungarian wine and champagne culture. This impressive series of events presents one very special event fitting to the occasion. The gala evening features supreme players in Hungarian and international music life. The Óbuda Danubia Orchestra has been the festival’s resident orchestra for years now, and conducted by its young founder Domonkos Héja, we have witnessed its growth in stature from a youth orchestra to one that enjoys an international reputation. The surprise guest at the gala concert will be none other than Erika Miklósa. She is famous as “The greatest Queen of the Night in the world” and besides entertaining the audience with some familiar songs and arias, she’ll also be paying her respects to the festival with some more recently composed pieces. Our guests will hear a programme that will “cheer the human heart”.

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