December at the Opera means that holiday magic returns to the stage and to the square around the Erkel Theatre. The Christmas market in front of the theatre is open until the last day of the year. Inside, opera and ballet performances, charity programmes, and a special concert awaits audiences.
Internationally acclaimed Hungarian opera singer Ildikó Komlósi celebrates 35 years at the Hungarian State Opera. To mark the occasion, a special anniversary gala is organised at the Erkel Theatre featuring Hungarian soloists and guest star Italian tenor, Marco Berti as well as the artists of FlamenCorazónArte Dance Theatre and Varidance Ensemble. The concert programme includes a scene from Verdi’s Aida and highlights from Bizet’s Carmen.
Created to Maurice Ravel’s Bolero and the music of Steve Reich, Erik Satie and others, the choreographies of the 1st Steps show address facets of life that affect us all in the irresistibly thrilling language of dance of Hans van Manen, Johan Inger, Jiří Kylián and Alexander Ekman.
In the 2020/2021 season, the Hungarian State Opera once again concentrates on the opera tradition of a certain nation. We have already had German, Italian and Hungarian themed seasons, now it is time for the French Muse Season. In recent years, works by several French composers – including Massenet, Offenbach, Poulenc, Saint-Saëns – found their way into the repertoire as well as with operas such as Les Huguenots based on French history. These will all return to our stages and most of the new opera and ballet productions will also focus on French culture along with the numerous galas, symphonic concerts and guest performances.
The Opera House in Budapest is currently undergoing extensive restoration and modernisation. Until its reopening in 2021, our performances can be seen at the Erkel Theatre, the second venue of the Hungarian State Opera.
The Opera House in Budapest is currently undergoing extensive restoration and modernisation. Until its reopening in 2021, our performances can be seen at the Erkel Theatre, the second venue of the Hungarian State Opera.
Domonkos Héja earned degrees in percussion (in 1997) and in conducting (in 1998) from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music. He won first prize at Hungarian Television's Ninth International Conducting competition, along with the audience prize and the György Solti Special Prize. He also won a special prize at the Dimitris Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition in Athens, along with the special prize from the featured Orchestra ton Chromaton. In the 1995/95 season, after winning the László Weiner Scholarship, he worked as an assistant conductor with the Budapest Festival Orchestra alongside music director Iván Fischer. From 2003 he was a permanent assistant conductor with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra after having made his debut at the Hungarian State Opera House in 2001 with Puccini's La bohème. In Florence and Rome in 2002 he conducted Bartók's opera Bluebeard's Castle to great acclaim. He has been a recurring guest at the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra Košice (Kassa), the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra di Roma e del Lazio. In 2003 he was awarded the Ferenc Liszt Prize, and in 2005 received the Artisjus Award. For 2004, he received invitations from several Italian orchestras as well as from Berlin's Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester. Ever since founding the Danubia Orchestra Óbuda in 1993, he has remained the ensemble's principal conductor to this day. Since September 2005 he has served as conductor for Theater Chemnitz.