The 35th anniversary Zemplén Festival, which will welcome audiences over ten days at more than 40 venues across 25 towns and villages, featuring over 500 participating artists Tokaj-Hegyalja and Zemplén – as announced at the festival’s press conference in Tarcal on Wednesday.
Gábor Hollerung, festival director and artistic director, said that, for the first time this year, the event will continue beyond 20 August, with programmes running until 23 August. He added that the change was also motivated by tourism considerations.
Alongside classical music, there are jazz, world music, folk music, theatre and literary performances
The festival will open on 14 August in Sárospatak with a concert by the Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra (BDZ) , featuring Apor Szüts, whilst the closing concert will be given by the Ferenc Liszt Chamber Orchestra. Alongside classical music concerts, the programme series will also feature jazz, world music, folk music, theatre and literary performances, exhibitions and family events.
At the anniversary festival, the Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra will perform alongside the Magna Cum Laude ensemble, whilst several of the BDZ’s chamber ensembles will also be making their debut; in addition, numerous Hungarian performers will be giving concerts as part of the jazz programmes.
The programme also features literary evenings and theatre performances : among others, Miklós H. Vecsei and Gergely Balla will be performing their joint evening dedicated to Attila József, whilst Pál Mácsai will also be appearing at the festival with his own solo performance.
Regional festival featuring smaller towns and new venues
The series of events will take place at a range of prominent venues, including historic castles, churches, wineries and cultural institutions. As well as the musical experiences, the organisers are also highlighting the attractions of the Tokaji wine region: several concerts are being held at wineries, where the music is complemented by local wine culture and gastronomy, whilst seven fine art exhibitions also await visitors.
Gábor Hollerung emphasised that the event continues to aim to bring the entire region together; therefore, alongside venues in the major cities, smaller towns will also play a significant role in the programme line-up. He added that this year’s new features include several new venues or those returning after a long absence, amongst them the Gróf Degenfeld Castle Hotel in Tarcal and the Tilia Manor in Bózsva.
Among the programmes for the anniversary festival, particular prominence is given to productions blending different genres, evening jazz concerts, and events marking the 350th anniversary of the birth of Ferenc II. Rákóczi. The Borsi Castle in Upper Hungary, the Prince’s birthplace, will also be taking part in the celebrations with a concert.
Free programmes are also available
Gábor Hollerung said that this year’s festival will once again offer the public a significant number of free events, primarily in smaller towns, though there will also be performances open to the public free of charge in larger cities. He emphasised that they do not intend to change this practice in future, as they consider it important for the festival to be as widely accessible as possible to the region’s residents.
