The Budapest Festival Orchestra will give a free concert at Heroes’ Square at the end of August. The concert aims to draw attention to the human suffering caused by wars.
Under the title „Concert for Peace,” the Budapest Festival Orchestra, joined by guest artists from Ukraine, Russia, Israel, and Palestine, will perform a free concert at Heroes’ Square on August 31 at 7:00 PM.
Last September, the Festival Orchestra also gave a free concert at the same location to celebrate Budapest’s 150th anniversary, where they performed an overture composed specifically for the occasion.
In their statement, the orchestra mentioned that the late August concert is intended to highlight the human suffering caused by armed conflicts and wars around the world and to stand up for the values of peace, respect, friendship, and love.
At the start of the concert, a chamber ensemble from the BFZ and German soprano Mirella Hagen will perform Plea for Peace, a short piece by contemporary American composer Augusta Read Thomas. In Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, the solo parts will be played by Ukrainian and Russian violinists Diana Tishchenko, born in Simferopol, Crimea, and Alexander Sitkovetsky, born in Moscow.
Israeli composer Idan Raichel will sing three of his compositions during the concert, accompanied by Palestinian artist Taiseer Elias on the oud, a traditional Arab instrument. The evening will conclude with the BFZ’s full orchestra, conducted by Iván Fischer, performing the finale of Mahler’s Third Symphony, What Love Tells Me. The event will also be streamed on Facebook.
Confronted with the suffering caused by wars, Iván Fischer, after his guest conducting role in Israel in January, presented a special Passion performance with the Festival Orchestra at Easter. The outdoor concert in Budapest is a continuation of this initiative. Regarding the Budapest concert, Iván Fischer said:
„Together, through music, we wish to express our shared hope that the suffering caused by armed conflicts may come to an end, and that the future will be marked by mutual respect and peace. Musicians from war-torn regions will join the orchestra for this occasion.”
The series of concerts advocating for peace through music is expected to continue in November in Istanbul.
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