Birthday Greetings

Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi

Throughout its hundred-year history, the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra has always approached the works of the great masters with a pure heart and conscientious work.

I myself can only think of this band with the deepest respect.

I am grateful for receiving the opportunity over the course of 50 years to learn the art of exploring musical roots from the orchestra members.

The bright light came from Hungary.

For me, the National Philharmonic is itself this light.

In the future as well, and for all time…

22 January 2023

Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi
Conductor

János Kovács

From the late 1960s, I became a regular visitor to the rehearsals and concerts of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra – the predecessor of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. On the conductor’s podium, I saw such luminaries as János Ferencsik, Miklós Erdélyi, András Kórodi, Ervin Lukács, along with, for example, the young Claudio Abbado. Later on, I too received the same opportunity – and the experienced musicians put up with me and helped me along.
This wonderful ensemble was able to renew itself under the leadership of Zoltán Kocsis. I have been a regular guest ever since, and I think with gratitude of all my excellent instrumentalist colleagues in the orchestra, who sometimes enhance the music we make together with their friendly advice.

I wish this outstanding Hungarian orchestra another hundred years of musical delights!

János Kovács
Conductor

Klára Kolonits

100 years – that’s already a family saga. Playing together when this family first formed were officials, teachers, students and doctors, all united in their desire to educate people through music and pass on the joy of playing it. As the generation they had brought up took their places, the aim shifted to embracing the cohort of young Hungarian musicians, turning their passion into their profession. In 1947, my own family’s fate became intertwined with this ever-expanding family tree. That was when my grandfather, Dr Dénes Bartha, assumed the post of artistic director of the Metropolitan Orchestra, the HNPO´s predecessor, for two seasons. He brought with him the quality repertoire he had experienced as a student in Berlin, which he made even more colourful with the premières of more than 50 contemporary Hungarian works, along with numerous others from abroad. The list of artists who came to perform at his invitation included Georg Solti, Leonard Bernstein, Otto Klemperer, Paul Sacher, Antal Doráti, Ferenc Fricsay, Annie Fischer, Friedrich Gulda, Emil Gilels and Yehudi Menuhin. Two generations later, in the 2000s, I myself became a member of this family, as an invited soloist. This distinguished bond has since become one of the most important and inspiring relationships in my career, making me feel like a close relative among my musician friends. I hope this family tree will continue to expand and offer shelter to dozens of generations of musicians under its growing foliage.

Klára Kolonits
Singer

Ingrid Fliter

​I first encountered dear Zoltan Kocsis during the Busoni competition in 1998 where he was a member of the jury and where I resulted among the three finalists. This moment marked for me the beginning of one the most important musical and professional relationships of my life.

After the results were announced, he jumped impatiently towards me and said that he would invite me to perform with his orchestra the Hungarian National Philharmonic each year. Starting a few months later, I was there playing the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto.

From the very first rehearsal I felt so deeply impressed by this amazing group of musicians, who apparently could play anything effortlessly and in any way they wanted and in the way Zoltan demanded, breathing like a single individual, exhaling the exuberance of a lion, the elegance of a gazelle, the virtuosity of an athlete. Besides having the most brilliant and efficient organizing office one could dream of.

This was the very first of many collaborations with the HNPO, and thanks to that, I had the continuous privilege of making music at the highest possible level with these wonderful people, some of them becoming dear lifelong friends.

I feel very honoured to be able to say that I very much feel at home when I come to Budapest to play with the Hungarian National Philharmonic.

And I will always be grateful to Zoli, for having taken me in.

Long live the HNPO!!! ❤

Ingrid Fliter
Pianist