Béla Bartók Choir and University Orchestra On Concert Tour of Eight Cities in U.S., Canada

Washington, DC – The Hungarian American Coalition announces the Canadian and U.S. Tour of the Béla Bartók Choir and University Orchestra of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. The tour is scheduled between October 21 and November 3, 2005, and will feature performances in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver, and in Seattle, San Francisco, and New York in the United States.

The complete concert schedule follows:

In Toronto on October 23, Sunday at 6 PM at the Hungarian Canadian Cultural Centre (840 St. Clair Ave West, Toronto), with the sponsorship of the Hungarian Canadian Cultural Centre. Contact telephone number: (+1-416) 654-4926;
In Vancouver on October 24, Monday at 7 PM at Tom Lee Music Hall (929 Granville Street, Vancouver), with the sponsorship of The Hungarian Cultural Alliance. Contact telephone number: (+1-604) 688-8929;
In Seattle on October 27, Thursday at 7 PM at Benaroya Hall, Nordstrom Recital Hall (200 University St, Seattle), with the sponsorship of the Hungarian American Association of Washington, the Seattle-Pecs Sister City Association, and The Honorable Helen M. Szablya, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Hungary in Seattle. Contact telephone number: TicketMaster Sales: (+1-206) 292-ARTS;
In Oakland on October 28, Friday at 8 PM at the Regents Theater of Holy Names University (3500 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland), with the sponsorship of Mrs. Eva E. Voisin, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Hungary, Mr. Géza Kádár, Jr. Esq., Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and the Holy Names University. Contact telephone number: (+1-510) 436-1330;
In San Francisco on October 30, Sunday at 3 PM at the First Unitarian Universalist Church Sanctuary (1187 Franklin Street at Geary, San Francisco), with the sponsorship of Mrs. Eva E. Voisin, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Hungary, Mr. Géza Kádár, Jr. Esq., The Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, The First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco. Contact telephone number: (+1-415) 776-4580;
In San Francisco on October 31, Monday at 1 PM at Knuth Hall, San Francisco State University’s College of Creative Arts (1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco), with the sponsorship of San Francisco State University. Contact telephone number: (+1-415) 338-2020;
In New York on November 2, Wednesday at 7:30 PM at St. Peter’s Church (Citicorp Center, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, between 53rd and 54th Streets), with the sponsorship of the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation, and the Manhattan Hungarian Network. Contact telephone number: (+1-212) 289-5488;
In New Brunswick on November 3, Thursday at 7:00 PM at the Kirkpatrick Chapel (81 Somerset St, New Brunswick), with the sponsorship of the Széchenyi István Hungarian School and Kindergarten. Contact telephone number: (+1-732) 932-7808.

The Béla Bartók Choir and University Orchestra of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest has participated in more than 40 international tours in recent years, performing nearly in every European country and on two memorable U.S. tours (in 1972 and 1997). The ensembles are directed by Maestro Gábor Baross, the Choir’s founder and conductor. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards bestowed by the government of Hungary. The Choir regularly performs the works of Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók. The repertoire also features Renaissance and baroque composers as well as pieces from the classic Viennese repertoire. The program always includes Hungarian contemporary composers as well, including pieces written especially for the Béla Bartók Choir and its director.

The tour of the Béla Bartók Choir and University Orchestra is organized by the Hungarian American Coalition, a not-for-profit organization that works to encourage educational and cultural interaction between the people of the U.S. and Hungary, and to foster appreciation of Hungary’s history and culture.