Our Erkel

On the 215th anniversary of the birth of Ferenc Erkel, co-founder and first director of the National Hungarian Royal Academy of Music (now Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music), the Liszt Academy, the Erkel Ferenc Society and the Budapest Philharmonic Society will celebrate his birth on 7 November with a special event. The first part of the evening will feature a short concert by the Budapest Philharmonic Society Chamber Orchestra, followed by a screening of the documentary film Our Erkel. The film is the result of a broad collaboration between the Erkel Ferenc Cultural Nonprofit Ltd. The project was supported by the Erkel Ferenc Society, the Erkel Ferenc Cultural Centre in Budakeszi, the National Széchényi Library, the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, the Budapest Philharmonic Society and the House of Music, Hungary. The film, directed by János Váradi, presents the entire career of Ferenc Erkel, from his years in Gyula to his old age. Family members and experts who have spoken in the film share many previously unknown interesting facts and anecdotes about Erkel’s life and work. The film is narrated by the recently deceased Károly Mécs, Kossuth Grand Prize-winning actor. Please note that the film is 76 minutes long, so the event will end later than usual!