Event: Hungary - Budapest

Budafest Summer Music Festival

When:	2 Jul - 15 Aug 2008 (annual)
Where:	Budapest
Costs:	Various
Opening Hours:	Concerts 8.30pm; Opera House 7pm

First arranged by VIP Arts Management in 1992, the Budafest Summer Music Festival brings opera and music productions to the Hilton Dominican Court, Szent István Square and Margaret Island.

In 2006 the 15th festival kicked off at the Hilton Dominican Court with a series of performances starting with a ballet gala, then performances by the Hungarian Virtuosos Orchestra, a flamenco night with Andrea Lippai, a Latin night with the Patricio Baeza Band, concerts by the Bolyki Brothers, the Budapest Klezmer Band and the Hot Jazz Band.

The Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Kodály-Bartók World Orchestra (conducted by Tamás Vásáry), Hungarian Telecom Symphonic Orchestra and the Ernõ Dohnányi Symphonic Orchestra all performed in front of the Basilica.

Opera included a double bill at the Hilton: Donizetti's Rita and Tom Johnson's The Four Note Opera, while in August performances transfer to the Hungarian State Opera. Following the Jubilee Opera Gala there were performances of Puccini's Tosca and Verdi's Otello, before the festival ended with two performances of the ballet The Taming of the Shrew, with music by Goldmark and Hidas, choreographed by Lázsló Seregi.

Expect more of the same for the next festival - keep an eye on the VIP Arts Management website for the latest news.