The 2025/2026 season promises more exciting and diverse programmes: three festivals, three different series, plus the traditional summer concert series at Eszterháza ensure that the organizer, Haydneum – Hungarian Centre for Early Music, can reveal every facet of early music, from chamber music to opera, from rarities to the great classics.
There is a focus on rediscoveries in the new season: for example, the audience can enjoy Der Rübezahl, a long-forgotten opera by Cartellieri, Haydn’s gorgeous Armida, plus works by such remarkable composers as Tůma, Conti, and the Dutchman Carel Anton Fodor. Alongside pieces by lesser-known masters of 17-18th century Venice, works written from 1600 all the way up to 1892 are on offer in the most authentic performance formats possible.
The Centre intends to reach not only music aficionados: the Haydneum Music Academy Series is crowned by Händel’s globally-renowned oratorio, Messiah, in spring 2026, the Haydneum Fortepiano Series showcases the emotional and structural depth of 18-19th century keyboard music through the works of leading and influential artists such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms. Music historian Ádám Bősze continues his series on Haydn, this time revealing the everyday life of the composer at Eszterháza, in the entertaining style we have become accustomed to.
“An extremely exciting and beautiful new chapter has begun in the history of early music performance in Hungary,” says György Vashegyi, Haydneum artistic director. Besides influential and leading figures of domestic early music, the finest performers on the international stage – artists from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Finland, Poland, Russia, Germany and Great Britain – also feature, so that together they can create simply unforgettable musical experiences.
Haydneum festivals – the Autumn, Sacred Music and Eszterháza Festivals – evoke the sparkle of contemporary music life from Budapest to Eszterháza. Csilla Sütő, managing director of Eszterháza Nonprofit Kft., emphasizes: “Our mission is to support the arts, early music in particular.”
Budapest and Eszterháza are the principal locations of programmes, but early music masterpieces also make their way to several cities around the country thanks to the partnership between Haydneum and Filharmonia Hungary. There will be concerts in, for instance, Veszprém, Balatonfüred, Szeged, Nyíregyháza and Békéscsaba. “The calling of Filharmonia Hungary is to ensure that the very highest quality concerts reach all parts of the country,” says Szabolcs Szamosi, managing director of Filharmonia Hungary Non-Profit Organization.
Season ticket sales for the Budapest series have started and the organizers are offering an early bird discount until 1 June 2025. Tickets for the series and festivals will be available from 2 June 2025.