June 15, 2008

Commemorative Concert by Vilmos Szabadi and Szilvia Kovács on the 20th Anniversary of the Reburial of Hungarian Martyr Prime Minister Imre Nagy

On the 20th anniversary of the demolition of the Iron Curtain, the reburial of Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy and his fellow martyr colleagues, and the proclamation of the Republic of Hungary, the Embassy organized a memorial concert and an exhibition opening on Monday, June 15, 7pm. The memorial concert was given by world famous Hungarian Violinist Vilmos Szabadi and his young competition winner viola player partner, Ms. Szilvia Kovács in the Grand Hall of the Embassy. The exhibition offered an impressive cross-section of the best Hungarian painters of the twentieth century.

Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi welcoming guests to the commemorative concert

After the Hungarian and American national anthems, Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi welcomed all guests, and remembered the beginning of the demolition of the Iron Curtain in June 1989, and the reburial of Hungarian Prime Minister Imre Nagy and his fellow martyr colleagues on June 16, 1989. He emphasized the significance of the memorial string duo concert and the Hungarian painting exhibition opening.

 

Bishop László Tőkés saying grace before the concert

Hungarian Reformed Church Bishop from Transylvania and Member of the European Parliament László Tőkés said a prayer in English for the memory of the heroes of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

Press Attaché Zoltán Fehér introducing the musicians and the concert

This was followed by the memorial concert of world famous Hungarian Violinist Vilmos Szabadi and his young competition winner viola player partner, Ms. Szilvia Kovács in the Grand Hall of the Embassy. The concert included two pieces: Mozart’s Violin-Viola Duo in G Major, and the Violin-Viola Duo by Hungarian Composer Weiner László, who died in the Holocaust at the age of 28.

 

Violinist Vilmos Szabadi and Violist Szilvia Kovács played two pieces by Mozart and Weiner

After the concert, the official opening of the painting exhibition of the Imre Patkó Collection from Győr, Hungary offered an impressive cross-section of and insight into the best Hungarian painters of the twentieth century.

 

The brochure of the Imre Patkó Collection from Győr, Hungary, exhibited at the Embassy

 

Some of the paintings of the exhibition (courtesy of Photographer Peter Alunans)

The show featured such great names of the Hungarian avant-garde and modern art as Victor Vasarely, Amerigo Tot, József Egry, Béla Kádár, Lajos Kassák, Béla Uitz, Lajos Gulácsy, Hugó Scheiber, Dezső Szomory, János Tornyai, Dezső Korniss, Jenő Barcsay, Piroska Szántó, Béla Kondor, Lili Ország, Imre Bak, István Nádler, Pál Deim, István efZámbó, András Wahorn and Ilona Keserű.

The full house event was attended by, among others, Pál Maléter, Jr., son of the Hungarian martyr Minister of Defense in 1956, who lives in the United States; Political Science Professor Charles Gati of the Johns Hopkins University;

Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi, Film Director Imre Tóth, Bishop László Tőkés, Press Attaché Zoltán Fehér

film director Imre Tóth L., former 1956 freedom fighter; László Megyeri, President of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, former 1956 freedom fighter; László Hámos, President of the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation;

 

Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi, Andrea Bors Somogyi, Bishop László Tőkés, HAC Honorary President Edith Lauer, and her husband, John Lauer

 

Edith Lauer, Honorary President of the Hungarian American Coalition, and his husband, John Lauer; members of the Washington diplomatic corps, and representatives of the Hungarian and American Media.

Cultural Attaché Béla Gedeon, Viola Player Szilvia Kovács, Violinist Vilmos Szabadi, Press Attaché Zoltán Fehér