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Saturday, December, 13. from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Kodály Center @ Pécs

One of the most important cultural buildings in Pécs is the Kodály Center! On the occasion of the anniversary, the Zsolnay Heritage Management Nonprofit Ltd. is hosting a full-day birthday program for families, music lovers and fans of the unique building.

During the Kodály 15 – Family Day, visitors will be able to enjoy concerts, theater performances, unusual building tours and special presentations from midday until late in the evening on December, 13. … all free of charge!

The day starts with a Nutcracker concert for children from 11 a.m. Dániel Varró and the Pannon
Philharmonic String Quartet will share Tchaikovsky’s iconic Christmas story together within music, poetry, humor and magic.

The first “Backstage Secrets” tour will start at the same time, where visitors can learn the secrets of one of Europe’s best acoustic concert halls. They can take a peek behind the scenes and find out
why the concert hall seats 999 people. The tour will be held again at 3 p.m.

In the afternoon, humor and theater take over the main role Ferenc Köles and his fellow actors will present their interactive performance twice the day 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. During the unique building tour, instead of sound checks, the actors will test how long the audience can hold their laughter.

From 3 p.m., the building’s designers, Ferenc Cságoly and Ferenc Keller, will introduce visitors to the history of the design and birth of the Kodály Center. The music history line will be continued by Ádám Bősze from 4 p.m., who, as usual, will tell about the eccentric outfits and styles of the great composers with a hint of humor and a good dose of musical knowledge under the title “Mozart in a bikini, or how does the Perfume of Pécs enter the history of music?”.

From 6 p.m., Henri Gonzo will evoke the legendary songwriter’s iconic works with a special Bob Dylan evening as part of the Kodály HiFi series, and then, to close the day at 7:30 p.m., with Zoltán Beck and Krisztián Grecsó, who will present their new album, Peace of Love, in the Concert Hall.

All day long, special musical flash mobs will brighten up the auditorium under the title “Kodály in Polyphony”, while between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., Vince Varga’s impressive light installation will illuminate the building’s facade … the 15 minute “superloop” evoking the most beautiful moments of the past 15 years weaves the institution’s past and present in all its spectacular forms.

Since its opening, the Kodály Center has been one of the most prominent venues in Hungarian and international concert life. Over the past decade and a half, it has been home to world-famous artists, orchestras and performances. The family day on December, 13th will provide an opportunity for the people of Pécs and the city’s guests to celebrate all together in this special building.

The programs are free of charge, with a free registration ticket, which can be collected from November, 3. at the ticket offices of Zsolnay Heritage Management Nonprofit Kft. Tickets can be purched up to the capacity of the halls.

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