This has been an amazing and very welcome series at a perfect time of day for me. An astonishing range of repertoire and a consistent and very high standard of performance. Thanks to Ivan Fischer, inspired Musical Director, and his wonderful team of players. I look forward to the time when we can enjoy the Budapest Festival Orchestra again live in new projects.

Martin Manasse

Thanks to BFO and to Ivan Fischer! It was a very hard period for us Italian people (and also for us Italian opera singers). Listen to your music, greatly played, see your familiar faces, wait for your concerts has been a good habit of these dark months. All my congratulations and all my love. Really hope to see you soon "live".

Matteo Peirone

Thank you very much! I’ve been watching from the start! And rarely missed a day.

It was something I looked forward to as a daily treat, and it started to feel like I was getting together with old friends. I enjoyed the intimacy of the small setting and group. Particularly at first, when we were close-up to really see the musicians, and their expression. Oh, and when they introduced their pieces. It was also very enjoyable and illuminating when some unusual pieces and instruments were featured. I learned a great deal.

Dejaye Sproat

Thank you so very much! It's been wonderful. I've heard most of your soirees. You have fantastic orchestra members.

Debbie Lynne

I've been following him since I read a news story it has drawn my attention to his orchestra. I have listened to nearly 60 chamber concerts, making me happy the rest of the day, also I've been listening the Cocoa Concerts at dawn. They are a great orchestra. Thanks so much to all the musicians and their Director Iván Fischer for sharing their work.

Seba Barria

The Quarantine Soirées were the highlights of the day: friends knew not to call during the performances. No words can express what these concerts meant to me. This was a metamorphosis of the world, and restored my faith in goodness.

Maria Eliason

Thank you very much for these nice evenings. They brought light to our days especially early on, when the quarantine was introduced, and we were all anxious about the unknowns to come. Thank you.

Link Magdolna

This was an amazing and uplifting experience. There are so many different ways to help during a difficult time; the orchestra did so magnificently.

Gere Erzsébet

I have infinite respect for, and love what you have done for people during this difficult time. The line-up of the Quarantine Soirées was incredibly rich and enjoyable. Evoking, for instance, the amazing Ring of the Wagner Days or the online performance at the Madách Theater, was also important. I don’t know what we would have done without these uplifting performances. Thank you for everything!

Fenyvesi Gyuláné

Dear BFO, I watched and listened to each of your concerts. So many of the pieces I heard were new to me. In these difficult times recently, your concerts were the highlights of my day. It will be sad without them. Thank you very much, and I wish your musicians a wonderful summer. See you at the concerts!

Tabáni Éva

Dear BFO, I listened to each of your Quarantine Soirées; we came together as a nice little community eventually. I’m going to miss these performances. Thank you for all the wonderful and special music!

Kézdi Éva

The Quarantine Soirées made each evening of this compulsory downtime better. I tuned in for almost each of your performances! Thank you for this. I have already purchased my pass for the next season. I was fortunate enough to be a participant of the serenade program last night. The BFO went “above and beyond” during this difficult time - and I will be there at Heroes’ Square to listen to Symphony No. 9!

Takács Beáta

This was an amazing and uplifting experience. There are so many different ways to help during a difficult time; the orchestra did so magnificently.

Gere Erzsébet

It is amazing to see all the talented musicians who make up the orchestra. As someone who lives in the countryside, I have fairly limited opportunities to be there in person, so I am particularly happy that you will continue your online performances. I wish you much success and many enthusiastic listeners!

Balogh Zsuzsanna

I saw each performance; I looked forward to it every evening. Thank you for this wonder!

Sztasák Mihályné

Dear Orchestra, We have no opportunity to meet in person, so in this “upside-down world,” these past three months provided me with an extraordinary experience and a way to really recharge. You provided so much more outstanding music than I could have imagined under normal circumstances. If my math is correct, there were 62 Soirées + 2-3 Cocoa Concerts + two performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. It was great to prepare for the concerts each night, to see you again and to see so many familiar faces again. I have endless respect for your work. Thank you for this extraordinary time, and I wish you much strength and joy as you continue. In the hope of seeing you again - greetings to all of you from Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca).

Koros-Fekete Sándor

Despite all the bad things, this concert series was, for me, “The Present of the Year.” I am going to miss it very much; the evenings will be emptier without these performances. The BFO Artists who participated deserve all respect and recognition.

Szendi Mária

I watched all of the performances (two after the fact). The concerts were something I looked forward to every day. I learned about, and learned to love, new composers, or at least ones who were new to me, like Mike Mower. After the Müpa Budapest - Beethoven in January, I did not think there would be such a gap in visits to live concerts, but I found the Quarantine Soirées to be an excellent idea. It was a tremendous experience: thank you.

Vadas Felicián

This personal, live link brought so much happiness every night. I enjoyed seeing you in my home, and it was wonderful to be able to talk about experiences, the beautiful and valuable things on life, or our relationship to music. Perhaps it was also good for the musicians to hear about where we stand and what music means to us. To me, it means everything: music has become a foundation and a measure of my life. Most composers were (and are) geniuses. The musicians are hugely talented, and the BFO’s musicians border on genius. Those of us who are music aficionados do not belong to either group, but we are in a state of grace where we can see the beauty and the wonder: music reminds us that the world created is a miracle. Music is the flow of love into our lives. I will never forget these concerts. If only it were possible to save some of this music so you could pick it up off the shelf at any time and remember it exactly the same way! Thank you, sincerely.

Prokop Gábor

I listened to and watched so many of the Quarantine Soirées: of the 75, I maybe missed two or three. They truly became a part of my life; and I think they became a part of so many people’s lives, based on all the messages you are receiving. It really is as so many others have said: the members of the orchestra demonstrate the highest standard of musical knowledge and virtuosity, along with (and this is just as important as professionalism) a deep sense of humanity, a desire to help and a willingness to be with us during these difficult months. Thank you for all these wonderful experiences. As they say: “it is possible to live without music, but it is not worthwhile.” And, of course: following the break and the rest (which you really deserve!!), we look forward very much to more online performances. Just let us know, and I will be there: we will be there!!

Béres László

Thank you for standing by me during this difficult time in my life, and for helping me get better with your wonderful performances of beautiful music! I already have my season pass, and I look forward to seeing you in person!

Bogár Vali