The season will begin with the Bridging Europe festival directed in collaboration with the Palace of Arts, focusing on Germany and German culture this year. Brahms symphonies provide a framework for the season, since Iván Fischer will conduct two symphonies by the German music composer in the autumn and in the spring. There are some musical delights coming up in the winter too: Messiaen’s large-scale Turangalîla-Symphonie, which is almost 90 minutes long, is concerned with love and death as expressed by the grand orchestra, the solo piano and a special instrument called the ondes Martenot. Another musical highlight of the BFO’s performances in December will be the surprise Christmas concerts, where the programme of both evenings will be a pig in a poke: audiences will have to trust the taste of Iván Fischer, editor and conductor of the performance. The programme has never disappointed audiences... 2015 will begin with two programmes that many people are curious to see: the usual marathon – this time featuring pieces by Stravinsky – where the many concerts condensed into just one day attract tens of thousands of people to the Palace of Arts every year, and the performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. There is huge expectation regarding the latter, since these concerts directed and staged by Iván Fischer amaze audiences all over the world. The Marriage of Figaro formerly ranked first on the authoritative New York Magazine’s list of the ten best classical music events in New York in 2013, and was even described in superlatives in The New York Times just a few weeks ago. Our major venues in Hungary remain our permanent strategic partner of the Palace of Arts as well as one of the most imposing concert halls on the continent, the Academy of Music, while those abroad include prestigious concert halls throughout the world. In addition to the usual concert halls in London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, etc., the Festival Orchestra will be on tour in more distant places, such as Uruguay Brazil, Argentina and – for the first time in this season – Abu Dhabi. Naturally, activities outside the concert hall will continue: the Cocoa Concerts for nursery school children, a “Taste of Musical Instruments” sessions, rehearsal visits, the video competition “See and Hear” for secondary school students, the “BFO Comes Knocking” nationwide education programme and the night-time concert series of Midnight Music at Millenáris. The traditional children’s opera this year will be Kurt Weil and Bertold Brecht’s piece entitled "Der Jasager", which will be staged by the students of Schola Cantorum Budapestiensis accompanied by BFO’s musicians at several schools after its premier. In another new feature this season, the international trainee system in cooperation with the European Union Youth Orchestra will allow six extraordinarily talented young musicians to spend ten or twelve weeks with the Festival Orchestra, participate in BFO’s life, concerts and the master courses held by internationally renowned musicians. The BFO’s concert programme for 2014-2015 will be available from 4 April on the website (BFZ.hu), while season tickets will be on sale from 10 April. The Orchestra offers 5 grand season tickets, a student season ticket and, in addition to the good old Cocoa season tickets, a family season ticket too. We trust that everyone will find one that suits them best among the wide range of programmes.   “The Budapest Festival Orchestra’s international fame and success keeps growing, but our contact with our Hungarian audiences is still the most important. I am perhaps proudest of how the relationship between the Orchestra and its audience has evolved over 30 years. Nowhere else do I see as many smiling faces and shiny eyes in the city of Budapest. This has turned into the most attractive club in Hungary; this is where one can meet sophisticated, cultured and like-minded friends. I know because I owe this to BFO’s season ticket buyers; I will do my best to give you many an elevating and beautiful musical experience in the coming season too. Stay with us, and bring your friends along too.” Kind regards, Iván Fischer PHOTOS