“Shostakovich was beautiful and deeply moving.”

“What extraordinary artists are sitting in this orchestra!”

“I am always somewhat embarrassed: who am I, as a layperson, to offer written evaluations of great – often truly brilliant – artists? Nevertheless, last night’s concert was astonishingly powerful.”

“It was a wonderful and truly special concert.”

“C. P. E. Bach’s symphony was a fresh curtain-raiser to the classics and, at the same time, an exciting contrast to the prevailing Rococo style of the period. The string section navigated its technical challenges almost imperceptibly, allowing nothing to stand in the way of the musical experience. Daniel is an excellent guide as well.”

“The Mendelssohn siblings’ Violin Concerto in D minor (we do not know how much of it belongs to Felix and how much to Fanny) is rarely heard in concert halls. István Kádár’s sensitive, stylistically authentic and flawless performance was the best possible advertisement for the work. The three pieces after the interval, performed as a seamless emotional arc, offered a wonderful interpretation of those concert moments when applause between movements would feel almost intrusive. By dispensing with it, the ensemble elevated the evening’s experience even further. Thank you!”

“Choosing these four works was a brilliant idea! The almost attacca transitions between Mozart, Shostakovich and Beethoven were incredibly effective, and the moods of the pieces complemented one another perfectly. The violin concerto was performed phenomenally by István Kádár. In the three works of the second half, alongside a perfect expression of heart-rending emotions, the Budapest Festival Orchestra once again demonstrated that it is capable of producing pianissimos unlike any other. Thank you for the evening!”

“It was wonderful and left me feeling energised.”

“The program was assembled in such a unique way that building the audience’s experience required an equally unconventional approach from the performers. Daniel Bard ‘commanded’ the situation with every fibre of his being, and together with his fellow musicians created a continuous flow of experience. Thank you!”

“An exceptionally beautiful experience. Such a fantastically crafted sound world! Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in D minor was beautiful, and the Shostakovich work that emerged from Mozart was profoundly moving.”

“What I particularly loved about yesterday’s concert was its first half. The playing of both Daniel Bard and István Kádár was brilliant. One of the BFO’s great strengths is that virtually any member of the orchestra could step forward as a soloist. It is not the first time I have noticed how wholeheartedly the musicians support soloists emerging from their own ranks and how genuinely happy they are for their success – it is truly heart-warming.”

“István Kádár is a genius. The concertmaster as well.”

“During the C. P. E. Bach symphony I had no idea that this concert would become a lifelong memory. The opening work of a program always suffers slightly from my need to settle into the experience. Then came István Kádár, who played the youthful Mendelssohn concerto in such a way that one could neither understand why the piece is performed so rarely nor why he himself had not chosen a solo career. What made his performance truly special for me, however, was that it perfectly embodied the essence of the BFO: as a soloist, István Kádár was at once dazzlingly virtuosic and unmistakably a member of the orchestra. His voice was unique and distinctive, yet it still seemed to emerge organically from within the ensemble – and I suspect this had less to do with the fact that his instrument was not a specially voiced Stradivarius but rather one of the instruments from the BFO’s own collection.”

“What followed after the interval is something I have rarely experienced. The three pieces performed attacca completely drew me in; the outside world ceased to exist and there was only MUSIC—music of such intensity that I could not afford to miss a single note, because everything it communicated felt addressed directly to me and, without exaggeration, vitally important. It felt like hearing music for the first time. At the same time, it was familiar – after all, I know many works by each of these composers – yet it also revealed entirely new and previously unknown dimensions.”

“Thank you once again for the experience. The anticipation and preparation that fill the hours before I leave for a concert are always a celebration in themselves. Of the works performed at the Concertino concert, the greatest impression on me was made by the passion of the Shostakovich piece and its emotional rollercoaster taken to the furthest extremes. I must admit that I do not know the composer’s oeuvre particularly well, but the performance was so vivid and compelling that I have decided to become better acquainted with his music. Thank you for leading me, through your artistry, to places I had never explored before. There is so much to discover there as well. I am deeply grateful for the emotional earthquake your concert caused within me.”

“This concert was a fitting crowning achievement to the entire beautiful 2025–26 season. Our concertmaster, Daniel Bard, led the orchestra magnificently, and throughout the evening such irresistible energy radiated from the ensemble that, recharged by it, the audience may somehow manage to make it through the summer break until September. István Kádár is probably one of the most modest artists in the BFO. We also know that, as people in Budapest like to say, he is ‘the King’ when it comes to folk music. We were delighted to hear his interpretation of Mendelssohn, with which he first won the Sándor Végh Competition years ago. We will never forget the second half of the concert. We had never before heard Mozart’s Fugue in C minor with such intensity. We were unfamiliar with Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, yet all of us agreed that it was the highlight of the evening. By the time Beethoven arrived, we had nothing left to do but struggle to hold back our tears. It was a brilliant idea to perform the entire half without interruption or applause. The message was that beauty is one and indivisible, flowing through all three composers regardless of the centuries that separated them, and – thanks to OUR ORCHESTRA – through all of us who were fortunate enough to be present that evening at the Liszt Academy.”