ENSEMBLES 2015

Zoltán Kodály Children's and Youth's Choir from Marosszék

Zoltán Kodály Children's and Youth's Choir from „Marosszék” was established in 2005 in the Hungarian part of Romania, Transylvania by the two present conductors, Gabriella Czakó and Éva Vera Nagy as the fruit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame’s „musical mission”. Members of the choir are from seven villages of the riverside of “Nyárád” and from Sovata. The choir leaders were led into the small villages by the intention to create living, life-giving communities, to give possibilities, to raise hope. As a result of the children’s enthusiasm and persistence, a complex spiritual, cultural and musical workshop has been born, existing outside the educational system – the “Garden of Fairies School”, which gives possibility to make music actively and to keep musical mother language for 250 children (8-18 years) with the help of the Kodály-method.

During the past years they achieved success, and for now the choir became one of the most widely known children’s choirs of Transylvania. They participated with success on national and international festivals, like Transylvanian-Hungarian Children’s Choirs Festivals (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012), Bárdos Simpozium, Hungary (2010), Eurotreff International Choir Festival, Wolfenbüttel, Germany (2013). They have had performances in Romania, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. They received first prize four times on international choir competition:

2010: 19^th Zoltán Kodály International Children’s Choir Festival, Komló (Hungary): first prize in the sacred music category, the special prizes for “the most beautiful sounding choir”, “the best performance of a Kodály composition” and the prize of audience;
2012: Summa Cum Laude International Festival, Wien, “treble choir” category 1^st prize with outstanding success;
2013: 20^th Zoltán Kodály International Children’s Choir Festival, Komló (Hungary): first prize in the sacred music category, the special prize of “the best performance of contemporary composer: György Orbán: Gloria - from Mass Nr.6”
2014: 15^th Neuchatel International Choir Competition, Neuchatel (Switzerland): first prize in children’s choir category

Gabriella Czakó

Conductor

Gabriella Czakó graduated as a conductor in Szeged (Hungary) in 1975. She has been a singing teacher and a children’s choir leader in Southern Hungary since then. She has led demonstration teachings in Hungary and in Romania, too. Her children’s choirs got the gold diploma and “Choir of the Year” titles on the “Singing Youth Movement” in Hungary many times. She won the Festival Grand Prize in Hungary in 1989 and several conductor prizes.  

Eva Vera Nagy

Artistic leader and conductor

Éva Vera Nagy graduated as a conductor at Academy of Music, Budapest in 1989. She has tought in catholic schools in Budapest, in Szeged and in Debrecen (Hungary) and she led children’s, youth’s and liturgical choirs there. Her choirs got excellent qualifications.

In 2004 they started a “music mission” in the spirit of Zoltán Kodály in the Hungarian part of Romania. Their experience in music education and leading choirs helps Hungarian children who are living in minority in Transylvania to keep their music mother language. They teach in small Szeklers villages. They got “Kardos Pál commemorative medal” in Szeged (Hungary) and “Jagamas János” prize in Cluj (Romania), “Pro Urbe” prize in Sovata (Romania), “Kájoni János” prize in Csíkszereda (Romania), “Hungarian Herritage” prize in Budapest (Hungary) for their activity.

Competition Program

Additional Concerts Program