Oct. 28, 2005
Toyota to Hold 16th Annual Classical Music Concert Series in Asia
Tokyo ― TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today that it will hold its annual series of concerts, "Toyota Classics―A World of Harmony", for classical music fans in Asia from November 13 to 29. The event will take place in eight cities, including Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta.
This year's tour―the 16th since TMC began holding the concerts in 1990―continues to aim at contributing to the culture of music in Asia, and will feature the artistic talent of the Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra. The event will also be conducted in cooperation with Toyota distributors in Asia, with proceeds from each concert donated to local charities.
The Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Mr. István Silló, will perform masterpieces of operetta by the celebrity composers Kálmán, Lehár and Strauss. Brilliant ballet dancers and opera singers, including world famous soprano Zsuzsa Kalocsai, winner of the TZ Rose award in Munich, Germany, and tenor Zoltán Nyári, recipient of the Mari Jászai Award, will also accompany the performances. Moreover, the orchestra will perform pieces with local artists to encourage international exchange through music.
An outline of the concert and selected profiles can be found on the following pages.
This year's tour―the 16th since TMC began holding the concerts in 1990―continues to aim at contributing to the culture of music in Asia, and will feature the artistic talent of the Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra. The event will also be conducted in cooperation with Toyota distributors in Asia, with proceeds from each concert donated to local charities.
The Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Mr. István Silló, will perform masterpieces of operetta by the celebrity composers Kálmán, Lehár and Strauss. Brilliant ballet dancers and opera singers, including world famous soprano Zsuzsa Kalocsai, winner of the TZ Rose award in Munich, Germany, and tenor Zoltán Nyári, recipient of the Mari Jászai Award, will also accompany the performances. Moreover, the orchestra will perform pieces with local artists to encourage international exchange through music.
An outline of the concert and selected profiles can be found on the following pages.
Concert Tour Overview
| Title | Toyota Classics―A World of Harmony | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purpose | To promote musical arts in Asian countries through performances of classical music | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | November 13 (Sun.) to November 29 (Tue.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Schedule | A total of eight concerts in eight cities (this year marks the 16th annual Asian tour)
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| Orchestra | The Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra (Hungary) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Main Program | Pieces included in all performances | Brahms: Kálmán: Liszt: Strauss II: Lehár: |
Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor
"I Want to Dance", "The Mountains are My Home", "Jaj Maman" from "The Gypsy Princess", "Come, Gypsy", "Greet for Me the Sweet Ladies", "Come With Me to Varasdin" and "Let the Gypsy Music Play" from "The Countess Maritza" Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 "Voices of Spring" Op. 410, "Auf der Jagd Polka" Op. 373 and "Drinking Song" from "Die Fledermaus" "You are My Heart's Delight" from "The Land of Smiles" and "Gold and Silver Waltz" Op. 79 |
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| Joint performance with local artists | Philippines: Korea: Vietnam: |
Alegria Ocampo Ferrer (soprano) / Bernstein: "Tonight" from "West Side Story" and Loewe: "I Could Have Danced All Night" from "My Fair Lady" Jung-Won Park (soprano) / Puccini: "O Mio Babbino Caro" from "Gianni Schicchi" and Catalani: "Ebben, ne andro lontana" from "La Wally" Dang Thai Son (piano) / Grieg: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 |
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| Local songs | Thailand: Brunei: |
Silapabanleng: "Lome Nua", "Somsawat" "Tipa" and "Kampong Ayer" |
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The Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra
(Miklós-Gábor Kerényi, artistic director) Hungary has produced many leading composers of modern-day operetta, most prominently Lehár and Kálmán. Built in 1894, the Budapest Operetta Theatre is one of the two crown jewel showcases of operetta, the other being the Vienna Volksoper. The Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra has won acclaim for performances given throughout the world, in places such as Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Italy and Japan. In 2004, it gave highly successful performances at the Wiener Konzerthaus and the Leipzig Gewandhaus, and again in 2005, at the Lincoln Center in New York and elsewhere during an American tour.
István Silló, conductor
After completing the Béla Bartók Music High School's piano curriculum in 1986, István Silló went on to the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, winning admittance to the Department of Conducting in 1989. He has held a professorship at the Budapest Theatre and Film Academy since 1990, and is artistically associated with several theatres in Budapest. Known for his broad repertoire of operettas and musicals, he was named conductor of the Budapest Operetta Theatre in 1996. Also, he has served as conductor for recordings by Euro Disney in Paris, such as the first Disney musical ever performed in Hungary, "Beauty and the Beast", at the Budapest Operetta Theatre. He frequently performs abroad with the Budapest Operetta. Recent tours have taken him to Munich, Fürth, Rome, the Netherlands and Japan.
Zsuzsa Kalocsai, soprano
Zsuzsa Kalocsai performed leading roles in Budapest Operetta Theatre productions while still a student at the Budapest Theatre and Film Academy. Roles performed in Italy, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Israel and Japan include Fedora in "The Circus Princess", the Countess in "Countess Maritza" and Zorika in "Gypsy Love". For the latter role, she won the TZ Rose, a Munich newspaper award. In 1995, she also received the Mari Jászai Award for distinguished performances.
Zoltán Nyári, tenor
Zoltán Nyári studied voice at the Budapest Theatre and Film Academy, and his repertoire includes Chris in "Miss Saigon", Edwin in "The Gypsy Princess", Tony in "West Side Story", Renée in "The Count of Luxembourg", Tassilo in "Countess Maritza" and Eisenstein in "Die Fledermaus". He has appeared with the Budapest Operetta Theatre on tours to St. Petersburg, Vienna, London, Munich, Catanzaro and several cities in Japan. He also sang the role of Quasimodo in the Hungarian version of the Disney film, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and won the Belvedere Song Competition in Vienna in 1997. He received the Mari Jászai Award in 2005.
Mónika Fischl, soprano
Mónika Fischl debuted professionally as Norina in "Don Pasquale", later joining the Hungarian State Opera in the same role. Her first leading roles were in Kálmán's "The Violet of Montmartre", followed by Jenö Huszka's "Corporal Maria". She has also performed Sylvia in "The Gypsy Princess", Adele in "Die Fledermaus" and the title role in "Countess Maritza". Abroad, she has sung Lisa in "The Land of Smiles", Arsena in "The Gypsy Baron" and Adele in "Die Fledermaus", at major cities in Germany and Austria. She has also appeared with the Budapest Operetta Theatre on tours of Vienna, London, Amsterdam, Italy, Germany and Japan.
Dániel Vadász, tenor
Dániel Vadász has a broad repertoire in opera and operetta that includes Remendado in "Carmen", Basilio in "The Marriage of Figaro", Edwin in "The Gypsy Princess", Tassilo in "Countess Maritza" and Alfred in "Die Fledermaus". A member of the Budapest Operetta Theatre since 2000, he also gives guest performances with the Hungarian State Opera, and has appeared with the Budapest Operetta Theatre in tours to London, Rome, Amsterdam, Munich, Baden, Leipzig and major Japanese cities.
(Miklós-Gábor Kerényi, artistic director) Hungary has produced many leading composers of modern-day operetta, most prominently Lehár and Kálmán. Built in 1894, the Budapest Operetta Theatre is one of the two crown jewel showcases of operetta, the other being the Vienna Volksoper. The Budapest Operetta Theatre Orchestra has won acclaim for performances given throughout the world, in places such as Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Italy and Japan. In 2004, it gave highly successful performances at the Wiener Konzerthaus and the Leipzig Gewandhaus, and again in 2005, at the Lincoln Center in New York and elsewhere during an American tour.
István Silló, conductor
After completing the Béla Bartók Music High School's piano curriculum in 1986, István Silló went on to the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, winning admittance to the Department of Conducting in 1989. He has held a professorship at the Budapest Theatre and Film Academy since 1990, and is artistically associated with several theatres in Budapest. Known for his broad repertoire of operettas and musicals, he was named conductor of the Budapest Operetta Theatre in 1996. Also, he has served as conductor for recordings by Euro Disney in Paris, such as the first Disney musical ever performed in Hungary, "Beauty and the Beast", at the Budapest Operetta Theatre. He frequently performs abroad with the Budapest Operetta. Recent tours have taken him to Munich, Fürth, Rome, the Netherlands and Japan.
Zsuzsa Kalocsai, soprano
Zsuzsa Kalocsai performed leading roles in Budapest Operetta Theatre productions while still a student at the Budapest Theatre and Film Academy. Roles performed in Italy, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Israel and Japan include Fedora in "The Circus Princess", the Countess in "Countess Maritza" and Zorika in "Gypsy Love". For the latter role, she won the TZ Rose, a Munich newspaper award. In 1995, she also received the Mari Jászai Award for distinguished performances.
Zoltán Nyári, tenor
Zoltán Nyári studied voice at the Budapest Theatre and Film Academy, and his repertoire includes Chris in "Miss Saigon", Edwin in "The Gypsy Princess", Tony in "West Side Story", Renée in "The Count of Luxembourg", Tassilo in "Countess Maritza" and Eisenstein in "Die Fledermaus". He has appeared with the Budapest Operetta Theatre on tours to St. Petersburg, Vienna, London, Munich, Catanzaro and several cities in Japan. He also sang the role of Quasimodo in the Hungarian version of the Disney film, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and won the Belvedere Song Competition in Vienna in 1997. He received the Mari Jászai Award in 2005.
Mónika Fischl, soprano
Mónika Fischl debuted professionally as Norina in "Don Pasquale", later joining the Hungarian State Opera in the same role. Her first leading roles were in Kálmán's "The Violet of Montmartre", followed by Jenö Huszka's "Corporal Maria". She has also performed Sylvia in "The Gypsy Princess", Adele in "Die Fledermaus" and the title role in "Countess Maritza". Abroad, she has sung Lisa in "The Land of Smiles", Arsena in "The Gypsy Baron" and Adele in "Die Fledermaus", at major cities in Germany and Austria. She has also appeared with the Budapest Operetta Theatre on tours of Vienna, London, Amsterdam, Italy, Germany and Japan.
Dániel Vadász, tenor
Dániel Vadász has a broad repertoire in opera and operetta that includes Remendado in "Carmen", Basilio in "The Marriage of Figaro", Edwin in "The Gypsy Princess", Tassilo in "Countess Maritza" and Alfred in "Die Fledermaus". A member of the Budapest Operetta Theatre since 2000, he also gives guest performances with the Hungarian State Opera, and has appeared with the Budapest Operetta Theatre in tours to London, Rome, Amsterdam, Munich, Baden, Leipzig and major Japanese cities.
