Bach Mindenkinek Fesztivál - Bach fo Everyone Festival

Between 18-24 March 2019 is organised the Bach Mindenkinek Festival for the 5th time on the occasion of the anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s birth, entailing concerts in concert halls, churches, schools, hospitals, subways, squares… Seven days when culture has a chance to call out to tens of thousands through the music of Bach in Budapest and several cities and towns both within and outside the country.

The Beginnings – Bach in the Subways

The international event was initiated by New York based cellist, Dale Henderson, in 2010 as an attempt to garner more attention and recognition for classical music. Every March, around the noteworthy anniversary, musicians across the world celebrate the late master by performing concerts on public venues. Bach’s music in these instances serves as a gift to the audience, an effort to facilitate the entry into the world of classical music. Hungary joined the initiative in 2015, when 5 downtown locations in Budapest staged the event, and ever since then its popularity grew exponentially.

The Festival in 2018

Owing to voluntarism, commitment and coordination, a string of events emerged by 2018, becoming the number one classical music festival requiring no entrance fee, ultimately fulfilling the original initiative of Bach in the Subways the first time since its inception. More than 2000 performers, including Kossuth and Liszt Prize winner artists and leading national orchestras presented over 300 concerts across 33 localities nationwide in concert halls, churches, institutions and similar locations. Even the most esteemed artists performed pro bono, and the total number of people reached by the extraordinary event surpassed 40,000.

Bach Mindenkinek Festival – 18-24 March 2019

16-17 March 2019: pre-festival events; 18 March 2019: opening ceremony; 19-24 March 2019: programmes in the Carpathian Basin

The energy and momentum of the 2018 Festival’s outstanding reception allows us to prepare for the event in 2019, expanding its horizon to include locations outside Budapest and the borders, giving rise to a palette of over 500 diverse programmes across the Carpathian Basin. Highly acclaimed soloists, orchestras and choirs beside music academy students, church choirs and other artists are to perform in concert halls, churches and outdoor locations. A highlight of the Festival presents an orchestra from the great composer’s homeland, Germany, and the visitors to the free programmes are welcome to support the Bethesda Children Hospital in purchasing a new medical ventilator. Another aspect of charity includes the opportunity for us to bring small concerts to patients in several healthcare institutions in cooperation with the Hungarian Hospital Association; also the visiting of correctional facilities to provide pastoral service through music. Last, but not least, the Festival comprises programmes for children and families, church concerts and comprehensive art performances. We are expecting at least a 80%, if not a 100%, growth of the audience compared to last year, and since sponsors for next year’s Festival are already indicating their interest, we can anticipate a rising media attention as well.