St. Stephen's Basilica (Budapest, Hungary)
St. Stephen's Basilica
St. Stephen's Basilica (Szent István-bazilika) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest, Hungary. It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c 975–1038), whose right hand is housed in the reliquary. It was the sixth largest church building in Hungary before 1920. Since the renaming of the primatial see, it has been the co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest. Today, it is the third largest church building in present-day Hungary.
The Saint Stephen Basilica has played an active role in the musical community since its consecration in 1905. The head organists of the church have always been very highly regarded musicians. In the past century the Basilica has been home to choral music, classical music as well as contemporary musical performances. The Basilica choir performs often in different parts of Europe as well as at home. In the summer months they perform every Sunday. During these months you can see performances from many distinguished Hungarian and foreign organ players alike.
As an example of the quality of musicians that perform these concerts, the following information is taken from a 2012 advertisement: One of the most famous Hungarian organists is Miklós Teleki; along with András Virágh, he is among some of the best organ players in Hungary. The concerts include arias, which are sung by Kolos Kováts, one of the most famous concert and oratorio singers in Hungary; among numerous prizes, in 1992 he received also the highest prize Hungarian artists can acquire: the Kossuth Prize. The flute is played by Eleonóra Krusic, who is already known for her performances with different orchestras, from Barcelona to Zürich, Granz and Viena. These concerts take place on Thursday evenings and last a little over an hour. There are other performances available, such as the 15 minute "mini concerts" on Fridays, performed by András Virágh.