On this weekend: VeszprémFest – World stars in Veszprém

VeszprémFest is one of the greatest music festivals in Hungary. The premium festival presents world stars again, but also there will be a great weekend with other colorful programs.

“One afternoon in the summer of 2002, I was drinking wine with one of my musician friends in a garden in Veszprém. He told me that he had seen Pavarotti in Austria, performing in a cathedral which had room for about a thousand people. He was surprised, that the Maestro gave a concert in such a small place. It is no exaggeration to say that this was the cherry on the top. We had been toying with the idea of bringing an international music and theatrical festival to the Baroque style Holy Trinity Square, the main square of Veszprém Castle, the setting of which had been craving international performances. So we decided to give the title „Pavarotti in Veszprém” to our working idea and write-up thereof. It was not that we wanted to invite the Maestro of Modena by any means, although after the Austrian example, this did not seem like such an impossible idea either. It was because we wanted to express the progressive dimensions of our idea. All this, even in such an early stage, had far exceeded the borders of the city.” Zoltán Mészáros Managing Director.

These were the first steps towards creating a festival, which does not revolve around a single genre but aims for international quality. We wanted this festival to bring the best performers from opera, jazz, classical, world music and pop to Veszprém year after year. Also aiming at drawing in the lovers of these genres from the vicinity, region, whole country and even the surrounding countries.

Top-class performers who have appeared in recent years include Lisa Stansfield, Gregory Porter, Jamie Cullum, Emeli Sandé, Roger Hodgson, Kool and the Gang, Katie Melua, Vaya Con Dios, Diana Krall, José Cura, Nigel Kennedy, Al Di Meola, Paco de Lucia, Zoltán Kocsis, Richard Bona, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, Jan Garbarek, Andrea Rost, Erika Miklósa, The Gypsy Kings, Candy Dulfer, Gilberto Gil, George Benson, Buena Vista Social Club featuring Omara Portuondo, and Craig David to name but a few.