The education of young opera singers will come into focus with the launch of the Éva Marton Opera Studio.Continue reading
The Hungarian State Opera House celebrates the 140th anniversary of its foundation this year. As part of the anniversary season, the Éva Marton Opera Studio will be launched in September, providing young opera singers the opportunity to broaden their stage experience, as Szilveszter Ókovács, the Director General of the institution, shared with Info Radio.
Last year, the Hungarian State Opera House hosted 188 opera and 105 ballet performances, with the majority held in the Ybl Palace on Andrássy Avenue. In addition to the 34 opera and 11 ballet titles, the large hall featured 216 child and student performances, 59 concerts, concert-like performances, galas, operettas, and other programs. Together with guided tours of the venue, these events attracted a total of 508,000 paying spectators and visitors in 2023.
Szilveszter Ókovács also announced that, after almost a decade of planning and preparation, the Opera, in partnership with the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, will launch the Éva Marton Opera Studio starting September this year.
The aim is to give Hungarian talents studying at the Liszt Academy and other similar training institutions “another year or two to catch up with the pace they are used to at the Opera House.”
According to Virág Főző, deputy director-general, last year the Opera had a budget of HUF 21.65 billion (EUR 56M), with a total of HUF 14.8 billion (EUR 38.4M) in budgetary support and HUF 5.85 billion (EUR 15.2M) in operating income. Of this, HUF 3.7 billion (EUR 9.6M) was from season ticket and box office revenue, HUF 900 million (EUR 2.3M) from rentals, and HUF 100 million (EUR 260K) from patronage and sponsorship.
The largest share of expenses was accounted for by personnel and social costs for the Opera’s 1,300 employees, amounting to almost HUF 14 billion (EUR 36M), with a further HUF 5.8 billion (EUR 15M) in other administrative expenses, while investment-related expenditure amounted to more than HUF 1 billion (EUR 2.5M).
Via Info Start; Featured Image: opera.hu