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Maestro Iván Fischer led The
Budapest Festival Orchestra in
a thrilling all-Dvořák program at David Geffen Hall Sunday
including an encore of Braham’s Hungarian
Dance No. 5.
Maestro Fischer announced from his podium, “the arrangement
includes some of the original folk melody", which was sung by
the members of the Orchestra. It was a memorable performance
punctuated by multiple standing ovations. Daisy
Soros, chairman
emeritus of
the Friends
of The
Budapest Festival Orchestra, sat
on an isle in the front row and clearly
enjoyed herself. The
New York Times wrote, “Always a highlight of any season, the
visit of this of this exceptional orchestra and its provocative
music director, Ivan Fischer.
A benefit dinner followed chaired by Ambassador Nancy
Brinker, Susan Gutfreund, Sylvia Hemingway and Friends of
The Budapest Festival Orchestra. Maestro Fisher was
greeted following the concert by admirers including Steven
Van Zandt before sitting at a table that included Ellen
Burstyn, Noreen and Ken Buckfire, Joan Hardy Clark, Andre
Fratto, Joanna Fisher, Colin Fowler, Mark Morris, and
Barbara and Donald Tober (who were honored with Mark
Morris last year as Living Landmarks).
Also there were gala committee members Ambassador and
Mrs. Donald Blinken, Beth Jacobs, Heidi Lee Komaromi,
Barbara Rogoff, Mr. and Mrs. David M. Tobey, and Stephanie
Stokes (the host of a small dinner for the Maestro the
evening before at her home). Other guests included board
members Andrew Komaromi, Aaron Feinstein, and Peter
Thomas Roth, as well as Edgar Batista, Layla Diba,
Sedi and Maximo Flugelman, Margo Langenberg, Jean Shafiroff,
Judy Francis Zankel, and Gioia Zwack.
During dinner Maestro Fischer spoke movingly, “We come to
New York often. It feels like home and you are our real
friends. We love to be here. We’ve a tour planned for many
cites in China planned soon so please if you can find a
vaccine. We would hate to cancel our trip…. About
the orchestra singing tonight. Why does my orchestra sing on
stage? We want to set an example, to overcome the inherent
fear of singing out loud. Everyone should be singing more.
Mothers to their children, all of us. This morning I
conducted another concert, a very special one, for children
on the Autism spectrum. Thanks to Lincoln Center and The
Friends of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. 150 children
and their families came. That was all the room could hold.
There was a waiting list twice that length. We try and do a
concert like this everywhere we go. Always we do this in
New York. It’s important . August
1st, 3rd, and 4th, we return to New York with an opera, Verdi’s
Falstaff. There the orchestra is integrated with the
singers right on stage and part of the action. It’s part of
the Mostly Mozart Festival so please don’t go anywhere else
in August.”
Stephen Benko, Chairman of the Friends of the
Budapest Festival Orchestra, thanked the board and chairs
with a special recognition for, “my old friend Philip
Reeker. We met when he was a young Foreign Service
Officer in Budapest. Philip is now the U.S. State
Department’s Acting Assistant Secretary of European and
Eurasian Affairs. He continues to stand up for democratic
issues in Hungary as well as our national’s best export, the
Budapest Festival Orchestra.“ Reeker dined between former
Hungarian Ambassadors Nancy Brinker and Donald Blinken
During dinner Mary McFadden talked about visiting
Maestro Fischer’s home in Budapest and her recent trip up
the Nile with her daughter, Justine. Maestro Fischer
suggested Joanna Fisher “add a “c’ to her last name”. Saying
good night the proud Hungarian Susan Gutfreund offered “as
we say in Hungarian, this evening was truly elbűvölő ---
charming!”
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