At the gala concert of the recently concluded 30th Béla Bartók International Choir Competition, conductor József Nemes—artistic director of the competition and founder of the Lautitia Choir Family—was presented with the Lajos Komlóssy Award. On the occasion of this prestigious recognition, we spoke with him about the beginnings of his career, the challenges of the digital age, his personal motivations, and how Asian and American choirs hold up a mirror to domestic practitioners of the Kodály and Bartók traditions.
– On the occasion of the anniversary edition of the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition, you received the Lajos Komlóssy Award, an honor bestowed by the City of Debrecen to recognize key figures in its cultural life. How did you feel receiving it?
– It was an absolute joy and an immense privilege. Words of validation always come at the right time—they reassure you that the work you do for the community is worthwhile. It means a great deal to me that this is a joint award from the Kodály Philharmonic and the city, reflecting a consensus among many professionals. I also feel a deep sense of pride joining the illustrious ranks of past recipients.
– Looking back, how did you first get pulled into this world, and what made you decide to pursue choral conducting?
– Frankly, I owe everything to a twist of fate. My local catchment school was the Bányai Júlia Elementary School—the predecessor of today’s Saint Ephrem Greek Catholic Kindergarten, Primary School, and Basic Fine Arts School—which my older sister also attended. That is where I caught the music bug. The musical experiences I encountered at those pivotal moments helped carry me through the trials of adolescence and grounded my emotions; choral singing seamlessly wove itself into the fabric of my life.
In my teens, I didn’t view it as a career path yet. I was enrolled in the German–Russian language stream at Csokonai Vitéz Mihály High School because I was drawn to languages. During those high school years, however, I started to miss active music-making terribly. That was when it hit me that I didn’t want to live without it. So, I went on to study Hungarian and Music at the college in Nyíregyháza, and eventually returned to Saint Ephrem as a teacher.
– Who were the mentors you learned the most from, whose words still ring in your ears during a tough rehearsal?
– As a choir singer, I picked up the most from Ágnes Tóth, who led the school ensemble before me. At college, I studied conducting under Ildikó Ferencziné Ács, to whom I also owe an immense debt. Gaining insight into the work of Dénes Szabó was a huge source of inspiration. When I actually embarked on my conducting career, László Tamási and his wife stood by my side with fatherly affection and professional guidance.
– Your name has become synonymous with the Lautitia Choir Family. Did you build this ensemble—from the children’s choir all the way to the chamber choir—according to a master plan?
– I’d love to tell you I followed a pre-written script, but in reality, structure was shaped by sheer necessity and the needs of the young singers. When the kids graduated from elementary school, they simply didn’t want to call it quits. I was delighted to keep going with them, so we established a youth mixed choir. At first, we were just a handful of singers, with barely one or two boys, but over the years, our numbers swelled. Later, that generation aged out of the youth category, but they still wanted to stay together—and that’s how the chamber choir was born. It was an organically evolving passion project on their part, and I felt it was my duty to step up and lead it.
– In today’s digitally saturated world, getting teenagers to commit to disciplined rehearsals seems like a Herculean task. What’s your secret?
– Back in the day, this genre didn’t need any special marketing, but today we have to compete with far more external stimuli to retain attention. Spending three hours offline in a rehearsal room is undeniably a huge ask for a young person. At the same time, singing together, breathing as one, and striving for a shared goal offers an emotional resonance that social media simply cannot replicate.
Until young people get a taste of deep, immersive creation, they don’t quite get what it’s all about. But the moment they feel those sublime, uplifting moments on stage, the lightbulb goes off. Fortunately, our numbers haven’t dropped compared to fifteen years ago.
– How do you handle the natural generational turnover—when key members move on due to age, and you have to rebuild both the sound and the community spirit almost from scratch?
– It’s a process that is equal parts painful and beautiful, as it forces you into a state of constant reinvention. On a human level, it’s tough to let go of people you’ve worked with for years—you miss not just their voices, but their personalities in the rows. The key to making it work is thinking at least two years ahead.
When a new class of fifth-graders joins, I can already spot the potential and start intentionally nurturing the sopranos or altos of tomorrow. I sit the most talented younger ones next to experienced eighth-graders early on so they can absorb all the nuances of the craft and a genuine humility toward music. Most of the time, this kind of deliberate mentorship works like a charm.
– Alongside teaching and leading Lautitia, you direct the Béla Barók International Choir Competition, which underwent a revamp two years ago. How clear was the vision for that structural transformation?
– It wasn’t an easy task at all because we were facing a bit of a duality. We inherited a legacy of exceptionally high artistic standards and traditions built around promoting contemporary music. We were determined to preserve that uniqueness—along with the showcase concerts and community events—but we also had to face the reality that the world had moved on. In the pre-pandemic era, the festival had remained a bit rigid compared to international new-wave trends.
Previously, every category operated on a two-round system, which made sense when twenty ensembles applied for a single category. Nowadays, when you might have four or five mixed choirs competing, preliminary heats have outlived their usefulness. For that reason, we did away with rigid voice-based divisions too—after all, if only one or two female choirs register, you don’t get a real competition—and introduced open and sacred music categories instead. While that makes comparison trickier for the jury, the reforms have certainly delivered on their promise.
– From a director’s perspective, what are the key takeaways from this milestone 30th edition?
– I feel we rose to the occasion brilliantly. The standard was remarkably high, and we managed to blend rigorous professional standards with a warm, festival vibe. For instance, holding an informal gathering at the Great Forest Water Tower the evening before the Grand Prix concert proved to be a fantastic addition. On top of that, the team behind the scenes passed with flying colors: the tripartite alliance of Papageno, the Kodály Philharmonic, and Lautitia provided a rock-solid foundation for the execution.
– The Grand Prix of the anniversary competition was ultimately awarded to an Indonesian children’s choir. How does a conductor raised through and through on the Kodály and Bartók traditions feel seeing young people from the other side of the globe live and breathe choral music at such an elemental level?
– It was both mind-blowing and deeply thought-provoking. Technically, in terms of vocal color and intonation, they were virtually flawless. I could say the same for the Latvian or American ensembles, all of which displayed extraordinary preparation.
As Hungarians, we ought to take this success as a bit of a wake-up call—a piece of tough love, if you will. In the home of Kodály, I’m not so sure we can field as many top-tier choirs today. It gives one pause: why is it that while the Kodály method has been embraced globally and implemented daily across Asia, we here at home aren’t tapping into the profound benefits of singing as fully as we could?
– Does this victory also signal new directions and trends in international choral culture?
– Artistically speaking, there’s a clear shift toward rhythmic effects, clapping, drumming, and choreographed movement coming to the fore. Today, almost every leading international choir incorporates these performance elements into their repertoire. While that style isn’t entirely my cup of tea and won’t take center stage in my own programs, we have to acknowledge that the trend exists and has earned its place.
– What is the inner drive that keeps you inspired day in, day out as a conductor and educator?
– It might sound a bit sentimental, but there is no greater feeling than seeing the expression on these kids’ faces when they sing with complete freedom on stage or in rehearsal. The joy of creating, sharing deep emotions together, and passing that energy onto the audience is a priceless reward that makes every ounce of exhaustion worthwhile.
– Though the 30th competition has only just wrapped up, have preparations for the next one already begun in your mind?
– In parallel with winding down the administrative side, planning is already underway—the next competition will take place between July 6 and 9, 2028. Together with the team, we’ve started compiling a list of takeaways and areas for improvement. It’s essential to confront our shortcomings honestly; that’s the only way we can deliver an even higher standard next time.
– Besides directing the Bartók Competition, what professional commitments and challenges lie ahead for you and your choirs in the near future?
– This summer, the mixed choir is performing at the Campus Festival alongside the band Góbé, which promises to be a fantastic session of pure musical fun. In September, we’re traveling to Italy with the children’s choir, but our biggest project is undoubtedly the festive concert late this autumn. On November 29, we’ll be giving a joint Advent concert with the world-renowned opera singer Benjamin Appl at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall at Müpa Budapest. For the past year and a half, this performance has taken up the lion’s share of my thoughts, and plans are in place to bring this extraordinary program to Debrecen a few days prior to the Budapest premiere.