The 30th, jubilee Béla Bartók International Choir Competition is set to begin on July 2 in Debrecen amid intense international interest, featuring eleven choirs from four continents entering the competition this year.
The schedule for the 30th Béla Bartók International Choir Competition is as follows:
2 July 2026 (Thursday), 6.15 pm
Parade from Dezső Baltazár Square to the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen
2 July 2026 (Thursday), 7 pm
Opening Ceremony (Doors open at cca. 6.45 pm )
Reformed Great Church of Debrecen
3 July 2026 (Friday), 10.30 am
Sacred Music Category / 1
St. Anne’s Cathedral of Debrecen
3 July 2026 (Friday), 2 pm
Sacred Music Category / 2
St. Anne’s Cathedral of Debrecen
3 July 2026 (Friday), 7 pm
‘Vivat, crescat, floreat!’ – Gala concert of the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition
Kölcsey Centre, Great Hall
Programme:
- Katalin Szalai: Sotto il cielo (world premiere)
- Péter Zombola: Exultate justi (world premiere)
- Josu Elberdin: Cantate Domino
- Julio Dominguez: Estou amor aqui
- Michael Barrett: Ndikhokele bawo
Lautitia Children’s Choir
Conductors: József Nemes
- Péter Tóth: O salutaris hostia
- Márton Levente Horváth: Deus, Deus meus (world premiere)
- Máté Balogh: Papuan Lunch (world premiere)
- György Orbán: A cselédlány könnye
- György Orbán: O, Mistress Mine
- John Rutter: Birthday Madrigals – V. When daisies pied
Kodály Choir Debrecen
Olga Vojevogyina (piano)
Conductor: Zoltán Kocsis-Holper
– intermission –
- Miklós Csemiczky: Credo (world premiere)
Panka Nagy (soprano), Judit Varga-Szathmáry (alto), János Szerekován (tenor), Lőrinc Kósa (bass)
Kodály Choir Debrecen, Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Zoltán Kocsis-Holper
Tickets: 500 HUF registration tickets are available here.
4 July 2026 (Saturday), 10 am
Children’s & Youth Choirs Category
Kölcsey Centre, Ballroom
4 July 2026 (Saturday), 1 pm
Free Category / 1
Kölcsey Centre, Ballroom
4 July 2026 (Saturday), 3 pm
Free Category / 2
Kölcsey Centre, Ballroom
5 July 2026 (Sunday), 3 pm
Grand Prize Competition and Award Ceremony
Kölcsey Centre, Great Hall
Tickets: 500 HUF registration tickets are available here.
All rounds of the competition are open to the public and can also be followed online via livestream.
The Opening Ceremony and the categories of the competition are free of charge. For the other events, registration tickets for HUF 500 can be purchased at the Klassz Pont ticket office, the Kölcsey Centre ticket office, the Tourinform Office and via kodalyfilharmonia.jegy.hu.