House of Hungarian Music Inaugurated

The House of Hungarian Music has been inaugurated in the City Park in Budapest. From Sunday, it opens its doors to the public with concerts, an interactive exhibition, a creative music space and music education activities.

András Batta, the managing director of the institution was of the view at the ceremonial opening of the building that Japanese designer Su Fujimoto was inspired by nature and music, which is also reflected in the design of the house.

He added that children coming to the House of Hungarian Music will surely try out the musical playground built next to the house, but in fine weather, the outdoor stage will also be open to the public. Looking through the glass façade and entering the building, people will be able to see and hear the concerts going on inside, and marvel at the surprisingly good acoustics of the glass hall, he said.

In the Varázstér (Magic Room) below ground level, visitors can play drums together, in the sound dome, sounds and noises play a dramatic role, and in the interactive permanent exhibition, you can encounter music from the people of the old Hungarian villages, the monks of Notre Dame, Orpheus weeping at the River Styx, Franz Liszt playing the piano, Bartók's Bluebeard the Prince and the 20th century of pop music.

As for the concert program, he stressed that representatives of a wide variety of genres will be invited, so the Hungarian House of Music will not simply be a musical institution, but the heir to the former atmosphere of the City Park, a real "music pavilion" in the middle of the park.

On the apropos of the opening, environmentalists called attention to the loss of green space, while opposition figures reminded that the government interfered with local regulations to allow the construction of the building that is said to have cost Hungarian taxpayers HUF 30 billion, over 70% more than the original plan.