The Budapest Festival Orchestra is led by the Founder and Music Director Iván Fischer, internationally renowned and respected conductor, as well as an outspoken critic of growing antisemitism in Hungary and of the policies of the Orbán government. As the Hungarian Free Press informed, Mr. Fisher wrote in 2011 a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a warning that “the Orbán government was dismantling democracy in Hungary and that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was building a bleak regime.” The pro-government daily newspaper Magyar Idők ran a story about “Fisher stabbing Hungary in the back” as this letter became public in December 2015, as part of documentation released in an unrelated American court case.

The Budapest Festival Orchestra saw recently its municipal funding from the Budapest City Council massively cut by two thirds, only five months after this letter came to light, which gives another example of political revenge. Because of this major decrease in funding, the orchestra won’t be able to fully continue its important social outreach program in Hungary, such as bringing music to small children, nursing homes, etc. Therefore on Saturday, thousand supporters of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Mr. Fischer went to the streets and protest.

More informations : http://hungarianfreepress.com/2016/05/07/conductor-ivan-fischer-pays-the-price-for-his-criticism-of-orban-regime/

CR Picture : Marco Borggreve