Don Juan

It is not exclusively Hungarians that Müpa Budapest honours with the prestigious title of Artist of the Season: foreign musicians, such as the Russian piano virtuoso Denis Matsuev, for instance, have also been distinguished in this way. The prerequisites are obvious: a high level of professional excellence and a fruitful relationship with Müpa Budapest.

Eternally youthful even at 80, Géza Bereményi is one of the most colourful personalities on Hungary’s contemporary literary and cultural scene. A first-rate novelist and the director of now-classic films, Bereményi has also, and not least of all, proved to be a unique songwriter and lyricist with an unlimited font of inspiration and a personal stage presence that is an experience in itself.

The Hungarian State Folk Ensemble's nativity programme counts down to the night of the birth of Jesus, with scenes that are sometimes comic and other times heart-warming.