Ivan Fischer founded the Budapest Festival Orchestra in 1983 together with Zoltan Kocsis.
Thanks to its innovative approach to music and the uncompromising dedication of its musicians, the BFO has become the youngest ensemble to join the world's top ten symphony orchestras. They are both present at the most important intemational concert venues and streaming platforms. The BFO has been recognized by the prestigious British Gramophone magazine three times: in 1998 and 2007 for the best recording, while in 2022 they were named Orchestra of the Year. The BFO's most considerable successes are connected to Mahler: their recording of Symphony No.1 was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2013.
The BFO has also made a name for itself with its series of innovative concerts. The Autismfriendly Cocoa Concerts, the Surprise Concerts, musical marathons, Midnight Music performances, free Community Weeks and the Bridging Europe Festival are all unique in their own ways. Another special feature of the orchestra is that its members regularly form a choir at their concerts.
Each year, the BFO stages an opera production directed and conducted by Ivan Fischer. The performances have been invited to the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival and the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg; in 2013, the Marriage of Figaro led the New York Magazine's list of the best classica! music events of the year. The Vicenza Opera Festival, founded by Ivan Fischer, debuted in the fall of 2018 at the Teatro Olimpico.
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Photo: © Stiller Ákos
