At the Budapest Choir Competition – This Time as a Jury Member

At the Budapest Choir Competition – This Time as a Jury Member

2025. March 10. | foundation

The Budapest International Choir Competition has been a defining event in the life of our choir family for many years. We first competed at this prestigious event in 1997, and since then we have won a total of 13 first prizes – a source of great pride for us. This year, however, we will not be participating as contestants – our conductor, László Durányik, has been invited to join the jury panel of the competition.

The Budapest International Choir Competition has a history spanning more than three decades: it was launched in 1988, and every two years since, choirs from around the world have gathered in Budapest to showcase their talent and musical diversity on a variety of stages across the city. The event is not only a significant challenge for the participating ensembles but also an important meeting point for the international choral scene.

This year’s jury includes distinguished professionals such as Zoltán Kocsis-Holper (Hungary), Jürgen Faßbender (Germany), Yuval Ben-Ozer (Israel), Robert Sund (Sweden), and the festival’s artistic director, Gábor Hollerung (Hungary). We are proud that László Durányik will join this esteemed panel, evaluating the performances of choirs from all around the world.

The Aurin Mixed Choir to Perform in Budapest

The Aurin Mixed Choir to Perform in Budapest

2025. March 7. | mixedchoir

The Aurin Mixed Choir is preparing for its very first independent concert in Budapest, taking place on May 25, 2025, at 6:00 PM at the Lóvasút Cultural and Event Centre. The concert program features the choir’s most successful works from recent years, ranging from Gregorian chant through Renaissance, Baroque, and Romantic choral literature to pieces by 20th-century and contemporary composers. The closing section of the concert will include lighter genres, with spirituals, African folk arrangements, and popular music adaptations completing the musical experience. 
The history of the Miraculum–Aurin Choir Family began nearly thirty years ago, when our conductor, László Durányik, arrived at the Kodály School in Kecskemét. Thanks to his dedication, inspiring teaching methods, and charismatic leadership, choral life at the school was revitalized. Rehearsals became true artistic workshops, where musical excellence and community-building were equally important. The Miraculum Children’s Choir stood out not only for its musical achievements but also for the lifelong friendships and deep connections formed through the shared experience of singing together. Rehearsals, concerts, competitions, and tours brought the choir members close together and shaped them into a genuine community.

As with most school choirs, the Miraculum was predominantly female, given that fewer boys typically attend music-focused classes. Nonetheless, the boys who joined the choir played an important role in the life of the group. With the formation of the Aurin Girls’ Choir, the girls had a clear path to continue, but after primary school, no similar option existed for the boys. Although many remained loyal supporters and enthusiastic members of the audience, over time the longing to sing again became stronger for some of them.

In the meantime, the Somnium Laude Chamber Choir was founded at the Kodály School, offering a continuation for boys in high school, and with the creation of the Aurin Women’s Choir, adult choral singing also became an institutional part of the community. As the chamber ensemble’s male members “aged out,” the number of trained and passionate male singers in the audience grew – and so did the desire to form a mixed choir. In autumn 2017, the decision was made: former classmates, friends, and fellow students joined the members of the Aurin Women’s Choir, and the Aurin Mixed Choir was born.

Thanks to shared musical roots and the same Kodály-based training, the new choir quickly found its place in the choir family. Its unique sound brought a fresh and exciting color to our joint performances. While the Aurin Women’s Choir builds directly on the girls’ choir tradition, the Aurin Mixed Choir is open to any trained singer who wishes to join – and over the years, it has welcomed members who first heard us perform and decided to become part of our musical journey. Today, the choir functions as an independent ensemble, blending the joy of singing together with high artistic standards, while continuing to build on the legacy of the Miraculum–Aurin community.

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