Events

Click to view the Centenary Events in 2005

Click here to view Planned Events for 2006 and onwards

Centenary Events in 2005

Glasgow & London - the Edinburgh Quartet performed the 3 String Quartets on 29^th April 2005 in Scotland.  A repeat concert took place at Leighton House, London on 6^th May 2005, part sponsored by the Hungarian Cultural Centre; the concert was also performed in Cambridge, on 5^th May at Emmanuel College, sponsored by the Cambridge-Szeged Society.

The Barbican screened ‘Animal Farm’ on 9^th January 2005 (as part of a memorial to John Halas & Joy Batchelor).  They also showed a collection of other short Halas & Batchelor films with Seiber musical scores as well as ‘A Town Like Alice’, on            .

There was also a showing of ‘Animal Farm’ at the International Animation Festival in Kecskemét, which both Vivien Halas & Julia Seiber Boyd attended as guests.

Morley College, London – A ‘themed’ series of 4 concerts to show different aspects of Seiber's work, as well as a 4-week exhibition of memorabilia including manuscript items on loan from the British Library. This commenced on 21^st February and ran until 19^th March; with concerts on both dates.  The final concert, will include a performance of ‘Ulysses’. 

There were lectures by Hugh Wood and Michael Graubart on Seiber’s work, during the 4 week Morley period.  The Cambridge University Music Faculty  requested that Hugh Wood repeat the lecture for them in Cambridge, on         .

The British Library plans an exhibition of original scores from those donated to their collection. The items in their possession are also to be prepared for a ‘virtual exhibition’ through their website.  The virtual exhibition would include some of the memorabilia items.  Their manuscript collection list is visible through the link to the BL catalogue.

Cambridge – King's College Choir performed the ‘Missa Brevis’ – in July.

The ‘Missa Brevis’ was also performed at the Mátyás Templom in Budapest – with Alan Tongue invited to conduct.  The choirmaster confirmed it was also performed in October and December.

Frankfurt am Main - The Hochschule performed a comprehensive memorial concert, combining forces with the Konservatorium, and including a lecture from Prof. Peter Cahn, on 4^th May 2005.  They were also supplied with some copies of published scores to complete their library collection.

Hungaroton Classic recorded a CD in Budapest in April, released in the autumn,  containing ‘cello performances by Peter Szabo, piano by Zsuzsa Kollar, violin - David Frühwirth also with soprano, Lesley-Jane Rogers, doing the Song Cycle to Poetry, and mezzo soprano Andrea Melath.  The CD is now available from Hungaroton (or Metronome in the U.K.) ref. no. HCD 32405.

The Europe Ensemble headed by peter Szabo also performed the items on the CD as a concert in Budapest on 8.10.05 followed by Szeged two days later.

The Kodály Institute at Kecskemét performed a commemorative Seiber & Farkas concert in mid-July, which culminating in the Kodály memorial piece dedicated to Seiber.  The Institute also displayed some of the memorabilia in a small exhibition. 

The Hungarian musicological journal, ’Magyar Zene’ published a commemorative article, as did ‘Tempo’, in England.  Favourable Reviews of the CD have also been published in Hungary.

Berlin and Munich Philharmonic Orchestras both performed Seiber pieces in their programme for 8^th and 13^th February, respectively.

John Turner has recently recorded the piece for Recorder and Burlesque.  He also performed it at Dartington, as part of the summer festival. 

A demonstration CD (playable on PC) showing excerpts of pieces to demonstrate the breadth of Seiber’s work is being produced by Schott & Co.  Please contact Sarah Osborn at Schott & Co’s London HQ, if a copy is required to assist with promoting more interest and performances other than as above.

BBC RADIO 3 did a broadcast on 29.12.05, on the music of Seiber and his pupils.

Planned events - 2006 and beyond

Ona Cadona performed the Clarinet Concertino with the small orchestra in Zaragoza, Spain on 21.02.06

Elizabeth Bice performed the French Folk Songs in Manchester, Leeds and London (St. John’s, Smith Square) on 22, 23 & 24.02.06.

Nottingham Youth Orchestra performed the Improvisations for Jazz Band & Orchestra on 25.02.06 – the Dankworths and Julia Seiber Boyd all attended.

The British Library have as yet to add the Virtual Exhibition to their website, but have now bound all the manuscripts.  They were recently shown to a visiting group from the Kodály Institute.  The group also performed some Seiber folksongs as part of their travelling performances at the Foundling Hospital and other venues.

Graham Hair has still to advise the publication date for forthcoming book on the music of Seiber.

John Turner is hoping to arrange another concert.

Peter Szabo performs the ‘cello Phantasie in Budapest on 31.05.06 – for broadcast on Hungarian National Radio.

The James Joyce Festival in Szombataly in Hungary in June performed fragments from ‘Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man’ and the Clarinet Concertino. – but have as yet to confirm if the grant is forthcoming..

The Beominster Singers perform the Hungarian Folk Songs at Beominster on 20.05.06

3 nights in mid July - Tokyo National Theatre "The Invitation" ballet is to be performed

Alan Gibbs reports that he has conducted Seiber folksongs recently.

Frankfurt and Darmstadt Jazz Institutes were sent copy Seiber exhibits for their Exhibition on the History of Jazz.

Please Note:- Julia Seiber Boyd is setting up a Seiber Trust to help promote interest in the music and teaching.  Anyone interested in helping, please use the contact details on the website.

Pannned Events for 2010
(50th Anniversary Year of death of Mátyás Seiber)

2010 marks the 50th Anniversary Year of the premature death of Matyas Seiber - the victim of a road traffic accident when about to return home from a successful concert conducting tour in South Africa.