Budapest Festival Orchestra to receive HUF 200 mln less in funding
(Photo: Budapest Festival Orchestra website)
The Budapest Festival Orchestra (BFO) will receive only HUF 60 million in funding from the City of Budapest this year, HUF 200 mln less than last year, according to Hungarian news agency MTI. The general assembly voted against a proposal by opposition MPs to restore the funding to previous levels.
(Photo: Budapest Festival Orchestra website)
Alexandra Szalay-Bobrovniczky, deputy mayor responsible for human policy said that in addition to support from the City of Budapest, the BFO has also received more than HUF 1 billion in support from other sources. Budapest mayor István Tarlós justified the cut, saying that even HUF 60 million is a hefty contribution in these lean times, MTI reported.
The BFO expressed its astonishment at the funding cut on Tuesday, saying that it came without warning or the option to negotiate, according to MTI. Although the BFO will receive HUF 1.15 billion in support from the Ministry of Human Capacities, it was counting on the additional funding from the city.
The BFO was founded by its principal conductor Iván Fischer and pianist Zoltán Kocsis in 1983. It went on to win the Gramophone award for best orchestral recording and was the first out of the gate in the sponsorship race. Despite their high profile at home and abroad, the BFO’s funding has been on the decline.
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