Budapest Festival Orchestra

The Budapest Festival Orchestra (Hungarian: Budapesti Fesztiválzenekar) was formed in 1983 by Iván Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis,[1] with musicians "drawn from the cream of Hungary's younger players", as described by The Times.

Its aim was to make its concerts into significant events in Hungary's musical life, and to give Budapest a new symphony orchestra of international standing.

[2] After the initial years of limited appearances, the orchestra became a permanent ensemble in 1992 playing in its home city and touring widely, extending its work to a full season,{Guardian} the ensemble operated under the aegis of the Budapest Municipality and the new BFO Foundation.

[2] The orchestra's opera projects have included The Magic Flute (Budapest), Così fan tutte (Athens), Idomeneo (Budapest/Athens), Orfeo ed Euridice (Budapest/Brussels), Il turco in Italia (Paris), and to inaugurate a Vicenza Opera Festival, Falstaff at the city's Teatro Olimpico.

There are also Sunday afternoon chamber music events, the "Cocoa Concerts" for children aged 5-10, the Haydn-Mozart series, and where soloists of the concertos are members of the orchestra, and the "Open Dress Rehearsals".