Vice-President of the Liszt Academy receives KÓTA's award

This year, the work of 42 professionals in 12 categories was recognized by the Association of Hungarian Choirs, Orchestras and Folk Music Ensembles (KÓTA), and the organization's awards were symbolically presented at an online ceremony on the National Day of Hungarian Culture, 22 January. Since its inception in 2004, the award has been given on the basis of proposals by the association’s Arts Committee, in a number of different categories for outstanding artistic work and devoted work for the benefit of the community.

Head of department, Vice-President of Education, conductor and singer Csaba Kutnyánszky was awarded in the category of music patrons. The other awardees of the category were: musicologist, music teacher, translator, choir member Ito Naomi; choir conductor, cultural organizer Krisztina Száz; mayor of Mezőtúr Zsolt Herczeg; director of the Dabas Cultural Centre and president of the Pest County Folk Culture Association Katalin Tapodi.

The award of the posthumous category was given to Mária Kleeberg Strohmayer, who was professor of practical courses at the Liszt Academy and professor of methodology at the Department of Music of the Eötvös Loránd Science University, Zsolt Zákányi, who was an artist, singing teacher and choir conductor, as well as Menyhértné Valter, who was and educator, cultural organizer and choirmaster.

Dr. Csaba Kutnyánszky (photo: József Csapó)

The Helikon Choir, the Nagykanizsa Mixed Choir and the Rainbow Children's Choir in Debrecen received the recognition in the choir category.

The awardees of the choir conducting category were: singing teacher and choirmaster at Pannonia Sacra Catholic Primary School, and conductor of the Bálint Szokolay Women's Choir in Solymár Andrea Blazsek; singing teacher and choirmaster at Bela III Secondary School Andrea Pethőné Kővári; professor and conductor at the Béla Bartók Institute of Music of the University of Miskolc Zoltán Sándor; teacher at the Zoltán Kodály Hungarian Choir School and choirmaster of the Exultate Boys' Choir and the Gemma Choir Márton Tóth, leader of the singing section of the National Council of German Choirs, Orchestras and Dance Ensembles in Hungary Krisztina Kovácsné Fódi.

Musicologist, music aesthete, Reformed church musician Balázs Szabó was awarded in the composer and music writer category.

The following were awarded in the educator category: Head of the Department of Singing and Music of the Faculty of Teaching and Kindergarten Training at the Eötvös Loránd University János Döbrössy; teacher and conductor at the Béla Bartók Primary School of Music in Győr Tamara Farnadi; singing teacher and conductor at the St. Basil Greek Catholic Primary School in Hajdúdorog Teréz Radics; teacher and choirmaster at the László Lovassy Grammar School in Veszprém, and founder of the Virtus Folk Music Ensemble Mária Tóth; teacher of zither and folk singing at the Sándor Vikár Music School and Primary School of Art in Nyíregyháza Ágota Hajdú, and leader of the Csallóközkürt Folk Song Ensemble Jolán Szabó.

Awardess of the lifetime achievement category: retired singing teacher and conductor Ákos Ernő Nagy; retired singing teacher and choirmaster László Ördög; choir conductor and music teacher Katalin Vajna; retired head of department at the Szombathely Teacher Training College and founder of the Church Music Department Adrienne Vinczeffy; director of the Hungarian Opera in Cluj-Napoca, folk musician, folk dance musician, former president of the Zoltán Kallós Foundation Gyula Szép; and conductor, ethnographer, television and radio editor, music director, former leader of the Hungarian Radio Music Ensembles István Alföldy-Boruss.

In the category of choir singer or choir assistant, choir singer Péter Pál Elekes, choir member Eszter Sassné Berényi, choir president László Somogyi, institution head László Kelemen and office head Zsuzsanna Ledényi were awarded.

In the ethnic music category, the Budakeszi Traditional Folk Music Women's Choir, educator, accordion accompanist and ensemble leader Urbanics Vilmos and President of the National Council of German Choirs, Orchestras and Dance Ensembles in Hungary (Landesrat) László Kreisz were the awardees.

In the folk music ensemble category, the Veresegyháza Folk Song Ensemble and Men's Choir and the Nagylók Folk Song Ensemble and Csobolyó Zither Orchestra received the recognition.

In the folk music category, Éva Sulczné Bükki and Ferenc Sulcz were awarded, the founders of the King Matthias Zither Orchestra in Kecskemét, as well as Tünde Fábri-Ivánovics and Géza Fábri, founders and leaders of the art division of the András Dugonics Piarist Secondary School.

In the orchestral category, the Aprája Bagpipe Orchestra was awarded.