The Richter Hall in Győr opens its doors to a packed 2025–26 season of concerts, operettas, theater, and feel-good variety shows. Home to the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra (Győri Filharmonikus Zenekar) and named after world-famous conductor János Richter, the venue doubles as a modern creative hub with a sleek, soundproof rehearsal room on the second floor — about 1,076 square feet, air-conditioned, beautifully lit, and built for serious artistry. All events take place at 9021 Győr, 16 Aradi Vértanúk Street (Aradi vértanúk útja 16).
Operatic fireworks to open
Friday, November 14, 7:00 PM: the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra launches the season with an Opera Gala of vocal showpieces from Verdi, the Verists, Strauss, and Puccini. French soprano Solen Mainguené and baritone Grga Peroš join under the baton of Zsolt Hamar. Expect big emotions, bigger arias, and a program designed to put the orchestra and voices in full blaze.
Illusions, mind-reading, and a dash of mayhem
Szemfényvesztés (Sleight of Hand) hits Győr on Saturday, November 15, with two shows at 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM. This globe-trotting, award-winning magic series corrals top performers into a dazzling spectacle of illusions, mind-reading, and comedy. Founder Dani Rieger returns from luxury resorts in Greece after a sold-out 2024 tour across 40 Bulgarian cities, ready with high-impact stage illusions. TV magician Ferenc Kőhalmi brings award-winning sleight of hand and sharp humor, while László Szemerey — the only Hungarian magician whose act features dogs — adds a one-of-a-kind twist. The show runs 2 x 50 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. Be ready to “be part of the impossible.”
British marital crisis, 1980s style
Monday, November 17, 7:00 PM: The Wife Begins at Forty (A feleség negyvennél kezdődik) is a whip-smart British comedy from the 1980s. Linda is done with 17 years of marriage, suburban rituals, and her husband George — especially after he falls asleep mid-intimacy. She wants out, and chaos follows: their teenage son starts dating, a senile granddad recites war stories, friends offer terrible advice, and George, with help from the bar cabinet, decides to reboot the marriage. The Forum Theatre (Forum Színház) production stars Endre Beleznay as George; Linda alternates between Gerda Pikali and Bernadett Gregor, with a starry supporting roster. Directed by Kristóf Németh and Endre Beleznay. Length: 180 minutes with one intermission. Recommended for ages 14+.
Jazz on the high seas
Thursday, November 20, 7:00 PM: It’s 1938, New York, aboard the luxury liner La Paz, sailing toward Monte Carlo. A work-addicted young businesswoman collides with a charming adventurer, while a cast of oddballs swirls around them: a dissolute moneyed fiancé, a terrifying wife and her cowed husband, a dithering secretary repeatedly transformed by a Tibetan singing bowl, and Tony’s mother, determined to look 10 years younger than her own daughter. Everyone’s running from something, or someone, as money and hearts are toyed with to the pulse of swing — the brightest age of jazz. Based on Károly Aszlányi’s hit play American Comedy (Amerikai komédia), with a new libretto and lyrics by Attila Lőrinczy and music by Artisjus- and Fonogram-winning saxophonist-composer Bálint Bársony. Revived from a past success and newly directed by Károly Peller for Veres 1 Theatre’s (Veres 1 Színház) repertoire from 2025.
Sibelius and Rachmaninov intensity
Saturday, November 22, 7:00 PM: Pannon Philharmonic (Pannon Filharmonikusok) with the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra present Sibelius’s Valse triste and Violin Concerto in D minor, followed by Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor. Violinist Júlia Pusker solos; Tibor Bogányi conducts. Timings listed: 6 minutes, 35 minutes, and 60 minutes respectively. A full-bodied Romantic sweep guaranteed.
Strip away the fear
Monday, November 24, 7:00 PM: The Naked Truth (Meztelen igazság) is a musical comedy about six very different women who sign up for a confidence-boosting pole-dancing course. They discover it’s not just about the moves: friendships deepen, secrets spill, and self-love grows. A bold plan follows — they’ll bare their souls, and yes, their clothes, for charity. It’s witty, liberating, and all about acceptance and female solidarity. Cast: Paula Barbinek (Trisha), Csilla Csomor (Bev), Csekka Gyebnár (Faith), Zsuzsa Nyertes (Sarah), Barbara Xantus (Rita), Linda Fekete (Gabby). Directed by Rita Tallós.
A classic heart-warmer with twists
Wednesday, November 26, 7:00 PM: Csiky Gergely’s The Grandmother (A nagymama) brings gentle humor and romance. A young count, Szerémi, disguises himself as an Italian teacher at a girls’ school to be near his love. Only his former tutor, Tódorka Szilárd, knows the truth. The formidable Grandmother arrives to unmask motives and, remembering her own thwarted youth, tries to steer the lovers through a tangle of past family knots. Will love find its path? Cast includes Bori Kállay (Countess Szerémi), Szilárd Kovács (Ernő), András Faragó (Vilmos Örkényi), and a full ensemble of teachers, students, and relatives.
Haydn in London
Thursday, November 27, 6:00 PM: Ádám Bősze: With Haydn in London – Life in the Country (Haydnnal Londonban – Élet vidéken) unpacks Joseph Haydn’s London journeys. Beyond music history, it’s a cultural deep dive into how the Esterházy composer traveled, worked, and lived abroad. About 70 minutes, no intermission.
Misi Boros at the piano
Monday, December 1, 7:00 PM: Pianist Misi Boros performs under the auspices of the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra: J. S. Bach’s Partita No. 1 in B-flat major, BWV 825 (17 minutes), Beethoven’s Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata” (23 minutes), Bartók’s Suite, Op. 14 (8 minutes), and Schumann’s Kreisleriana, Op. 16 (30 minutes).
Steel Magnolias, Hungarian grit
Friday, December 5, 7:00 PM: Six women in a small-town hair salon, no appointment required. They look fragile, elegant, breakable — but they’re relentless and tough, able to laugh through pain and make others laugh too. Not heroes, just brave in the everyday way that counts. That’s real strength.
Shadows and waltzes
Friday, December 12, 7:00 PM: Shadow Play (Árnyjáték) with the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra features Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major (33 minutes), Strauss’s symphonic fantasy from Die Frau ohne Schatten (15 minutes), and Ravel’s La valse (12 minutes). Violin: Ernő Kállai. Conductor: Sergey Neller.
Art, legacy, and a violin
Monday, December 15, 7:00 PM: Nude with Violin (Akt, hegedűvel) follows the death of a legendary painter whose works hang in top museums and adorn serious collectors’ walls. American art circles buzz when his late-period masterpiece, Nude with Violin, surfaces in his estate. The family gathers for the funeral and discovers there’s no will. A long-serving valet holds a letter — and soon, uninvited visitors and bank vault documents multiply. Where there’s genius and money, intrigue is never far behind.
