Veszprém Rings In 2026 With Mendelssohn Chamber Concerts

Experience Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra in Veszprém and Ajka: 2025–2026 concerts, world-class soloists, Baroque to contemporary, New Year’s and Advent highlights. Book online, affordable tickets, Hangvilla Grand Hall.
when: 2026.01.01., Thursday, Veszprém

The Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra has a full slate of concerts across 2025 and 2026, with online ticketing available. Based in the historic city of Veszprém, the ensemble spans Baroque, Classical, 20th-century landmarks, and contemporary works, and has premiered several pieces in Hungary and beyond. Top soloists and conductors from Hungary and abroad appear regularly, and the group tours widely across Europe and the Americas. Known for its openness, the orchestra often collaborates with jazz players and pop luminaries. In 2010, it received the Bartók–Pásztory Prize for artistic excellence. Founded by violinist Péter Kováts in 1985, the orchestra keeps its artistic home at Hangvilla in Veszprém, with additional dates in Ajka.

Advent by Candlelight in Ajka

The traditional Candlelit Advent Concert (Gyertyafényes Adventi Koncert) lights up the season on Friday, December 19, 2025, 19:00, at the Nagy László City Cultural Center and Library theater in Ajka. Expect a warm, seasonal program crafted for glow and intimacy, led in the spirit of the orchestra’s broad repertoire and refined chamber sound.

New Year’s Night in Veszprém

On Thursday, January 1, 2026, 19:00, the Hangvilla Grand Hall in Veszprém hosts the New Year’s Concert. The invitation is simple: meet on the first evening of the year, leave recent difficulties at the door, and dive into familiar and fresh works to recharge for 2026.

Season Ticket Concert III: Massimo Mercelli

Friday, January 30, 2026, 19:00, and Saturday, January 31, 2026, 19:00, Hangvilla Grand Hall, Veszprém. The world-renowned flutist Massimo Mercelli joins as soloist in a program that threads elegance and fire: Rangström’s Divertimento elegiaco; Mozart’s Flute Concerto in G major, K. 313; Giovanni Sollima’s Contrafactus; and Boccherini’s Symphony in D minor, Op. 12 No. 4, The House of the Devil.

Season Ticket Concert IV: Crescendo – Dances in Music

Friday, February 27, 2026, 19:00, and Saturday, February 28, 2026, 19:00, Hangvilla Grand Hall. The orchestra launches an exciting collaboration with Notis Georgiou—conductor, guitarist, composer, former principal double bassist, and translator in Hungarian, French, English, Italian, and Ancient/Modern Greek—who appears as both guitarist and conductor in Crescendo – Dances in Music.

Season Ticket Concert V: Kováts at the Helm

Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 19:00, and Thursday, April 9, 2026, 19:00, Hangvilla Grand Hall. Artistic director Péter Kováts conducts a program of vivid orchestral canvases: Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s Three Pieces in Old Style; Jean Françaix’s 15 Portraits of Auguste Renoir’s Children; and Schubert–Mahler’s Death and the Maiden in its gripping orchestral incarnation.

Season Ticket Concert VI: Tamás Érdi Plays Mozart

Friday, May 15, 2026, 19:00, and Saturday, May 16, 2026, 19:00, Hangvilla Grand Hall. For the season finale, pianist Tamás Érdi takes the Steinway to unveil one of Mozart’s most ravishing concertos. Program: Haydn’s The Creation – Overture; Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A major, K. 488; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica.

Tickets, Venue, Notes

Online booking is open. Prices range from about $10.50 to $16.50. Hangvilla Grand Hall address: 8200 Veszprém, Brusznyai u. 2. Organizers reserve the right to change programs and dates.

2025, adminboss

Pros
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Affordable world-class concerts (about $10.50–$16.50) make an easy cultural splurge for U.S. travelers
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Family-friendly vibe: short evening programs, seasonal themes (Advent, New Year’s), and approachable repertoire
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No Hungarian needed—titles/composers are universal, and staff/performers often speak English; online ticketing simplifies everything
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Mix of classics and fresh collaborations (jazz/pop crossovers, international soloists like Massimo Mercelli) keeps it lively, not stuffy
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Locations are compact: Hangvilla Grand Hall in central Veszprém is walkable and well-signed; Ajka venue is straightforward once there
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Veszprém is a pretty historic town near Lake Balaton—easy add-on to a Budapest/Balaton itinerary
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Compared to similar chamber events in Western Europe, you get similar artistic quality at a fraction of the price - Veszprém/Ajka aren’t globally famous, so less name recognition than, say, Vienna or Prague
Cons
Hungarian transit signage can feel opaque; reaching Ajka from Budapest involves a regional train or car and a bit of local navigation
Programs and websites may default to Hungarian; English info is improving but not guaranteed for every detail
If you want blockbuster symphonies in grand opera houses, chamber scale in a smaller city may feel low-key compared with major capitals

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