Opera Ball
13th February 2010
The year's most prestigious social event in the Opera House, the Opera Ball says goodbye to winter and welcomes spring. This is the primus inter pares - the Opera Ball. The Budapest Opera House reaches the standard of the well-known European opera houses not only with its prestigious performances, impressive architecture and atmosphere, but also with the Opera Ball. For several years now famous personalities from all over Europe have been participating on this event.
However, the European civilian tradition requires more than amusement. It also warns about the fact that not everyone has the opportunity to participate on balls. The celebration is only complete if we think about the people who cannot afford to enjoy the pleasures of the ball. The Hungarian Opera Ball is a charity ball at the same time.
The history of the Budapest Opera Ball dates back to 2. March 1886 when some charity events were organised on the pattern of the royal court. At the end of the century, Opera Balls were held almost once a month in the Budapest Opera House, always with charitable purposes. Only after the First World War, in 1934, Opera Ball Association organized the first real Opera Ball on the pattern of Vienna which was conducted by Ferenc Lehár.
After a 62-year break, on 17th February 1996 the Budapest Opera Ball was organised again. Since then, every year on the last Saturday of the carnival season, the stage and the auditorium of the Hungarian State Opera transforms to the most glamorous ballroom. Almost hundred debutante dancers open the ball, which lasts till dawn, according to the strict rules of the Ball Protocol. The importance of the Budapest Opera Ball is getting more recognized equally from political, social, economical and business aspects. The participants of the cultural, economic and political life not only honour the event by the presence but they also support the associated charitable actions.
Year by year more high standing foreign guests are participating on this prestigious event:
Montserrat Caballé, Ornella Muti, Sascha Hehn, Yevgeny Nesterenko, Walter Berry, Heinz Zedniket, Katia Ricciarelli, Patrizio Buanne, Catherine Deneuve, Katarina Witt, Gina Lollobrigida and Daryl Hannah. Beside the foreign artists, the most famous Hungarian opera singers take part in the success of the programmes.
The former Prime Minister of France, M. and Madame Barre, Gilbert's Beaux Baron Guy de Rothschild, head of the House of Rothschild, Thierry de Montbrió, Jürgen Köppen EU delegation Ambassador, Brigitte Zypries, Otto Wiesheu, Dr. Dieter Böhmdorfer and Gregor Prinz von Liechtenstein were also guests of the event. Hungary's leading corporations and leading personalities of the political life also participate each year in the Ball, where the fun is interrupted by some work sometimes, taking advantage of the unbinding opportunity.