44th National Táncház Festival & Fair • 4–6 April 2025
Issue:
Starting page: 34
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Bringing up the next generations of lead fiddlers – By the mid 1970s the popularity of the dance house scene called for more musicians, so Halmos Béla and others set about training them. Camps were organized for intensive learning that soon became courses in Budapest and regular classes held at music schools – such as the ones in Székesfehérvár, Budapest’s Obuda. Dance house musician training courses were also held in Győr, Nyíregyháza and other cities and towns in Hungary. In 2008 the Hungarian Academy of Music established a Folk Music Department making it possible to get an accredited diploma as an academy-trained folk musician.
Page 34 inset - Summary of Halmos Béla’s fieldwork collecting traditional music
Page 34 inset - The recording entitled "Szép piros hajnál"– Halmos’ 'solo' record was released by Hungaraton on vinyl in 1989 and then on CD in 1995. It contains Halmos’ arrangements of traditional folk music from field recordings collected by him and 7 other ethnomusicologists. It features Béla on lead violin and voice accompanied by a group of first generation dance house [folk music revival] musicians.