A piano concert and photo exhibition at the Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City commemorated the 80th anniversary of composer Béla Bartók’s death on September 26.
The theatre hall of this cultural landmark features frescoes and mosaics based on designs by Hungarian artists Géza Maróti and Aladár Körösfői-Kriesch. The evening opened with a presentation on Bartók’s life and work by opera singer Estefanía Avilés, a former Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship recipient. This was followed by a piano recital from Rodolfo Ritter, a student of György Sándor, Zoltán Kocsis, Dezső Ránki, and András Schiff, who performed a selection of Bartók’s compositions. The program concluded with a speech by Ambassador Zoltán Németh. The nearly 200 attendees also had the opportunity to view the roll-up exhibition Mikrokosmos – An Introduction to the World of Béla Bartók, showcasing the composer’s legacy.
The event also celebrated the 10th anniversary of Mexico joining the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program. Special guests of the evening included Mexican alumni who studied in Hungary over the past decade.
