Current and Upcoming
Hungarian Folk Singing Classes
Basic information about all of our classes below:
Our weekly Hungarian folk singing classes are held in English and open to adults and mature teens of all backgrounds. We welcome experienced singers as well as complete newcomers, with no knowledge of Hungarian or previous experience in the style required. We offer multiple classes each week, both in-person in Budapest and online interactively on Zoom, with participants attending from all around the world.
The classes cover a variety of traditional Hungarian folk songs from various regions of the Hungarian language area, all taught directly from village source recordings. They range from very simple to very challenging, with a diverse mix of scales, tempos, rhythms, and ornamentation.
We also have additional one-time classes, workshops, lectures, and thematic series to complement those ongoing weekly classes, such as our Hungarian pronunciation classes, an orientation to the style, seasonal song series, and classes at various other institutions and events, and we offer private lessons on all of these topics and others.
All classes are taught by Zina Bozzay unless a guest teacher is indicated.
For full details on our singing classes, visit our Singing Class FAQs!
For our other offerings, click here.
Upcoming Dates
We are continuously adding new classes. Join our email list to stay informed!
This page only includes our classes which are open to the general public.
We also hold many classes for universities, ensembles, diaspora groups, and others.
Click here to arrange a class for your event, group, or institution.
It's September, become a member!
Enjoy access to all classes all year long, plus additional benefits.
ONLINE CLASSES HELD ON ZOOM
FOR PARTICIPANTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
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Hungarian Pronunciation Classes
Sunday, September 13 - Level I, covering all Hungarian letter sounds
Recommended for all newcomers to the singing classes, also open to other participants.
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Introduction to Hungarian Folk Music
Sunday, September 13 - Overview lecture on the style, regions, history, resources, and more
Recommended for all newcomers to the singing classes, also open to other participants.
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Hungarian Folk Singing Class Series - Songs of Mezőség, Transylvania
Tuesdays, September 15 - October 20
Sundays, September 20 - October 25
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Hungarian Folk Singing Class Series - Songs of Maros-Küküllők vidéke, Transylvania
Tuesdays, November 3 - December 8
Sundays, November 8 - December 13
Details coming soon.
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Seasonal Folk Songs for Advent and Christmas
Thursdays, November 12, 19, December 3, 10, 7pm Budapest time
Details coming soon.
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Recital
Tuesday, December 15, 2025
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Private lessons and coaching
Ongoing - contact to schedule
Looking ahead:
In 2025-2026 we focused on Dél-Dunántúl, Magyarbőd (Felföld), Gyimes, and Moldva.
In 2026-2027 we will be primarily focused on various regions of Transylvania.
Planned regions for Spring 2027 are Székelyföld and Bukovina, at the same ongoing class times, January - June. As always, we are open to participant requests!
IN PERSON CLASSES AND LECTURES
IN BUDAPEST
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Hungarian Folk Singing Classes at the Óbuda Folk Music School
Weekly classes on Monday evenings, covering a different region and group of songs each 6 weeks, in parallel with the online classes listed above.
Sept 14 - Oct 19 - Mezőség, Transylvania
Nov 2 - Dec 7 - Maros-Küküllők vidéke, Transylvania
Dec 14 - Recital
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Hungarian Pronunciation Classes
Scheduled upon request, see levels and details below
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Introduction to Hungarian Folk Music
Interactive lecture presentation held at various institutions, scheduled upon request
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American International School of Budapest
Throughout the school year, September - May
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Private lessons and coaching, group workshops, lectures, etc.
Ongoing - contact to schedule
View past classes:
Fall 2023 Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Fall 2025 - Spring 2026
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RECENT PUBLICATIONS
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Táncház 50: Half a Century of the Hungarian Táncház Movement
Book release at the Institute for Musicology, Budapest, May 2026
Applying the Táncház Method to International Hungarian Folk Singing Teaching: Principles and Practices for Transmission in English
by Zina Bozzay
If you would like to know more about our classes and methods, this volume includes is a very detailed article on the subject! This was originally written for colleagues working in the field, to share experiences on teaching Hungarian folk songs to people of diverse backgrounds (diaspora Hungarians, non-Hungarians, expats in Hungary, etc.), the barriers they face, and how we can address them as educators.
Physical copies for sale in scholarly and ethnomusicology-focused bookstores in Budapest.
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Narratives of Hungary
Book release at the Art Department (Paulay Ede u. 19), Budapest, May 2026
Echoes of the Unbroken Oral Tradition: Teaching Hungarian Folk Singing
by Alexa Fermeglia
This book is a compilation of interviews, portraits, and histories of various figures across Hungary. The interview with Zina covers singing in village life, the revival movement, and her personal path that led to the work she does today. Available at independent bookstores in Budapest or online here.
HUNGARIAN PRONUNCIATION CLASSES
We initially developed this curriculum for teaching Hungarian pronunciation to English speakers as a complement to our singing classes, and over the past decade have developed and expanded it due to the demand from a wide range participants. The upcoming class dates listed below are engaging small-group classes to maximize individual attention and feedback, and are open to the general public. We also hold these same classes for institutions and other groups -- such as international schools in Hungary, new arrivals in Hungary (college students on study abroad programs, English teachers and other professionals, tour groups, etc), Hungarian diaspora groups in North America, vocal ensembles working on Hungarian repertoire, and Hungarian language learners -- as well as with individuals in one-on-one private lessons.
Level I (60 minutes)
An in-depth class on Hungarian pronunciation, open to absolute beginners as a first introduction to the language as well as those with experience who want to review or refine. This class covers every letter sound, about half an hour on the consonants and half an hour on the vowels, with practice words for each letter. Participants receive a detailed pronunciation guide for later reference. This class is typically offered at the start of each singing class series or before a workshop, and is open to anyone to attend, whether or not you are taking a singing class.
Level I Practice Class (60 minutes) (Prerequisite: Level I above)
For those who have attended Pronunciation Level I above or previously learned all of the Hungarian letter sounds, this class is solely focused on putting it into practice through participants pronouncing words and receiving feedback. We cover a range of common words to strengthen all the basic sounds of the language. If you are struggling with certain vowel sounds, or sometimes mix up the consonants sounds, join us. It is also a good class for those with more experience to focus in on pronunciation and hear the common pitfalls and corrections.
Level II (60 minutes) (Prerequisite: Level I above)
This class is designed for those who have already taken Level I or have previous experience with Hungarian, including heritage speakers in the diaspora, who are interested in learning further details to fine-tune their pronunciation and understanding of spelling. This class covers pronunciation quirks and exceptions often not taught to beginners, such as consonant assimilation, consonant voicing and devoicing, archaic name spellings, and examples of dialect pronunciation.
Level II Practice Class (60 minutes) (Prerequisite: Level II above)
Corresponding to Pronunciation Level II above, this is a higher-level practice class with more challenging words. It includes more difficult city and region names, multi-syllable words and compound words, words with consonant assimilation, and archaic spellings. This is designed for those who already have some experience with Hungarian (whether in our singing classes or as language learners / heritage speakers) and are clear on what each letter sounds like, and want to overcome their fears and finesse their pronunciation through detailed work and feedback.
Thematic Practice Classes (Prerequisite: Level I above)
Similar to the Level I Practice Class above but focusing on words that are especially useful for the participants, we have offered series on common Hungarian names (including given and family names), Hungarian foods, and Hungarian place names (major cities, regions, sites). We can address other vocabulary as requested.
Upcoming Dates:
Level I - September 13, 6-7pm Budapest time (held on Zoom)
Interactive small-group class held on Zoom, recorded for later viewing for anyone who cannot attend at this class time. Please attend live if you are able!
Scheduled on request:
We usually offer Level I classes at the start of each semester, and schedule additional classes based on the requests we receive. Please send a message here with the pronunciation class(es) that you would like to take!
Class Price:
Residents of Hungary: 3000 Ft.
International Participants: $15 USD
(Please contact us if cost is prohibitive.)
Register here
Introduction to Hungarian Folk Music
This is a lecture presentation providing a well-rounded, interactive overview of the tradition, covering regions, instruments, collecting, revival, resources, and more. We hold it in-person at the Óbuda Folk Music School and at requesting institutions, as well as online on Zoom.
Past institutions include ELTE, Károli Gáspár University, Hungarian Heritage House, Fulbright Scholars, AISB, and students from the Balassi Institute, Kodály Institute, various Budapest language schools, Hungarian diaspora organizations, and more. We hold this presentation annually for several institutions, typically in early/mid September and January with the arrival of each new class or group, so that the participants can best make use of their time in Budapest knowing the local resources available to them. See flyer above for program content, which can be adjusted based on the needs of each participating group.
Please contact zinabozzay@gmail.com for further details or to schedule for your group or institution.
Upcoming dates open to the general public:
Sunday, September 13, 7-8pm Budapest time (10am California / 1pm New York)
Held on Zoom
Overview lecture only, without song teaching. To learn songs, join our singing class series starting September 14 in Budapest and September 15 and 20 online!
Class Price:
Residents of Hungary: 3000 Ft.
International Participants: $15 USD
(Please contact us if cost is prohibitive.)
ONLINE HUNGARIAN FOLK SINGING CLASSES
Held on Zoom, open to participants around the world
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Songs of Mezőség, Transylvania
Tuesdays, September 15 - October 20, 2026
Rosemary Group: Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm Budapest time
North America daytime, Europe evening:
10am California / 1pm New York / 6pm England / 8pm Romania
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Sundays, September 20 - October 25, 2026
Tulip Group: Sundays, 8:00-9:30pm Budapest time
North America daytime, Europe evening:
11am California / 2pm New York / 7pm England
TIME ZONE CALCULATOR - Check the class times here by entering your location and each class date!
Note: We have previously held a morning class time as well (Europe morning, Australia and New Zealand evening), and if you are interested in that or a different class time, please contact us!
Join us for this 6-week class series covering a range of beautiful songs from Mezőség in central Transylvania!
Please see the brief description of our singing classes at the top of this page, or read the full details here, including specifics for the online classes. The Rosemary and Tulip Groups above and the in-person class in Budapest below will all cover the same class material, and participants registered in either online group may attend at the other class time if they have a conflict on a given week or are in Budapest.
If this is your first Hungarian singing class, consider taking a Hungarian pronunciation class beforehand. In the singing classes we review the pronunciation of the song words themselves but not the basics of the Hungarian letter sounds. Please also note our Introduction to Hungarian Music lecture on September 13 to get you oriented.
Having offered these group singing classes for over a decade, we see the best results when participants have at least occasional private lessons to get one-on-one feedback and guidance.
Click here for full details about the online singing classes. Contact us with any further questions!
Class Prices
Residents of Hungary International Participants
Annual membership (all classes for 12 months, details here) 150,000 Ft. Sliding scale $750 - 1500 USD
6-week singing class series plus one 1-hour private lesson 30,000 Ft. Sliding scale $130 - 230 USD
6-week singing class series without lesson 25,000 Ft. Sliding scale $90 - 180 USD
Drop-in singing class (single 90-minute class) 4000 Ft. Sliding scale $15-25 USD
Private lessons Sliding scale 7 - 10.000 Ft./hr, Sliding scale $50-80 USD/hr,
or as agreed individually or as agreed individually
Class size is limited and links and materials are sent ahead of class, so advance registration is required.
Register here
IN-PERSON SINGING CLASSES
BUDAPEST
Hungarian Folk Singing Class
Óbuda Folk Music School - Mókus u. 20, Budapest 1036
Mondays 6:00-7:30pm
Join us for a 6-week class series covering a range of beautiful songs from Mezőség in central Transylvania, starting September 14! Please see the brief description of our singing classes at the top of this page, or read the full details here.
This in-person class covers the same songs and curriculum as the concurrent online singing classes listed above, teaching songs from a given region for each 6-week series. If you have to miss class due to a conflict or illness, you may attend online that week instead.
If this is your first Hungarian singing class, consider taking a Hungarian pronunciation class beforehand. In the singing classes we review the pronunciation of the song words themselves but not the basics of the Hungarian letter sounds. Please also note our Introduction to Hungarian Music lecture on September 13 to get you oriented.
Having offered these group singing classes for over a decade, we see the best results when participants have at least occasional private lessons to get one-on-one feedback and guidance.
Click here for full details about the singing classes. Contact us with any further questions!
2026-2027 Class Series Dates:
September 14 - October 19, 2025 - Songs of Mezőség, Transylvania
November 2 - December 7, 2025 - Songs of Maros-Küküllők vidéke, Transylvania
December 14 - Recital
Spring semester will continue January-June at the same time, Mondays 6pm
Class Prices
Residents of Hungary International Participants
Annual membership (all classes for 12 months, details here) 150,000 Ft. Sliding scale $750 - 1500 USD
6-week singing class series plus one 1-hour private lesson 30,000 Ft. Sliding scale $130 - 230 USD
6-week singing class series without lesson 25,000 Ft. Sliding scale $90 - 180 USD
Drop-in singing class (single 90-minute class) 4000 Ft. Sliding scale $15-25 USD
Private lessons Sliding scale 7 - 10.000 Ft./hr Sliding scale $50-80 USD/hr,
or as agreed individually or as agreed individually
Class size is limited and may reach capacity, and advance registration is required.
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Hungarian Folk Singing Classes at the
American International School of Budapest (ongoing)
Folk song teaching for 6th grade AISB students every quarter, as well as other students and members of the AISB community upon request. Please contact with interest.
Consider gifting one of our singing classes
to a family member or friend! Choose among Hungarian pronunciation classes, one-time workshops, class series, lectures, and more.
You may choose a specific class to gift or choose an amount which may be applied at the recipient's discretion. Personalized gift certificate PDFs (shown at right) are available at no extra charge.
Simply fill out the class registration form and select gift certificate, or send us a message here.
