Current and Upcoming Hungarian Folk Singing Classes
All classes below are taught by Zina Bozzay, unless a guest teacher is indicated.
For general information about the Singing Circle and our classes, click here.
To arrange a class for a specific event, group, or institution, click here.
Join our email list and follow us on Facebook to hear about other upcoming classes, workshops, and events.
About our singing classes:
Our Hungarian Folk Singing Classes, both in person and online, as one-time workshops and multi-week class series, are held in English and open to participants of all cultural, linguistic, and musical backgrounds. We welcome experienced singers as well as those with no previous experience in the style. The classes include a wide range of beautiful village songs from across the Hungarian language area, crafted over generations of unbroken oral tradition. These are not composed songs or modern arrangements, and they are taught directly from village source recordings. They include uptempo dance songs to grieving songs, love songs to lullabies, old style and new style, simple and highly ornamented, with beautiful song words and unique regional scales and rhythms. Participants receive village source recordings, ethnographic maps, song word sheets (lyrics), English translations, and background information on the songs and regions. Classes also often include information about vocal technique, traditional instruments, seasonal practices, and the traditional lifestyle and ways of thinking that these songs come from.
Here is an example of what learning and singing back from a source recording looks like. The four class participants in this video are from across the US and aren't native Hungarian speakers. This happens to be a slow ornamented song, but we do simpler ones as well!
Upcoming Dates
Click on a class or scroll down for further class details.
VIRTUAL CLASSES HELD ON ZOOM
FOR PARTICIPANTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
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Hungarian Pronunciation Classes
Tuesday, September 12 and Sunday, September 17, 2023
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Vocal Health and Development Classes
Tuesdays, September 19, September 26, October 10, October 17
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Hungarian Folk Singing Class Series - Songs of Moldva
Tuesdays, September 19 - October 24
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Hungarian Folk Music Lectures
Wednesdays, September 27 - October 18
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Private lessons and coaching
Ongoing - contact to schedule
CLASSES HELD IN PERSON IN BUDAPEST
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Hungarian Folk Singing Classes
Held weekly on Mondays in Buda, open to all, advanced registration required.
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Private lessons and coaching, group workshops, lectures, etc.
Ongoing - contact to schedule
HUNGARIAN PRONUNCIATION CLASSES
Held on Zoom, open to participants around the world
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. This class covers every letter sound, about half an hour on the consonants and half an hour on the vowels, with a few 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 everyday words and common words in folk songs to really strengthen all the basic sounds of the language. If you are struggling with certain vowel sounds, or sometimes mix up which consonants sound like what, 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 Hungarian diaspora, who are interested in learning further details to fine-tune their pronunciation and understanding. 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.
Classes are held in English by Zina Bozzay, who has been teaching Hungarian pronunciation to non-Hungarian speakers for over a decade. They are small group classes to maximize individual attention.
Upcoming Dates:
Level I - Tuesday, September 12, 7-8pm Budapest time (10-11am CA / 1-2pm NY)
Level I Practice Class - Tuesday, September 12, 8-9pm Budapest time (11am-12pm CA / 2-3pm NY)
Level II - Sunday, September 17, 8-9pm Budapest time (11am-12pm CA / 2-3pm NY)
Level II Practice Class - Sunday, September 17, 9-10pm Budapest time (12-1pm CA / 3-4pm NY)
We usually offer these classes at the start of each semester, and additionally whenever a few people request it or new people join the singing classes and need it. Please send a message here with the pronunciation class(es) that you would like to take. When a few people have requested a given level, we schedule a class!
Class Prices:
Residents of Hungary: 2000 Ft. per class
International Participants: Sliding scale $10-20 USD per class
ONLINE HUNGARIAN FOLK SINGING CLASSES
Held on Zoom, open to participants around the world
Some details and logistics for all of the online classes below:
- Pronunciation: 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, which is taught in that separate pronunciation class.
- Class time and class names: Because there are several class times and people are joining from various time zones around the world, each class has a name (Chestnut, Tulip, Rosemary, etc) for the ease of participants figuring out which time is right for them and registering for the correct class! Some time zones are written below, but please double-check your own time difference with Budapest, and note daylight savings changes if applicable. The online classes are live and interactive, and not video recorded for later use.
- Registration deadline: Please register as soon as possible, as space is limited and Zooms links are sent in advance of class.
For the multi-week class series:
- Class size: There is a minimum of 5 registered participants to hold the class, and classes are capped at 25 people.
- Commitment / Drop-ins: It is strongly preferred for participants to commit to the full class series, but drop-ins are also welcome.
- Private lessons: Participants are encouraged to sign up for one private lesson per 6-week class series in order to receive more individual feedback and guidance in their development, especially returning students (not required, just recommended).
Please check out the FAQs page for more information!
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Songs of Moldva (Moldavia)
Tuesdays, September 19 - October 24, 2023
The beautiful traditional village repertoire of the Hungarian-speaking Moldavian Csángós includes ornate plaintive songs, classic ballads, playful weaving songs, and uptempo melodies which have been popularly incorporated into the táncház movement. Moldavia (known as Moldva in Hungarian, not to be confused with the country of Moldova) is located across the Carpathian Mountains from Transylvania, in eastern Romania - a region where Hungarian speakers have lived for centuries while not part of the country of Hungary. Their distinctive customs, songs, and use of the language have ancient roots, and are a treasure for us to learn and pass on.
We have two different class times to accommodate various time zones around the world, and newcomers and well as returning students are welcome. If you would like extra support with the language, your singing abilities, or learning more background information about the style, consider also attending our separate pronunciation classes, vocal technique classes, and/or lectures, which are designed to supplement these singing classes.
- Chestnut Group: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30am Budapest time
Europe daytime, Australia and New Zealand evening:
9am England / 4pm Hong Kong / 6pm Sydney / 8pm Christchurch
* Please note that the clocks will change during this class series in some Southern Hemisphere countries, and we will adjust if needed according to what works best for the enrolled participants.
- Rosemary Group: Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm Budapest time
North America daytime, Europe evening:
10am California / 1pm New York / 6pm England / 8pm Israel
TIME ZONE CALCULATOR - Check the class times here by entering your location and each class date!
Class Prices:
Residents of Hungary:
Full class series (six 90-minute classes): 15,000 Ft.
Drop-in (single class): 3000 Ft. per class
International Participants:
Full class series (six 90-minute classes): Sliding scale $70 - 150 USD
Drop-in (single class): Sliding scale $15-25 USD per class
Note: While the sliding scale has both a minimum and "maximum", additional contributions supporting this work are always welcome! If you are able to pay more, it supports the participation of those who cannot.
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ADDITIONAL CLASSES SUPPLEMENTING THE FOLK SINGING CLASSES
Vocal Technique, History and Background Information, and More
Open to participants in the singing classes as well as all others!
Vocal Health and Development (held on Zoom)
Tuesdays, September 19, September 26, October 10, October 17
Held immediately before the group singing class above, 6:00-6:45pm Budapest time
(9am California / 12pm New York / 5pm England / 7pm Israel)
These small-group classes address vocal technique and style questions which frequently arise both in the group singing classes as well as in private lessons, providing both information and concrete practices to improve your singing abilities. This is open to absolute beginners as well as long-time singers, and no specific singing knowledge or skills are needed to attend - we create an accessible, friendly space for understanding concepts, learning vocabulary, and exploring voices. Participants are muted for many of the exercises and also have opportunities to share, ask questions, and receive feedback.
Fall 2023 class topics:
Sept 19 - Stylistic singing in Hungarian village folk music
Sept 26 - Vocal range, registers, and exploring and expanding your voice
Oct 10 - Vocal health and remedies
Oct 17 - Vocal strength and agility exercises
November-December - Sign up for private lessons to continue this work individually (same registration link below).
Class Prices :
Residents of Hungary:
Full class series (four 45-minute classes): 7000 Ft.
Drop-in (single class): 2000 Ft. per class
International Participants:
Full class series (four 45-minute classes): Sliding scale $35 - 80 USD
Drop-in (single class): Sliding scale $10-20 USD per class
Register here
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Lecture Series (held on Zoom)
Wednesdays, September 27 - October 18
8:30-10:00pm Budapest time (11:30am California / 2:30pm New York / 7:30pm England)
Join us to get oriented to Hungarian folk music in these fun, interactive lectures, which include maps, archival and contemporary photos, audio and video clips, and loads of information. The first class is an overview of the tradition, the second class is new this year to bring more musical examples to the series, the third covers all of the instruments, and the fourth teaches you how to use the archives yourself.
Fall 2023 class topics:
Sept 27 - LECTURE I - Orientation to the Tradition: Regions, History, Collection, Revival, and Resources
This overview covers the cultural regions of the Hungarian language area, the village music tradition and how it was integrated in everyday life, the history of song collecting and the urban folk music revival, and resources to engage with this music today.
Oct 4 - LECTURE II - Musical Examples (Listening Class)
In this class, we’ll listen to Bartók and Kodály's field recordings, later village collections made over the past 100 years, characteristic singing examples from each region, assorted instruments and song types, and revival renditions and modern arrangements. For those who take our singing classes, this will provide a broader perspective of recordings, song types, and regions than what you hear in a given class series, and for those who are new to the style, this is a chance to be immersed in the beauty and variety of the traditional Hungarian sound world.
Oct 11 - LECTURE III - Folk Music Instruments
This lecture provides a brief description of each of the major Hungarian folk music instruments, including their history, use within the tradition, photographs, archival video footage, and modern performances.
Oct 18 - LECTURE IV - Song Collecting and Using the Archives
This lecture includes a discussion about how song collecting works, covers where the village recordings (field recordings, source recordings) can be found in free online archives, and shows you how to navigate and search those archives.
Class Prices:
Residents of Hungary:
Full class series (four 90-minute classes): 10,000 Ft.
Drop-in (single class): 3000 Ft. per class
International Participants:
Full class series (four 90-minute classes): Sliding scale $45 - 100 USD
Drop-in (single class): Sliding scale $15-25 USD per class
Note: While the sliding scale has both a minimum and "maximum", additional donations supporting this work are always welcome! If you are able to pay more, it supports the participation of those who cannot.
Register here
IN-PERSON SINGING CLASSES
BUDAPEST
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Monday Hungarian Folk Singing Class (ongoing)
Variety of songs and regions
II. District, Budapest - Address given upon registration
This small-group in-person singing class is held weekly on Mondays from 6-8pm, covering a variety of songs from various regions, taught directly from source recordings. Typically it includes many of the same songs and materials as the concurrent online singing classes listed above, which cover a given region for each 6 weeks. Class size is limited and may reach capacity, and advanced registration is required.
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, which is taught in the separate pronunciation class.
Price:
Monthly membership: 10,000 Ft. (four consecutive 2-hour classes, 8 hours class time)
Drop-in: 3000 Ft. per 2-hour class
Register here
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Hungarian Folk Singing Classes at the
American International School of Budapest (ongoing)
For current AISB students and community. Please contact with interest in joining.
Private group classes and large events
PRIVATE LESSONS,
SMALL AND LARGE GROUP CLASSES,
WORKSHOPS, FESTIVALS, & OTHER EVENTS
In addition to the public group classes listed above, we teach one-on-one private lessons as well as private small groups (coaching for bands and choruses, dance ensembles learning specific songs for a choreography, friends or family members taking a private class together, small group masterclass on a specific topic, etc.) and large groups (music schools, universities, festivals, táncház, summer camps, conferences, etc.). These classes are held in person in Budapest, in other cities/countries with travel arrangements, and online for people around the world. Please visit the Our Offerings page for more information.
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 below and select gift certificate, or send us a message here.
