Current and Upcoming
Hungarian Folk Singing Classes
Basic information
about all of our singing classes below:
All classes -- both in person and online, and as one-time workshops/lectures or as multi-week class series -- are taught by Zina Bozzay, held in English, and open to participants of all cultural, linguistic, and musical backgrounds unless indicated otherwise in a specific class description. We welcome experienced singers as well as those with no previous experience in the style.
The singing classes include a wide range of beautiful village songs from across the Hungarian language area, crafted over generations of unbroken oral tradition, and they are taught directly from source recordings of those village culture bearers. They are not composed folk-style songs or modern arrangements of village songs. 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.
Click here to arrange a separate class for your event, group, or institution.
View recent classes:
Fall 2024 Classes Spring 2024 Classes Fall 2023 Classes
VIRTUAL CLASSES HELD ON ZOOM
FOR PARTICIPANTS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
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Hungarian Pronunciation Classes
Scheduled upon request, see levels and details below
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Hungarian Folk Singing Class Series - Songs of Alföld, the Great Hungarian Plain
Tuesdays, January 21 - February 25, 2025
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Hungarian Folk Singing Class Series - Songs of Sárköz and Neighboring Areas
Tuesdays, March 11 - April 15, 2025
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Hungarian Folk Singing Class Series - End of Year Review & New - The Joy of Singing!
Tuesdays, April 29 - June 3, 2025
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Recital
Tuesday, June 3 or 10, 2025 (determined by final class series participants)
For past and current class participants
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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 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. Jan-Feb Songs of Alföld, March-April Songs of Sárköz, May review and performance preparation.
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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
HUNGARIAN PRONUNCIATION CLASSES
Engaging small-group classes held on Zoom, open to participants around the world
Various levels, from basic letter sounds to advanced challenges
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:
Scheduled on request: 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: 2500 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 multi-week singing class series:
Class size
There is a minimum of 5 registered participants to hold a 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 Alföld, the Great Plain
Tuesdays, January 21 - February 25, 2025
Covering the eastern side of Hungary and stretching into neighboring countries, the famous Great Hungarian Plain is the largest of the Hungarian cultural regions and at the center of the Carpathian Basin. For some tourists, it is the most quintessentially Hungarian region -- associated with gulyás and cowboys -- while for some of today's táncház enthusiasts, it may be the region they know the least. Perhaps you've heard reference to Szatmár or Matyó, Hortobágy or Hajdúság, Kiskunság or Nagykunság, Dél-Alföld, or the regions across the borders where Hungarians live in Ukraine and in Serbia. Come learn more and join us for 6 weeks of great songs, from iconic melodies every Hungarian learns to rare gems.
We have two different class times to accommodate various time zones around the world, and newcomers as well as returning students are welcome in this class. If you are new to Hungarian pronunciation or would like a review, take a Pronunciation Class before the series. 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, specific things to focus on as they work on the songs both during the classes and on their own. Therefor we encourage everyone to sign up for one private lesson per 6-week class series, which is scheduled at your convenience, ideally between weeks 3-5 of the series.
- Chestnut Group: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30am Budapest time
Europe daytime, Australia and New Zealand evening:
8am England / 4pm Hong Kong / 7pm Sydney / 9pm Christchurch
- 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 group classes) plus one 1-hour private lesson: 25,000 Ft.
Full class series (six 90-minute classes) without lesson: 18,000 Ft.
Drop-in (single class): 3000 Ft. per class
International Participants:
Full class series (six 90-minute group classes) plus one 1-hour private lesson: Sliding scale $120 - 225 USD
Full class series (six 90-minute group classes) without lesson: 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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Songs of Sárköz and Neighboring Areas
Tuesdays, March 11 - April 15, 2025
Join us for 6 weeks of exploring the wonderful, colorful songs of Sárköz and nearby areas, located along the Danube at the meeting place of southern Transdanubia and the southern Great Plain. We'll learn songs and listen to recordings from Tolnai and Kalocsai Sárköz as well as Bogyiszló, Bácskai Duna mente, Szlavónia, and more.
We have two different class times to accommodate various time zones around the world, and newcomers as well as returning students are welcome in this class. If you are new to Hungarian pronunciation or would like a review, take a Pronunciation Class before the series. 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, specific things to focus on as they work on the songs both during the classes and on their own. Therefor we encourage everyone to sign up for one private lesson per 6-week class series, which is scheduled at your convenience, ideally between weeks 3-5 of the series.
- Chestnut Group: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30am / 10:00-11:30* Budapest time
Europe daytime, Australia and New Zealand evening:
8am England / 4pm Hong Kong / 7pm Sydney / 9pm Christchurch
* During this series we will shift from 9am class time to 10am class time in early April to accommodate the time change for participants in both northern and southern hemispheres.
- Rosemary Group: Tuesdays, 6:00-7:30 / 7:00-8:30pm* Budapest time
North America daytime, Europe evening:
10am California / 1pm New York / 6pm England / 8pm Israel
* During this series the time change will occur a few weeks apart in Europe and North America, where most class participants in this group are currently joining from. Therefore the first 3 weeks will be held at 6pm Budapest time, and the second 3 weeks at 7pm Budapest time, in order to keep the time the same for those in North America. Please double-check your time where you are joining from!
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 group classes) plus one 1-hour private lesson: 25,000 Ft.
Full class series (six 90-minute classes) without lesson: 18,000 Ft.
Drop-in (single class): 3000 Ft. per class
International Participants:
Full class series (six 90-minute group classes) plus one 1-hour private lesson: Sliding scale $120 - 225 USD
Full class series (six 90-minute group classes) without lesson: 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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Review & New — The Joy of Singing!
Tuesdays, April 29 - June 3, 2025
For our final six-week series of the year, we will be singing through all the songs we’ve learned this 2024-2025 school year from Kalotaszeg, Mezőség, northern and southern Alföld, and Sárköz and neighboring areas, and also learn new songs from those regions. We will enjoy the fruits of our labor with lots of singing together, focused on really polishing these songs as well as the new ones we learn, individual achievement, and preparation for our end-of-year performances. This series is open to both ongoing students who have participated through the year (any or all series this year, and a good way to catch songs you missed) as well as newcomers who are excited by the opportunity to be exposed to a larger repertoire and wider variety of songs than a typical series.
- Chestnut Group: Tuesdays 10:00-11:30 Budapest time
Europe daytime, Australia and New Zealand evening
- Rosemary Group: Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm Budapest time
North America daytime, Europe evening
Class prices same as the series above. Register here if you didn't during class.
Repertoire of songs to be reviewed and polished (and we will add new songs too!):
Kalotaszeg:
Holtig bánom amit cselekedtem (Körösfő)
Virág, virág, sárga virág (Körösfő)
Fecském, fecském (Körösfő)
Húzd rá, cigány, repedjen meg a húrod (Méra)
Szép holdvilág volt az este (Inaktelke)
Mezőség:
Szivaroztam elégettem a számat (Magyarszovát)
Nincsen rózsa, mert lehullott a földre (Magyarszovát)
Csujogatás (Magyarszovát)
Édesanyám úgy szeretett (Búza)
Szégyen lenne hogyha én azt nem tudnám (Válaszút)
Alföld:
Debrecennek van egy vize (Püspökladány, Hajdúság)
Zúg az erdő, zúg a mező (Hajdúság, Hortobágy, Nyírség, etc)
Faggyúgyertyát égetek én (Nagyecsed, Szatmár)
Bujdosik az árva madár (Tiszacsege, Hajdúság)
A horgosi halastó, halastó (Alsó Tisza vidék)
A juhásznak jól van dolga (Kunszállás)
Sárköz and neighboring:
Szép a disznónak a farka (Bátmonostor, Bogyiszló)
Hol háltál az éjjel, cinegemadár (Báta)
Kerülik a kertek alját (Báta)
Báta vize ziher-zuhog a gáton (Őcsény)
Ez a bajor ennivaló (Őcsény, Decs)
Performances (all performance participation is optional!)
In-Person in Hungary:
1) Saturday May 31 - Group Performance at Óbuda Folk Music School’s 50th anniversary celebration at the Hungarian Heritage House
2) End of Year Recital of individual performances in the Monday evening class in Óbuda
Online:
1) End of Year Recital of individual performances held live on Zoom (June 3 or 10)
2) Recorded group video performance
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RECITAL
June 3 or 10, 2025, 7pm Budapest time (10am California / 1pm New York / 6pm England)
The recital is open to current and former class participants and invited loved ones. Final date to be announced soon!
IN-PERSON SINGING CLASSES
BUDAPEST
Hungarian Folk Singing Class (ongoing)
Óbuda Folk Music School - Mókus u. 20, Budapest 1036
Mondays 6:00-7:30pm
This weekly small-group in-person singing class is open to adults and mature teens of all backgrounds, covering a variety of songs from various regions, taught directly from source recordings. Generally the curriculum follows the same songs and materials as the concurrent online singing classes listed above, covering a given region for each 6-week series. 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.
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, specific things to focus on as they work on the songs both during the classes and on their own. Therefor we encourage everyone to sign up for one private lesson per 6-week class series (besides those already taking regular weekly/monthly lessons), which is scheduled at your convenience, ideally between weeks 2-5 of the given class series.
2024-2025 Class Series Dates:
September 16 - October 21, 2024 - Songs of Kalotaszeg, Transylvania
November 4 - December 9, 2024 - Songs of Mezőség, Transylvania
January 20 - February 24, 2025 - Songs of Alföld, the Great Hungarian Plain
March 3 - April 14, 2025 - Songs of Sárköz and Neighboring Areas
April 28 - June 2 - Review & New (see details here)
Class Prices:
Full class series (six 90-minute group classes) plus one 1-hour private lesson: 25,000 Ft.
Full class series (six 90-minute classes) without lesson: 18,000 Ft.
First class may be attended as a free trial.
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Introduction to Hungarian Folk Music
Lecture presentation and folk song teaching providing a well-rounded, interactive overview of the tradition.
Held in-person at the Óbuda Folk Music School, requesting institutions, and 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. It is held annually for several institutions, typically in early/mid September and Januar 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.
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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.
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, or Contact Us to make arrangements.
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.
