Zina Bozzay | Hungarian Folk Singing Circle

Hungarian Folk Singing Circle

Népdalkör

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!

The Népdalkör is focused on teaching and transmission, deepening of connection with language and culture, and learning at all levels, and not oriented toward performances or competitions.

That said, we do support individual members in their preparations for independent performances, solo or with their ensembles, and occasionally our in-person classes are invited to participate in events and performances.

In 2025, a few members in Budapest sang at an event at the Hungarian Heritage House celebrating 50 years of the Óbuda Folk Music School, where we hold our weekly classes. It was an honor to be a part of.

In this video, the singers have varied backgrounds -- for example two were brand new to the classes, meaning that these were the first Hungarian folk songs they had ever learned, and two had been attending for a few years.