With the support of the University of Szeged, American Corner Szeged, the City of Szeged, and the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, the Szeged Symphony Orchestra gave a special New Year’s concert on January 5, 2026. The concert opened with remarks by Caroline Savage, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, who also paid an official visit to the University of Szeged the following day.
In 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Budapest is coordinating a nationwide series of events to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. At the initiative of American Corner Szeged, the Szeged Symphony Orchestra’s New Year’s concert, held at the Szeged National Theater, was included in the official commemorative program.
The concert opened with a speech by Caroline Savage, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy, who thanked the University of Szeged for its generous support. She also expressed her appreciation to Judit Gera, Director of American Corner Szeged – operating as a unit of the University of Szeged – for initiating and organizing the event.
“This concert holds great significance for the United States, as it launches a year of events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. During these 250 years, we have written some of the finest chapters of our history together, thanks to Hungarians, from Michael Kovats de Fabriczy to Béla Bartók to Katalin Karikó, who have left an indelible mark on both our nations. The list of outstanding Hungarians who have enriched American culture, the arts, science, and sports could go on endlessly,” Caroline Savage said in her welcoming remarks.
The Chargé d’Affaires added that the evening also provided an excellent opportunity for shared celebration, noting she had just learned that Hungary’s most recent Nobel Prize-winning writer, László Krasznahorkai – a former student of the University of Szeged – was celebrating his birthday on the day of the concert. “We warmly congratulate him and wish him a very happy birthday,” she said.
The full text of the speech is available here.
Representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Budapest visited the University of Szeged: Cultural Attaché Melissa Quartell, Chargé d’Affaires Caroline Savage, and Emerging Voices Specialist László Vizsy. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
The New Year Concert’s program featured iconic works from the American musical repertoire, including the Symphonic Dances from Leonard Bernstein’s musical West Side Story, George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, written for symphony orchestra, as well as orchestral arrangements of American hits from the “Sinatra era.” In the second half of the evening, audiences were treated to a dynamic music-and-dance production evoking the atmosphere and energy of New York’s Broadway.
The concert was conducted by Gergely Dubóczky, with performances by actress Kata Csorba, opera singer Szilveszter Szélpál, as well as dancers Anita Hajdú, Ádám Fülöp, and Panna Fülöp-Farkas. The production was staged by László Barnák, Director General of the Szeged National Theater.
Márta Széll, Vice-Rector for Strategy at the University of Szeged, Judit Fendler, Chancellor of the University, and Péter Zakar, Vice-Rector for International and Public Relations, welcomed representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Budapest at the University of Szeged. Photo: István Sahin-Tóth
The day after the concert, Caroline Savage visited the University of Szeged, accompanied by two other embassy representatives – Cultural Attaché Melissa Quartell and Emerging Voices Specialist László Vizsy. They were welcomed by Dr. Judit Fendler, Chancellor of the University, Prof. Dr. Márta Széll, Vice-Rector for Strategy, and Prof. Dr. Péter Zakar, Vice-Rector for International and Public Relations.
Source: SZTE Infó
Photos: István Sahin-Tóth
