Philidor Insititute
Philidor Insititute - Civil European Sport and Music Diplomacy Nonprofit Kft - is a cultural institute that organizes its own scientific research and cultural programs towards strengthening Hungary’s international relations through presentation of Hungary’s music and sport culture in the European context.
Our institute collaborates with Hungarian Folk Embassy (Magyar Népzenei Nagykövetség) – a band dedicated to diplomacy through Hungarian folk music - in some of its activities.
Our main task is to establish music diplomacy as a new area of scientific study in our region.
Our strategic partner, Budapest’s Fonó Music Hall has commissioned us as foreign affairs office handling international level representation of their accumulated folk music and jazz heritage.
While music diplomacy is the main pillar of our institute, sport diplomacy complements our portfolio, when soft diplomacy through music and sport, without language barriers, can strengthen each other and identity formation.
We cooperate with international and Hungarian civil organizations that have similar profiles; universities and scientific research groups; musicians, athletes; and related top Hungarian state organizations.
Our activities:
1. Research on methodology for music diplomacy in the Hungarian and regional environment. A new area of science in Europe as support for formal diplomacy with background research on methodology.
- To be published next spring by our institute:
Zene és Diplomácia – the Hungarian translation of, "Music and Diplomacy from the Early Modern Era to the Present" (Editor: Ahrendt, Rebekah – Yale University, Palgrave and Macmillan, 2014.)
2. Finding events that, through sport and /or music history, will raise consciousness in Hungarian and international public life and strengthen Hungary’s bilateral connections and international image.
- "Dank! Merci! Gracias!” Gala Celebration honoring olympic athletes from The Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain that boycotted the 1956 Olympics for Hungary. See attachment.
- Book for completion in spring 2017: Ackermann, Sándor – Csillag, Péter – Rosonczy-Kovács, Mihály: Elveszett olimpia [Lost Olympics] – the Netherlands, Switzerland and Spain’s boycott in support of the Hungarian revolution (introducing an unknown chapter of Hungary’s 1956 revolution ).
3. Strengthening the identity of the Visegrád+ countries through presentation of common music heritage and sports events.
- Concert demonstrating Hungarian–Polish friendship: Báthory-Bem–Balatonboglár Folk Music. Premiered: March 22, 2016 Academy of Music – Budapest / 2nd performance: September 10, 2016 in Przemyśl, Poland, during the Hungarian Speaker of the House’s visit.
4. Scientific presentation showing how European culture is embedded in Hungarian culture - through demonstration of Hungarian folk arts, Hungarian decorative arts, music, dance, etc. Systematization of European Renaissance and Baroque elements, preparation of publications, international presentation through organization of related conferences and research.
- Stage performance the program "European Living Heritage in Hungarian Folk Music and Dance” during the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Economics and Foreign Affairs’s Main Strategy Department’s "Diplomacy Days” program series organized during the Balassi Institute’s Taiwan Book Market.
- Hungarians in Europe – free university discussion series organized in partnership with the Hungarian Heritage House
5. Hungarian FolkEmbassy (a folk music ensemble) – Their representation, and development of a supporting institutional structure; pracitical systematization of the results of folk music diplomacy.
Folk music diplomacy in action – see introductory materials for Hungarian FolkEmbassy (tours, performances in Pakistan, Taiwan, Milan, Estonia, regularly in Poland) www.folkembassy.hu
6. Hungarian-Hungarian relations and strengthening Hungarian identitiy in the diaspora through folk music and sport.
- Most important undertaking to date: "Felsütött a nap az égre" – folk music karaoke DVD (7 hours with 150 Hungarian folk songs in karaoke format); target audience: Hungarians outside Hungary’s borders and the diaspora. Funding: Hungarian Human Resources Ministry, National Strategy Research Institute, Hungarian Heritage House
7. The role of Gypsies in Hungarian and European culture and its emphasis for an intellectual audience - in cooperation with Romengro Ensemble
- Concert: Hungarian FolkEmbassy and Gypsy Soloists: Náisz – Köszönjük; the Gypsies’ role in Hungarian culture.
8. Strengthening the connection between the Dance House Movement and the intelligentsia through HungarianFolk Embassy and the free university. See: Haza a magasban and FolkEmbassy.hu / cultural blog
9. Promoting export of "Hungarikum”s (certified original Hungarian products and cultural phenomenae) that pair well with music – Hungarian wine, for example. Organizing cultural programs toward expanding connections with local importers and creation of product demonstrations.
- "Hungarian Tastes Hungarian Melodies" in its third year at Continental Hotel in Budapest.
10. Developing ideas, possibilities, structures for realizing music and sport diplomacy in the civil sphere. Finding conduits for funding – including, assuming the appropriate volume, also national and international resources.
Highest patron: Sebestyén Márta
Supporter: Fonó Budai Zeneház
The team:
Rosonczy-Kovács Mihály - director
Vidák Rózsa
Zubreczki Gábor
Szabó Ibolya - accounting, administration
Biczi és Turi Ügyvédi Iroda
Address: 1023 Budapest, Frankel Leó u. 21-23.
The program is supported by the Memorial Committee set up for the Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Figh.