-
Description
-
Erika Miklósa – coloratura soprano
-
Ninh Đức Hoàng Long – tenor
Carl Orff: Catulli Carmina / Carmina Burana
Wednesday, June 17, 2026, 8:00 PM
Rain date: June 18
Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre
When the iconic opening of O Fortuna resounds, the audience will know instantly that they are in for an extraordinary evening.
Few works in classical music are as instantly recognizable as Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. With its powerful rhythms, vivid choral writing and unforgettable opening chorus, O Fortuna, the work has captivated audiences around the world since its premiere in 1937.
This special concert at the Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre presents not only Orff’s most celebrated masterpiece, but also its rarely performed companion piece, Catulli Carmina. Together, the two works offer a fascinating insight into the composer’s distinctive musical language, shaped by elemental rhythms, ancient texts and theatrical expression.
Based on medieval Latin and Old High German poetry, Carmina Burana is a vibrant celebration of love, nature, fortune and the pleasures of life. Its powerful musical imagery and dramatic energy have made it one of the most frequently performed choral works of the twentieth century.
Composed shortly afterwards, Catulli Carmina explores the passionate and turbulent relationship between the Roman poet Catullus and his beloved Lesbia. Drawing on Catullus’ surviving poems, Orff created a work of striking rhythmic vitality and emotional intensity. Originally conceived for the stage, it is now most often heard in concert performance.
This rare pairing brings together two landmark works of twentieth-century music and offers audiences a unique opportunity to experience the breadth and imagination of Orff’s artistic vision.
Featuring
Erika Miklósa – coloratura soprano
Kossuth Prize and Liszt Ferenc Prize laureate
Ninh Đức Hoàng Long – tenor
Máté Fülep – baritone
ELTE Béla Bartók Choir and University Concert Orchestra
Conductor
László Kovács
Liszt Ferenc Prize laureate, Meritorious Artist
Erika Miklósa is one of Hungary’s most celebrated opera singers and an internationally acclaimed coloratura soprano. A recipient of Hungary’s highest state honour, the Order of Saint Stephen, as well as the Kossuth Prize and the Liszt Ferenc Prize, she has built an outstanding international career on the world’s leading opera stages.
Originally a competitive athlete, Miklósa turned to singing after a sports injury and quickly emerged as an exceptional talent. At just nineteen, she became the youngest soloist ever contracted by the Hungarian State Opera. She later continued her studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and as a scholarship student at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
Her signature role is the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, a part she has performed hundreds of times worldwide. Appearances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, La Scala in Milan, the Berlin State Opera and many other major international houses have established her as one of the most distinguished interpreters of the role.
Alongside her acclaimed Mozart performances, her extensive repertoire includes such leading roles as Gilda (Rigoletto), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) and Olympia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann).
In addition to her operatic career, Erika Miklósa is a prominent ambassador for classical music, appearing regularly as a mentor and jury member in television talent programmes and educational initiatives that support young musicians.
Her distinguished career has been recognised with numerous honours, including the Kossuth Prize, the Liszt Ferenc Prize, the Prima Primissima Award and the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary.
Vietnamese-born tenor Ninh Đức Hoàng Long grew up in an artistic family and initially pursued acting before discovering his vocal talent. He studied at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi before continuing his education in Hungary as a scholarship student at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he earned degrees in classical singing and opera performance.
He has appeared in numerous concert and operatic productions in both Hungary and Vietnam. In 2017, he made his operatic debut in Bellini’s I Puritani in a joint production of Müpa Budapest and the National Theatre of Pécs. Alongside his operatic engagements, he has also performed in operetta, making his debut as Rosillon in Lehár’s The Merry Widow.
Hungarian audiences came to know him through the television talent show Virtuózok, where he gained recognition for performances of iconic works from the Hungarian vocal repertoire, including the aria “Hazám, hazám” from Erkel’s Bánk bán and excerpts from Kacsóh’s János vitéz.
His achievements have been recognised with several awards, including first prizes in his age category at the József Simándy International Singing Competition in 2016 and 2018, as well as the Star Award of the Central Vietnam Students’ Association in 2015. A Hungarian citizen since 2018, he has become an important cultural ambassador connecting Hungarian and Vietnamese musical life.
