ZENEHÍD

Óbuda Danubia Orchestra was founded in 1993 by Domonkos Héja and his musician friends. At that time, most of them, including the conductor, were students at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Music in Budapest. As a result of dedicated and meticulous preparation and regular performances, the Orchestra has become a renowned participant on the Hungarian music scene, from 2001 and through 2005, holding the National Youth Orchestra title. The ensemble has collaborated with outstanding conductors from Hungary and abroad, such as Ken'ichiro Kobayashi, Yuri Simonov, José Cura, Rico Saccani, and Sir Neville Marriner. An important turning point in the development of the Orchestra took place in 2013 when the artistic direction was taken over by Máté Hámori, who set forth a new strategy: to significantly increase the number of concerts, further raise the professional reputation of the ensemble, and prioritize the development of an orchestral youth program. With a fresh perspective on the often stereotyped and stylized forms of classical music, members of the Orchestra strive to engage audiences in different ways - not only in concert halls, but also in gymnasiums and elementary schools in Budapest and beyond, thus acquainting thousands of children with the art of music through thematic and unconventional concerts that fulfill the unique purpose of bring high quality music to a wider audience.

Máté Hámori, a prominent representative of the younger generation of Hungarian conductors, graduated in Conducting from the Academy of Music in Budapest in 2006 after first studying both composition and piano. In 2003, he founded the Teatro di Musica Chamber Orchestra, with whom he has given several concerts. Since 2005, Máté Hámori has conducted numerous national symphony orchestras and as a guest conductor has led the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra and the Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, while since 2012 he has served as permanent conductor of the Szolnok Symphony Orchestra. In May 2013, he made his debut at the Erkel Theatre, conducting the opera Hunyadi László by Ferenc Erkel, and then at the Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest conducting the premiere of the opera The Rape of Lucretia by Benjamin Britten. Máté Hámori is dedicated to performing new works by Hungarian contemporary authors such as Márton Kerékfy, Árpád Kákonyi, Péter Zombola, Balázs Horváth, Máté Hollós, and Iván Madarász, as well as to organizing concerts and conducting in schools and youth centers in various parts of Hungary. He has held the position of Artistic Director of the Óbuda Danubia Orchestra since 2013 and has organized several series of concerts, gaining the orchestra new audiences with each program. Máté Hámori received the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (2017).