Golden Award with the Mecsek Choir at the World Peace Choral Festival in Vienna
The Mecsek Choir participated in a very prestigious international choral competition this year under the leadership of Dr. Sándor Balatoni, the World Peace Choral Festival in Vienna between July 18-22, 2024. As a result of the competition, the Mecsek Choir won the Golden Award, as the only Hungarian choir, and only seven choirs from the international field of more than forty choirs achieved this highest evaluation level.
New anthems of the European Winesong Festival in Pécs and the Pueri Cantores in Veszprém
In the past two weekends, two premieres of Dr. Sándor Balatoni were performed, as anthems for two outstanding festivals. On September 23, at the Kodály Center, the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra and the Béla Bartók Men's Choir presented the new anthem of the 30-year European Bordalfestival, and on September 29, the 1st Prize winner composition In terra pax was premiered in Veszprém, which became the anthem of this year's Pueri Cantores International Children's Choir Festival.
Composers 1st Prize and scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Arts
On June 10, 2023, Dr. Sándor Balatoni won 1st prize at the HangKELTŐ composition competition with his choral piece "Regina caeli", and on June 19, 2023, he won a three-year scholarship from the Hungarian Academy of Arts, where he is carrying out a critical publication of all organ works by Gábor Szabó Lisznyay, and will also hold concerts and recordings of the works.
Lectures and habilitation in Oradea (ROM), Osijek (HRV) and Pécs
Between May 15-16, 2023, Dr. Sándor Balatoni held three lectures at the Partium Christian University in Oradea (Nagyvárad) as an Erasmus scholarship lecturer. On May 25, he gave his habilitation lecture at the University of Pécs, for which he received an evaluation of 98%, and on June 6, he gave two lectures as a guest professor at the Academy of arts in Osijek (Eszék).
New recordings with the title Chorus Pannonicus and Canticum Pannonicum
In the recent period, two new recordings were made by dr. Sándor Balatoni. Back in December 2022, the album Chorus Pannonicus was released with the Mecsek Choir, featuring Hungarian choral works. The debut of Canticum Pannonicum was in February 2023 with Hungarian sacred arias with organ accompaniment featuring Jennyfer Schultz soprano.
1st Prize at the composition competition of the Veszprém Archdiocese
On February 2, 2023, the results of the composition competition announced by the Archdiocese of Veszprém were announced in the Árpádházi Szent Margit church in Veszprém, in which dr. Sándor Balatoni won 1st prize, so his work 'In terra pax' will be the anthem of the Catholic Youth Choir Festival in September.
