Angelica Karolyi on her role in the planning process behind the concert series or residencies in Hungary

News | July 16, 2025

Encouraged by one of the former directors of the French cultural institute in Budapest fifteen years ago and motivated by our personal love of music, music being the obvious cultural activity in a historic building, we chose to present chamber music concerts, having no piano and no money to buy a good one for concerts. So, our personal knowledge of string quartet music, made us to decide to launch a regular European string quartet festival, inviting always foreign musicians and Hungarian musicians, so as to realize this European spirit in our musical programs and not only in the field of our annual scientific conferences

The collaboration with the quartets and their impact

Before the launch of the Merita program, the cooperation with the quartets was very “traditional.” We offered them the freedom to choose their program and, of course, put them in contact to ensure a certain harmony between the programs. Occasionally, we asked various foreign cultural institutes in Budapest to suggest quartets and provide support. A suggestion: the quartets should have more time to really meet each other, listen, and see one another.

Any standout moments or highlights from the series

One memorable moment occurred when a quartet started to play in another room, and the audience did not see the musicians. Another highlight was when the members of the quartet were seated, turning their backs to one another.

The concert, the audience, and the impact on the community

Overturning the traditional presentation of a concert without demolishing the traditions seems a good way to introduce better classical music to people who are not so much used to it while not “shocking” too much those who are “used to it”. Thus teaching the musicians to make their own “mise en scene” for their concert is indeed a new and very useful and stimulating initiative, exciting the curiosity of the audience. Thus the MERITA label becomes not only a label underlining the quality of the musicians but also the originality of their approach to quartet music.

How this experience influenced the Historic House

Classical music is so well-suited to Historic Houses that it clearly enhances the cultural role of the building in society, both locally and beyond.

Thoughts on the MERITA community

The Merita initiative is a fantastic and precious endeavor. One suggestion would be to focus more on marketing the “label” itself to raise its visibility.

Airis Quartet 29.09.2024

Desguin Quartet, 28.09.2024

The reception with the Polish community for the Polish Aïris Quartet and the music instrument exhibition