In August 2024 the FIPC welcomed a newly founded federation of Pueri Cantores Hungary: Pueri Cantores Magyar Szövetség. Since then, the federation has established structures and elected an executive board of active members. To learn more about the people and the federation of Hungary, we asked President Szilveszter Rostetter five questions.
Please introduce youself: Who are you, your choir(s) and where are you based?
President Szilveszter Rostetter: composer, music teacher, organist, cantor, choirmaster – He learned about the Pueri Cantores movement from his Polish friends and professional contacts, and he introduced it in Hungary. He supported the participation of Hungarian choirs in Polish and Austrian Pueri Cantores choir congresses and helped to organize the first Hungarian Pueri Cantores choir conference in Veszprém.
Vice President Cecília Zsilinszky: church musician, teacher of music and religious education, choir director, cantor, leader of the Padányi Schola, participated with it in several Pueri Cantores choir congresses in Poland and Austria. She was the main organizer of the first Pueri Cantores choir congress in Veszprém and represented Hungary at the International Assembly of Pueri Cantores in Munich in 2024.
Spiritual Director Fr. László Varga: church canon, composer, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Vác, teacher, diocesan music director, central director of the Hungarian Cecilia Association, chief consultant for church music at the Hungarian Liturgical and Church Music Institute, editor of the Hungarian Catholic Radio, founder and artistic director of the Vác Cathedral Choir School.
Secretary Erika Hutvágner: teacher of music and religious education, church musician, choir director, leader of the Padányi Chamber Choir, with it participated in several Pueri Cantores choir congress in Poland and Austria. She was the main organizer of the first Pueri Cantores choir congress in Veszprém and represented Hungary at the International Assembly of Pueri Cantores in Munich in 2024. She is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Chief Financial Officer László Major: manager, continuous improvement expert, Ph.D. of economics, has a wealth of international experience, worked as an audit manager at the State Audit Office of Hungary and as a financial manager at the Archdiocese of Veszprém. He helped to organize the first Pueri Cantores choir congress in Veszprém and represented Hungary at the International Assembly of Pueri Cantores in Munich in 2024. He is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Board member Katica Zemlényi: singer, organist, cantor, choirmaster, choir director of the Vörösmarty Theatre in Székesfehérvár, Knight of Hungarian Culture, leader of the Vox Mirabilis chamber choir, which hosted a Pueri Cantores choir, the Psalmodia Choir of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, and participated in Polish Pueri Cantores choir congresses and the Pueri Cantores choir congress in Veszprém. She is a member of the board of the National Hungarian Cecilia Association and the Association of Hungarian Choirs, Orchestras and Folk Music.
How did you find out about Pueri Cantores and what was the reason for founding your own federation?
S.R.: I have been a regular guest organist, choirmaster and composer in Poland since 2001, where I was introduced to the Pueri Cantores movement in 2010. Together with my Polish colleague Wiesław Delimat, we organized a concert tour in Hungary of the Psalmodia Choir of the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow. New friendships were formed and some Hungarian choirs were invited to the Pueri Cantores choir congress in Krakow. The relationship grew stronger and by 2023, four Hungarian choirs were members of the organisation, despite the fact that there was no Hungarian federation yet. When Veszprém was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture, we organised an international congress of choirs in the spirit of Pueri Cantores, with the support and participation of the Presidency of the International Federation. We have now reached the point where we have been able to bring the documents of the formation of the Hungarian Federation to the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
What do you see as your main task in Hungary and the global Pueri community in the coming years?
S.R.: Besides the vocal proclamation of peace, the expression of belonging to the community of the Church and the praise of God, I see as an important task for Pueri Cantores that the members of each choir not only perform their task with joy, but that this joy is visible to others, and that this joy is manifested in the increasing number of audiences and supporting members who patronize our events. To achieve this, we plan to organise conductors’ workshops, small and large choir congresses, and personal visits of the Hungarian president and board members to each member choir in order to assess their needs, the alternative ways to address these needs, and the opportunities the choirs can share with others.
How does your singing in Hungary differ from other singing cultures?
S.R.: Hungary is Zoltán Kodály’s country. Kodály’s method of teaching, singing and reading music is spread and followed all over the world. In Hungary, he made the knowledge of Hungarian folk song general, and this and the choral arrangements based on it as well as the works written in this spirit form the basis of Hungarian choral singing. This basis facilitates the rapid absorption of any other musical material. This is why I believe that the Hungarian repertoire will not only expand but will also expand the international repertoire in time.
Is there a Hungarian choral piece that you can recommend to choirs worldwide?
S.R.: The most beautiful Hungarian work on peace is Zoltán Kodály’s “Desire for Peace” for mixed choir, but this would be too difficult for youth choirs. At the moment I can recommend one suitable work, which was the anthem of the Pueri Cantores choir congress in Veszprém, Sándor Balatoni’s “In terra pax” choir piece.
Thank you very much for the interview, Mr. Rostetter, and all the best to our new federation in Hungary!
Image below: Delegates of the Hungarian Federation at the General Assembly of the FIPC in Munich in 2024 together with the President and Vice-President of the FIPC.
