Magnificat choir was founded in 1990 by Valéria Szebellédi, who has been its leader ever since. The members are actual and ex students of the special music classes of Erkel Ferenc Primary and Secondary School. 

The choir plays and active part in the musical life of Budapest, not only by giving independent concerts but also by accepting the invitation of different orchestras and musical ensembles. 

The choir regularly sings in Saint Steven’s Basilica. The Hungarian Radio makes a recording with them every year. 

CDs: Ave Maria 1995
Singing centuries 1998
Participants of the Festival Orchestra’s Kodály record 1998
Beautiful Hungarian Song 2000
Christmas Night 2003
The sounds of Vaison 2003
Let the Song Resound 2005
Alleluja 2006

The piano accompanist of the choir is Mária Patak. 

The choir has taken part in several competitions and festivals in a number of European countries.

 Some of the results:
Choir of the year 1992, 1994, 1995
1994 Arezzo 1st prize
1997 International Choir Competition in Budapest, 1st prize, Grand Prix
1997 Zoltán Kodály Hungarian Choir Competition 1st prize
1998 ’The most successful choir of Budapest’ title
1999 ’Let’s the nations sing’ BBC International Competition 1st prize
1999 Harmonie Festival in Lindenholzhausen, Germany 1st prize
2000 Béla Bartók International Choir Competition 1st Prize, Grand Prix
2001 Debrecen, European Choir Grand Prix
2004 Winner of the Choir Olympics in Bremen in two categories      
2004 KÓTA prize (National Assosiation of Choirs in Hungary)
2005 Csokonai prize (Ministry of National Cultural Heritage)
2005. Llangollen 1st prize in folklore category
2006 Preveza 1st prize

VALÉRIA SZEBELLÉDI

Choir leader of Magnificat Children’s Choir, Budapest

Her education started at Zoltán Kodály musical School in Kecskemét, Hungary.
She pursued university studies at the Academy of Music in Budapest, where she took her degree in choral conducting and music teaching in 1978.
She started work as a teacher of the special music classes at Ferenc Erkel Primary and Secondary School.
She used to be coach of Children’s Choir of Hungarian Radio and has been coach of Children’s Choir of Hungarian State Opera since 1979.
 She is a demonstrator for students at the Academy of Music and adjudicator at international competitions.

She founded Magnificat Children’s choir in 1990, which has grown into a very successful venture throughout the years. The choir has taken part in several national and international festivals and competitions with remarkable results.

They released CDs with wide repertoire of sacred and secular music.

 As a teacher her aim is to develop the knowledge, singing abilities and musical intelligence of her classes. Under the loving direction of her strong and colourful personality the classes are formed into real ensembles. Her children excel at singing with their beautiful voices, high level musical sound-forming and clear intonation.

The choir’s music is based on her intense work of high level. Her old students are ready to return to rehearsals and concerts of Magnificat.

She greatly contributes to the good reputation of Hungarian musical life and to the survival of Zoltán Kodály’s conception of choir culture.

She willingly shares her music-pedagogical and choir-leading experiences with collegues in Japan, Spain and Italy.

In recognition of her pedagogical work she was awarded:
             Ministerial praise 1985
             Silver cross of distinction of the Hungarian Republic 1988
             Medal for „Terézváros”, the district of Budapest she works in 1999
             Kardos Pál commemorative medal 2003
             Artisjus prize 2003
             Order of the President of the Hungarian Republic 2004
             Liszt Ferenc prize 2006