In Budapest on Monday, on behalf of the Ministry of Human Capacities, Minister Zoltán Balog concluded a strategic partnership agreement with the Snétberger Music Talent Centre on cultivating talented young Roma musicians.

After signing the agreement, Mr. Balog said that “Talent knows no social boundaries; a poor child can be talented, just as a rich child may have no talent”. The Minister said that the work performed by the Snétberger Centre links two important areas: social inclusion and cultivating talented youngsters.

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According to the agreement, the parties will primarily be working together to help find talented young Roma musicians from disadvantaged backgrounds, to provide them with intensive musical training, to develop their job market capabilities, and to provide them with mentoring, aftercare and career advice. In accordance with the strategic partnership agreement, the Ministry will include the Snétberger Centre in the process of preparing new legislation to be submitted for public debate.

“The Ministry will be providing assistance primarily by helping to maintain the school in Felsőörs, near Veszprém, by financing scholarships for talented young Roma musicians and by facilitating their recognition in both Hungary and Europe through concert opportunities”, Mr. Balog highlighted. “The Snétberger Centre will not wait for disadvantaged children – who perhaps do not even have the money for travel expenses – to come to them from the ends of the earth; they will go to centres around the country and to families to find them”, he added.

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The Minister also told Hungarian news agency MTI that he is convinced that suitable music training can have a beneficial effect on students’ school results. However, we need credible music teachers such as those at the Snétberger Centre, who can be a huge help by passing on their methods, to ensure that young people do not view music and singing as something compulsory, but as a great experience.

At the event, Kossuth Award- and Ferenc Liszt Award-winning classical guitarist Ferenc Snétberger said that “It is very important to our foundation that it has the support of the Government”.  Mr. Snétberger said that the agreement could help the school find many talented youngsters. “Around thirty students from the institution, which has been operating for six years, have gained entry to higher education institutions or the music conservatory, which is an excellent ratio”, he added.

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“During the highly intensive 12-week course students not only learn how to play instruments, but their studies also include classical music history and music theory, as well as jazz theory”, Mr. Snétberger stressed. “Talented young musicians from disadvantaged backgrounds will also be provided with instruments, in addition to which encouragement is extremely important, because the children’s self-confidence is usually very low”, he added.

(MTI)