MSGA Choirs
Choir presentation
MSGA Children’s Choir
The MSGA Choir, founded in 1969 in Košice (Slovakia), celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2024. It is attached to the town’s only Hungarian school, the Sándor Márai School, which has 365 Hungarian pupils aged 6 to 19. The name MSGA derives from the school’s Hungarian initials and the Košice-born writer Sándor Márai. The choristers, aged between 11 and 16, are elementary school pupils. The Choirs hold weekly two-hour rehearsals as an extracurricular activity. Since its creation, over 800 children have taken part in this musical adventure. The MSGA choir represents Košice, eastern Slovakia and the country’s Hungarian minority. Its repertoire includes a cappella pieces, folk songs and compositions inspired by poems. The choir sings mainly in Hungarian, Slovakian, Latin and English. The Choirs perpetuate the tradition of choral singing, united by a passion for singing together. Its members are fluent in both Hungarian and Slovak.
MSGA Girls Choir
Founded in 1989, the MSGA Girls’ Choir celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2024. It is made up of girls aged between 14 and 23, who attend the Sándor Márai Hungarian primary and secondary school in Košice.
The school, the only Hungarian school in the city, caters for 365 Hungarian children and teenagers (aged 6 to 19) living in Košice and the surrounding area. The school is named after the world-famous Hungarian writer Sándor Márai, who was born in Košice. The abbreviation MSGA comes from the school’s Hungarian initials (M-Márai, S-Sándor, G-high school in Hungarian, A-primary school in Hungarian). Members of the Choirs are fluent in Hungarian and Slovak. shorten a bit
Many choristers start out in the MSGA Children’s Choir. From the age of 12, they also join the Girls’ Choir. Some university students stay in touch and take part in concerts and competitions. This continuity ensures the constant renewal of both Choirs.
MSGA Youth Choir
The MSGA Youth Choirs has been in existence since 2014. Its members are middle and high school students. It’s a passion for singing together that drives us to carry on this fine tradition of choral singing. Many of the choristers have been singing in our school Choirs since they were very young. The Youth Choir has regular weekly rehearsals as part of its extracurricular activities. These rehearsals are enhanced by a choir camp in September, organized jointly with our children’s and girls’ choirs. We are proud to represent our town, our region, our country, and the Hungarian national minority living in Slovakia at various concerts, not only in our town, but also in the surrounding region and abroad. Our repertoire ranges from Renaissance to 21st-century works. We sing a cappella and accompanied pieces, emphasizing the mastery of unison singing through Hungarian folk songs. We also perform other light-hearted pieces with piano accompaniment. We sing mainly in Hungarian, Slovakian, Latin and English.
THE CHOIR DIRECTOR: Szilvia Kekeňák & Andrea Ferencei
Szilvia Kekeňák and Andrea Ferencei have worked together for 25 years at the same school, where they teach, direct and actively participate in the management of the school. Szilvia Kekeňák has been vice-principal of the high school for 26 years, while Andrea Ferencei has been vice-principal of the elementary school for 11 years.
Their shared passion for choral singing and teaching, as well as their commitment to the community and to young people, have forged a cooperation based on mutual respect and an unshakeable passion for music. This vision has enabled them to realize ambitious projects, such as participation in local and international festivals, competitions and trips with 60 to 80 choristers. Although they can count on the organizational help of their colleagues, the main responsibility always rests on their shoulders.
Szilvia Kekeňák
Szilvia inherited her talent for choral conducting from her mother, founder of the MSGA Children’s Choir. She studied oboe and music theory, and played in some of Europe’s finest youth brass orchestras. From an early age, she sang under her mother’s direction, continuing until she graduated from university in 1991.
Since then, she has been the second chorus leader of the school Choirs. A graduate of P.J. Šafárik University, she teaches mathematics, physics and music.
Andrea Ferencei
Andrea also grew up as a chorister and began singing in the same Choirs as Szilvia. In 1989, she was one of the first members of the MSGA Girls’ Choir, founded by Szilvia, and sang there until 1992.
In 1997, she graduated in music pedagogy from Charles University in Prague. She subsequently attended several masterclasses in choir conducting, notably with Hans-Ruedi Kampfen (Switzerland) and on five occasions with Dénes Szabó (Hungary).
MSGA Choirs
Choir presentation
MSGA Children’s Choir
The MSGA Choir, founded in 1969 in Košice (Slovakia), celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2024. It is attached to the town’s only Hungarian school, the Sándor Márai School, which has 365 Hungarian pupils aged 6 to 19. The name MSGA derives from the school’s Hungarian initials and the Košice-born writer Sándor Márai. The choristers, aged between 11 and 16, are elementary school pupils. The Choirs hold weekly two-hour rehearsals as an extracurricular activity. Since its creation, over 800 children have taken part in this musical adventure. The MSGA choir represents Košice, eastern Slovakia and the country’s Hungarian minority. Its repertoire includes a cappella pieces, folk songs and compositions inspired by poems. The choir sings mainly in Hungarian, Slovakian, Latin and English. The Choirs perpetuate the tradition of choral singing, united by a passion for singing together. Its members are fluent in both Hungarian and Slovak.
MSGA Girls Choir
Founded in 1989, the MSGA Girls’ Choir celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2024. It is made up of girls aged between 14 and 23, who attend the Sándor Márai Hungarian primary and secondary school in Košice.
The school, the only Hungarian school in the city, caters for 365 Hungarian children and teenagers (aged 6 to 19) living in Košice and the surrounding area. The school is named after the world-famous Hungarian writer Sándor Márai, who was born in Košice. The abbreviation MSGA comes from the school’s Hungarian initials (M-Márai, S-Sándor, G-high school in Hungarian, A-primary school in Hungarian). Members of the Choirs are fluent in Hungarian and Slovak. shorten a bit
Many choristers start out in the MSGA Children’s Choir. From the age of 12, they also join the Girls’ Choir. Some university students stay in touch and take part in concerts and competitions. This continuity ensures the constant renewal of both Choirs.
MSGA Youth Choir
The MSGA Youth Choirs has been in existence since 2014. Its members are middle and high school students. It’s a passion for singing together that drives us to carry on this fine tradition of choral singing. Many of the choristers have been singing in our school Choirs since they were very young. The Youth Choir has regular weekly rehearsals as part of its extracurricular activities. These rehearsals are enhanced by a choir camp in September, organized jointly with our children’s and girls’ choirs. We are proud to represent our town, our region, our country, and the Hungarian national minority living in Slovakia at various concerts, not only in our town, but also in the surrounding region and abroad. Our repertoire ranges from Renaissance to 21st-century works. We sing a cappella and accompanied pieces, emphasizing the mastery of unison singing through Hungarian folk songs. We also perform other light-hearted pieces with piano accompaniment. We sing mainly in Hungarian, Slovakian, Latin and English.
THE CHOIR DIRECTOR: Szilvia Kekeňák & Andrea Ferencei
Szilvia Kekeňák and Andrea Ferencei have worked together for 25 years at the same school, where they teach, direct and actively participate in the management of the school. Szilvia Kekeňák has been vice-principal of the high school for 26 years, while Andrea Ferencei has been vice-principal of the elementary school for 11 years.
Their shared passion for choral singing and teaching, as well as their commitment to the community and to young people, have forged a cooperation based on mutual respect and an unshakeable passion for music. This vision has enabled them to realize ambitious projects, such as participation in local and international festivals, competitions and trips with 60 to 80 choristers. Although they can count on the organizational help of their colleagues, the main responsibility always rests on their shoulders.
Szilvia Kekeňák
Szilvia inherited her talent for choral conducting from her mother, founder of the MSGA Children’s Choir. She studied oboe and music theory, and played in some of Europe’s finest youth brass orchestras. From an early age, she sang under her mother’s direction, continuing until she graduated from university in 1991.
Since then, she has been the second chorus leader of the school Choirs. A graduate of P.J. Šafárik University, she teaches mathematics, physics and music.
Andrea Ferencei
Andrea also grew up as a chorister and began singing in the same Choirs as Szilvia. In 1989, she was one of the first members of the MSGA Girls’ Choir, founded by Szilvia, and sang there until 1992.
In 1997, she graduated in music pedagogy from Charles University in Prague. She subsequently attended several masterclasses in choir conducting, notably with Hans-Ruedi Kampfen (Switzerland) and on five occasions with Dénes Szabó (Hungary).