First-, second-, and third-year students of the Contemporary Popular Music BA program at the University of Debrecen’s Institute of Popular Music demonstrated their skills at the autumn semester exam concerts. The university’s young talents presented a true kaleidoscope of styles: starting from the 1950s, they masterfully evoked the popular music repertoire of the past more than three decades.
The time had come for students participating in the University of Debrecen’s popular music program to show their instructors and fellow students how much they had developed over the past semester. First- to third-year students of the Contemporary Popular Music BA program at the Institute of Popular Music gave unforgettable, uniquely atmospheric exam concerts on two consecutive evenings, presenting performances of international standard on December 18 and 19 in the Liszt Hall of the Faculty of Music.
In his welcoming speech before the concerts, Kálmán Kapusi, director of the Institute of Popular Music at the University of Debrecen, recalled the success story that led to the launch of the program and emphasized that the young performers taking the stage can truly consider themselves pioneers.
“These concerts are always important milestones on a path that we have all been working on for a very long time. University-level popular music education was a dream for a long time, but for three years now, these occasions have provided renewed confirmation that it was worth fighting for. Every performance represents such value that it can confidently be put on display—each one is a perfect reference work. We already have international results as well: three of our students have competed successfully in international competitions, and another talented student, as the first Hungarian popular music student, will be able to continue their studies in New Orleans for half a year in the spring semester through the ISEP scholarship program. The exam concerts clearly showed that the students are continuously developing—this has been their best performance so far,” said the institute director.
According to Ákos Tóth, deputy director of the Institute of Popular Music and faculty director responsible for innovation, educational affairs, and international relations at the Faculty of Music, the program is still very young, yet even in these few years it has achieved remarkable progress. This is thanks to the supportive university environment, the excellent teaching staff, and the exceptionally talented students, providing a solid foundation for further development.
“At the end of this academic year, we will award the first popular music degrees, as the first cohort will complete their undergraduate studies in 2026. This is a very important milestone, as the University of Debrecen will be the first in Hungary and in East-Central Europe to issue such diplomas. Even now, many are trying to learn from us and follow our example. These exam concerts are unique because they truly showcase the professional work the students have done during the semester, all in an environment that is itself unique,” the faculty director added.
On December 18, first- and second-year students of the Contemporary Popular Music BA program took their exams on the stage of the Liszt Hall at the Faculty of Music. First-year students performed period-authentic and modern arrangements written in the pop, R&B, and rock and roll styles of the 1950s and 1960s, including songs by Etta James, Jackie Wilson, and Beth Hart.
In the second part of the evening, third-year students presented a selection of major hits written after the 2000s, evoking artists such as Alicia Keys, Magdi Rúzsa, and Taylor Swift. In addition, the audience could witness a truly special fusion, as violin students from the Faculty of Music also joined the performances of the third-year popular music students.
In the next act of the semester exam concerts, on December 19, it was the turn of the second-year students, who brought the 1980s back to life with pop, rock, and funk arrangements. They delivered flawless work in both musicality and performance, while also giving the pieces a suitably modern sound. Among others, they performed songs by Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, and George Benson, with the confidence of experienced professional musicians.
(unideb.hu)
