The Seven Towers Festival keeps the memory and spiritual legacy of Imre Makovecz alive. It revives the Carpathian Basin’s peasant culture and collective memory in the master’s honor, shining a spotlight on ancestors who fought hardest to preserve folk art. It also spotlights contemporary creators and performers building on those traditions.
November 10, 2025 – Bak
The festival kicks off in Bak with a festive opening at the community house, featuring a special film screening in memory of sound architect Ferenc Kiss. The night wraps up with a concert by the Rustico Trio – Júlia Kubinyi, Balázs “Dongó” Szokolay, and Ferenc Zimber. Their chamber music, rooted in Hungarian folk traditions and blended with on-the-spot improvisations, crafts a unique sound. Wind instruments converse with the cimbalom, casting fresh light on Carpathian melodies and launching the festival’s tower-hopping journey. Entry is free!
18:00 Seven Towers Festival 2025 Festive Opening
18:15 Remembering Sound Architect Ferenc Kiss – Film Screening
19:00 Rustico Concert – Júlia Kubinyi, Balázs “Dongó” Szokolay, Ferenc Zimber
November 11, 2025 – Zalaegerszeg and Surrounds
For years, the festival has expanded to barn venues, embodying community-building and the “old becomes new” vibe. This day for community and professionals showcases Zalaegerszeg’s iconic barns and Makovecz-designed buildings. Expect talks, chats, and a roundtable on the beauty, opportunities, and successes of culture under the gardens!
PajtaKult Mini-Conference – Culture and Architecture Under the Gardens
Talks – The Region’s Architecture
Architectural Roundtable
Pre-registration required!
November 12, 2025 – Lendva
In Lendva, the Lendva Theater and Concert Hall hosts “Makovecz in the International Arena.” American director Lila Cohen’s short film offers a fresh take on Imre Makovecz’s spiritual legacy and global architectural influence. Then the Budapest St. Ephrem Men’s Choir performs – formed in 2002 under Tamás Bubnó, they are now one of Hungary’s most thrilling vocal groups. Spanning Byzantine traditions to classical masterpieces, crossovers, and pop covers, this award-winning seven-man ensemble tours from Europe’s big cities to Africa, India, and South America, spreading Hungarian musical culture. Free event!
18:30 Makovecz in the International Arena
Lila Cohen (USA) – Short Film Premiere
19:00 St. Ephrem Men’s Choir Concert
November 13, 2025 – Timișoara
Timișoara’s night at the New Millennium Reformed Center opens with the traveling Transylvanian Architecture Exhibition, highlighting Makovecz’s legacy and Transylvania’s unique architectural world. Next, the Dresch String Quartet’s celebratory concert features Mihály Dresch (fuhun, tárogató, tenor sax), young Sándor Csoóri (viola), Ferenc Zimber (cimbalom), and András Bognár (double bass). Dresch’s art fuses Hungarian and Central-Eastern European folk with African-American jazz organically – this quartet offers new angles on that signature sound. Free!
19:00 Transylvanian Architecture Traveling Exhibition
19:30 Dresch String Quartet Celebratory Concert
November 14, 2025 – Cluj-Napoca
In Cluj-Napoca’s Törökvágás Reformed Church, the Transylvanian Architecture Exhibition opens, evoking Makovecz’s spirit and Transylvanian church-building traditions. This is followed by the duo concert of Krisztina Koszorús – Koszika – and Csaba Szász, who have shaped their jazz-folk-world music blend since 2011, lifting folk heritage into modern sounds. The night closes with the Dresch String Quartet. Mihály Dresch (fuhun, tárogató, tenor sax) – defined by folk-jazz fusion – joins young Sándor Csoóri (viola), Ferenc Zimber (cimbalom), and András Bognár (double bass) for a familiar-yet-new world where folk power meets jazz freedom in pure Dresch style. Free!
18:30 Transylvanian Architecture Traveling Exhibition
19:00 Krisztina Koszorús – Koszika and Csaba Szász Duo Concert
19:30 Dresch String Quartet Concert
November 15, 2025 – Cristuru Secuiesc
Cristuru Secuiesc’s Central Bistro hosts the Dresch String Quartet. Mihály Dresch (fuhun, tárogató, tenor sax) and his new lineup with Sándor Csoóri (viola), Ferenc Zimber (cimbalom), and András Bognár (double bass) build on Hungarian and Central-Eastern European folk fused with African-American jazz. Blending folk depths and jazz improv, their sound feels ancient yet contemporary – a captivating, characterful, intimate true Dresch vibe. Free!
November 16, 2025 – Odorheiu Secuiesc
The festival’s final Transylvanian stop in Odorheiu Secuiesc at Septim features the Dresch String Quartet. Mihály Dresch (fuhun, tárogató, tenor sax), young Sándor Csoóri (viola), Ferenc Zimber (cimbalom), and András Bognár (double bass) create instinctive unity between Hungarian folk and African-American jazz. Rooted in tradition yet free and fresh, it’s a perfect cap to the Transylvanian leg. Free!
November 19, 2025 – Kakasd
The grand finale in Kakasd’s community house starts with the opening of the Imre Makovecz – Angels exhibition, followed by light projections animating the building’s symbolic forms on its facade. Then Ágnes Herczku and Nikola Parov perform a duet, merging native Hungarian and Balkan folk with world and contemporary elements in natural harmony. Her unique voice and his versatile playing build an emotional universe. It closes with the Kálmán Balogh Trio, featuring Krisztina Koszorús – Koszika. The cimbalom’s bold tone, jazz-folk mixes, and her sensitive vocals make it a full-circle finale.
