Spiritual Revival amongst Young Artists

2009 Crescendo Summer Institute of the Arts

270 teachers and students from 24 countries assembled in the culturally rich city of Sárospatak, Hungary to participate in the “6th International Crescendo Summer Institute of the Arts” from the 27th of July through the 10th of August. Under the guidance of internationally renowned master artists, intensive, university-level studies took place in classes for chamber music ensembles, orchestra workshops and dance and theatre studios. Children and teenagers profited from their own parallel program.

During performances given at the end of the Institute, large audiences resonated their approval of the results of the work invested by the participants. In cooperation with the secular Zemplén Festival, “Crescendo” put on performances of a Haydn opera, diverse chamber music and orchestral works. Another highlight was an interpretation by Li Qi, a 23-year-old Chinese student, of the Violin Concerto by Felix Mendelssohn accompanied by the Hungarian Radio Orchestra. Li Qi was one of six young Chinese musicians who were guest students at the Institute and want to attend the Institute again in the future.

Beat Rink, director of Crescendo, shares his love of music and love for the Creator of Music.

“The Personality of an Artist,” from the Christian perspective, was the theme in daily chapel services and small groups. In addition, spiritual guidance and counselling and personal intercession were available. A public “creative church” service gave another opportunity to get to know the Christian message. Around 50% of the students were not yet familiar with Christian faith, while most of the other students, as well as the 40 teachers, were associated with “Crescendo.” During the two-week Institute, 18 children and 10 students stated their wish to follow Jesus Christ from now on.

Participants symbolically cast their burdens on Jesus.

In the meantime, The Crescendo Summer Institute of the Arts been recognised by the Hungarian Ministry of Culture as one the most important cultural events in the country.

The “7th Crescendo Summer Institute of the Arts” is planned for the first two weeks of August, 2010.

Romanian pianist Oana Zamfir shared at the Summer Institute what she had experienced with God in 2008:

“This is my second time at the Crescendo Summer Institute. I attended the Institute in 2008 for the first time. I was in a very difficult period in my life. I wanted to stop playing piano. My relationship with my parents was a disaster. I was making many mistakes and I couldn’t admit that I was doing wrong in many ways. – I didn’t know what a Christian camp meant. I was amazed by the gentleness of the people, by their kindness and especially by their freedom in expressing their love for God. I was shocked to see that for the people in my small group God was the most important thing in their lives. – God was speaking to me through them. – One night I started to cry and to pray. I felt that I had found something that I had been looking for all of my life. That night I decided that I want to love God more than anything else in my life. Since then he has been healing and changing my heart…“

Oana Zamfir, one of the winners of the Festival Prize 2009, will perform a piano concert in 2010 with the Hungarian Radio Orchestra.