Dénes Szabó received Japanese recognition

The Japanese Ambassador to Hungary, Kuni Sato handed over Japan's state award, the Order of Gold and Silver Rays of the Rising Sun to Kossuth Award winning Hungarian conductor, member of HAA and Artist of the Nation Dénes Szabó in the Kodály Zoltán Primary School in Nyíregyháza, Hungary.
Dénes Szabó, the founder of the Pro Musica Girls' Choir of the Cantemus Choir of Nyíregyháza, was bestowed the recognition for his musical contribution to the development of relations and friendship between the two countries. At the ceremony on 6 January the Cantemus Children's Choir and the Pro Musica Girls Choir were singing the most popular choral works of of the 25 years of the musical tours in Japan with the conduction of Dénes Szabó, and this was also a thankig gesture to Fukiko Gotoda, who played a decisive role in the Japanese relationship of the choir.
Dénes Szabó visited Japan with the Cantemus Children's Choir for the first time in 1992, and since then he had concerts in Japan in various cities, and conducted local choirs, including those of primary and secondary schools.
In addition he received more than two thousand students, choirs, conductors and music teachers for further training from Japan, and in this way he contributed in a great measure to raising the level of Japanese choirs. Over the last quarter century personal relationships also have formed through music between Japanese and Hungarian youths.
February 8, 2018