Bíró Eszter (Budapest)
Singer, performer
In her artistic and public activities, she consistently represents the values of cultural diversity, acceptance and human dignity. She conveys the Hungarian Jewish musical heritage not as a closed tradition, but as a contemporary community language: in her concerts and independent productions, she brings the melodies and stories of Jewish folklore closer to a wide audience.
Throughout her career as a singer with the Budapest Klezmer Band and later in her own world music projects, she has built bridges between different cultures and generations. Her performance style combines respect for tradition with contemporary stage presence, and makes the diversity of Jewish identity tangible in a personal voice.
Her outstanding undertaking is the creation of the play Hanna, which deals with the life of Hanna Szenes. The production speaks about the memory of the Holocaust, the consequences of exclusion and the protection of human freedom through the courage, moral standing and fate of a young woman. It makes the historical example personal and accessible, especially for the younger generations.
With her music books for children, she serves experiential learning and a love of music. Her work simultaneously preserves cultural memory, strengthens the acceptance of different identities, and encourages social dialogue. She shows through artistic means that tradition, humanity, and openness to others are mutually reinforcing values.
For me, the most important thing in my job is – the candidate wrote
I work passionately for the survival, renewal, and introduction of Jewish music to young people and music-loving audiences. I believe that presenting Jewish culture can build bridges between people and reduce prejudice.
I also believe in sophisticated, value-based children's music.
For nearly 20 years, my artistic activity has focused on the contemporary presentation of Jewish musical traditions. I have created several albums, concerts, and plays, and toured for 6 years as an ambassador of Yiddish music.
I am proud of my achievements at the Lauder School, where I started my Jewish music projects 12 years ago. First in the form of song teaching (one of my students, András Himmler, has since become the songleader of the Szarvasi Camp), then as a song collection-syllabus for teachers (7 albums with 56 songs), later transforming into the Sirim choir with camps, music videos, concerts, and TV appearances. The choir, which initially consisted of 5 members, now has 30 members, and old students are returning. The Sirim community currently consists of 150 people. 40 children try their hand at castings.
It is important feedback for me that my musical children's books and TV series are used in several primary schools as a supplement to the curriculum. I support the talent search of the Varázcsepp State Children's Homes as a jury member.
As the artistic director of Mazsihisz, I created 3 thematic festivals and numerous community and charity programs.