Szilveszter Ókovács, the long-serving General Director of the Hungarian State Opera, was removed from his duties with immediate effect on Monday by Zoltán Tarr, the Minister for Social Relations and Culture in Prime Minister Péter Magyar's cabinet. The dismissal follows allegations of numerous financial irregularities, specifically citing opaque production costs for various stagings and monthly bonus payments made to himself without ministerial approval. To ensure the continuity of operations while a new director is selected, Balázs Ivacs has been appointed to manage the business affairs; he previously served as the economic director of the opera house between 2016 and 2018.
In his initial response to the firing, Ókovács took to social media to quote an aria from Ferenc Erkel's "Hunyadi László," a work in which he directed the reopening of the renovated opera house in 2022. Citing the line "My heart is pure, I go calmly to meet the laws..." Ókovács referenced the opera's protagonist who refuses rescue from prison to trust in judicial justice, ultimately facing execution. Regarding the unauthorized bonuses, Ókovács explained that he had assumed the duties of the Music Director position, which has remained vacant since 2023, while also taking on additional communication tasks.
The controversy surrounding the leadership extends to parliamentary debates where Zsuzsa Máthé, a member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), criticized Minister Magyar. Despite interruptions by Parliament President Ágnes Forsthoffer, Máthé expressed that she wished Magyar half the success in governance that her husband, Ókovács, had achieved leading the opera house. However, this exchange did not address the contentious circumstances surrounding the vacant Music Director role. In late 2022, during a contract renewal process for Ókovács, conductor Gergely Kesselyák was the successful candidate in the official tender. Surprisingly and without clear justification, then-Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák declared that Ókovács, who had placed fourth, would retain his position.
As a result of these disputed procedures, Gergely Kesselyák did not receive a further fixed contract as Kapellmeister at the Budapest Opera House. The situation also led internationally acclaimed soprano Andrea Rost to decline signing new contracts for the 2023/24 season and to abandon her role in Mozart's "The Magic Flute." The current dismissal of Ókovács is based on investigations launched by the Culture Ministry this summer, during which the opera house provided over 70,000 pages of digital documents, including files, payslips, and contracts. Union leader Péter Balázs Bárány has since spoken out about years of disputes and legal proceedings with the management, while Ókovács has announced his intention to fight the dismissal legally. Ongoing investigations will determine if further leadership changes occur, potentially affecting the Hungarian National Ballet.
Sources: FAZ.