Guest Speakers
Antal-Ferencz Ildikó (New Jersey) was born and raised in Transylvania and has lived in Budapest since the age of 18. She holds a degree in economics but has worked as a freelance journalist and blogger for the past ten years. She continued her journalistic career after relocating to the North American Hungarian diaspora with her family of five in the summer of 2022, when her husband's work brought them to the United States for three years. (They will soon be returning to Hungary.) Since settling in New Jersey, they have become active members of the Hungarian communities in Passaic/Garfield and New Brunswick, while also regularly attending Hungarian events in New York, along the East Coast, in other states, and in Washington, D.C. During this time, she has written more than 300 articles on the Hungarian diaspora, including over 115 interviews with Hungarian Americans dedicated to preserving their language, culture, traditions, and local communities. These articles were published in newspapers in Hungary with the explicit goal of strengthening ties between Hungary and the diaspora, and were later republished by Cleveland's Bocskai Radio. She has also published these interviews in five book volumes: Being Hungarian in America I, II, and III, as well as the English-language editions Being Hungarian in America I and II, published by Bocskai Radio of Cleveland. In addition, she served as the creative editor of the recently published biography The Road Less Traveled by Hungarian economist Professor Zoltán Ács, released by MCC Press.
László Aradvári (Chicago) serves as the Hungarian Community Diplomat at the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago. Born in Keszthely, Hungary, he earned university degrees in Agricultural Economics and French Translation before completing postgraduate studies in diplomacy at the Budapest Business School. He has worked as a project engineer, marketing and communications specialist, and international relations advisor. He participated in the Kőrösi Csoma Sándor Program on three occasions, assisting Hungarian organizations in Texas and Chicago. He also earned a degree in Sports Diplomacy from Széchenyi István University. For six years he served as manager of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble. Since January 2024, he has served as Hungarian Community Diplomat and Consular Officer at the Consulate General of Hungary in Chicago. He has attended the ITT-OTT Conference three times. Through his parents, he has been connected to Hungarian folk dance since birth and spent eighteen years as the director and choreographer of the Tündérrózsa Children's Folk Dance Group.
András Berecz (Budapest) is a Kossuth Prize-winning folk singer and storyteller and one of the most celebrated figures of Hungarian folk culture. From Transylvania to Moldavia and from Upper Hungary to the Nyírség region, he has collected folk songs, tales, and humorous stories, which he has shared with audiences for decades through his distinctive style of performance. His programs are warmly received not only throughout Hungary but also by Hungarian communities beyond the country's borders and overseas.
István Berecz (Budapest) is an Eternal Golden Spurs Award-winning folk dancer, choreographer, folk musician, and Folk Music Director of the Fonó Budai Music Hall. He is one of the leading young representatives of Hungarian folk dance and folk music, working as a performer, teacher, and organizer to preserve and pass on the folk traditions of the Carpathian Basin. Through performances and workshops, he promotes Hungarian folk heritage in countries around the world.
Sándor Csoóri Jr. (Budapest) is a Junior Prima Prize and Fonogram Award-winning composer. He has been involved in Hungarian folk music since childhood, with the viola as his principal instrument. He regularly performs internationally, including in Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and South Africa. He is a founding member of the Buda Folk Band, currently leads the Fifth Season (Ötödik Évszak) ensemble, and performs with the Dresch String Quartet. In Hungary, he is widely recognized as a composer for folk dance theater productions.
László Hajdu-Németh Jr. (New Jersey) is a young Hungarian folk musician best known as a violinist. He is a founding member of the Sarjú Band, formed after the 2015 Fölszállott a Páva folk talent competition. His work focuses on preserving and authentically performing the traditional folk music of the Carpathian Basin. Together with his brother Balázs Hajdu-Németh and fellow musicians, he regularly performs in concerts and dance houses while playing an important role in passing on Hungarian folk music traditions.
Bernadett Iusco (Budapest) was born and raised in Szilágycseh, Transylvania. She earned her professional qualification in folk dance at the Nyíregyháza Secondary School of the Arts before completing her degree at Eötvös Loránd University. During 2018–2019, she served as a scholarship recipient of the Hungarian Baráti Community (MBK), assisting with the organization's programs. Returning once again to the MBK community, she is attending the ITT-OTT Conference for the third time.
Csaba Marosán (Cluj-Napoca) is a stage actor born in Transylvania into a large family. He is a member of the Hungarian State Theatre of Cluj and is also a performer and acclaimed reciter of Hungarian poetry. Alongside his theatrical career, he is devoted to promoting Hungarian literature through one-man performances, special literature classes, and poetry recitals presented throughout the Carpathian Basin and in Hungarian diaspora communities. His engaging style, humor, and deep humanity bring Hungary's great classical poets vividly to life for audiences of all ages.
Emőke Marosán (Cluj-Napoca) is a concert flutist who frequently performs alongside her husband, Csaba Marosán, in literary and musical productions. Her artistry enriches Hungarian poetry and literature with expressive musical interpretation. Their performances have been warmly received in Hungary, Transylvania, and Hungarian communities throughout North America.
József Megyeri (Chicago) has served as President of the Hungarian Baráti Community (MBK) since 2024 and has been Editor-in-Chief of the ITT-OTT Yearbook for the past eight years. He considers defining the future vision of MBK to be the organization's greatest challenge. His goal is to ensure that MBK continues to inspire younger generations while preserving and carrying forward the flame first lit by the organization's founders nearly sixty years ago.