Rákóczi Tárogató Association (Rákóczi Tárogató Egyesület)

The document of foundation of the Association was signed on 2 February 1992, in Vaja, the „Vay Ádám” Museum. Founders of the Association were players from Vaja itself.The association, from the moment of its foundation is run and presided by Csaba Nagy, with professional direction. The historic setting of the „Vay Ádám” Museum provides a proper environment for the association. The museum itself is a significant memorial place of the war of independence and freedom led by prince Rákóczi II. The former owner of the castle, Ádám Vay, was a high-ranking military official. The castle served as a venue for outstanding meetings several times in that period (1703 – 1711).

The Rákóczi Tárogató Association is the single organisation that unites those playing tárogató living in Hungary or elsewhere. Our membership has ever been growing in number, with members to be found in every part of the country. Players in other countries have also got the information about this association and established regular contact with us in several countries in Europe. In America several players keep in touch with the association. Tárogató players living abroad consider the association as an international centre.

The functioning of the association is laid down in its Charter. The aim of the creation and running of the association is:

1.  to re-discover and keep alive a Hungarian instrument, the tárogató; and to popularise it among the young and the more senior generation
2.  to enliven the traditions attached to the tárogató and the ’kuruc’ era, which were so many times closely linked with our national identity
3.  to collect and organise the still existing and valuable remains of folklore connected to the tárogató
4.  to publish, teach musical notes written for the instrument, provide aid for the tárogató makers and professional assistance for players
5.  to be a centre for all players in and outside Hungary (The Rákóczi Tárogató Association)
6.  to improve the conditions of operation of The Rákóczi Tárogató Association, to ensure the financial background for the stage appearance at home and abroad, which is inevitably important for the artistic development, in the first place by finding sponsors and foundations and by winning tenders
7.  to participate at national and clerical celebrations and give individual concerts
8. to popularise the chamber music written for the tárogató, and lift it to the level of musical instruments traditionally classified as classical
9. to organise national and international meetings for tárogató players
10.  to educate the young generation, for example by holding summer camps with the involvement of the Hungarian Scouts Society
11. being a legal personality, the association aims at popularising and contributing in events connected with the memory of Ferenc Rákóczi II., the ‘kuruc’ era and the traditions of the tárogató
12. to ensure the conditions for operation of the Rákóczi Tárogató Ensemble, within the framework of the Rákóczi Tárogató Association
13. to collect, systematize and elaborate objects, music and recorded materials related to the tárogató
14. /Tárogató-s are of outstanding national value. They are in the category called HUNGARIKUM/
    to organize and co-ordinate of duties and tasks related to the title
    to present the tárogató on domestic and international level at concerts and performance

Events, performances:
The largest scale event on an annual basis is the National Tárogató Meeting. Tárogató players from all over the country tend to come together on this occasion. Tárogató players coming from the territory of historic Hungary are also participating from the so called Upperland, Transcarpathia and Transylvania. Tárogató World Congresses take place in every five years. The 6, Tárogató World Congress will take place in the centre of the Association, Vaja, in 2020. Tárogató player musicians from the whole world are expected to join the meeting.