Located just an hour from Budapest, the METTRIN Center is nestled in a magical setting where the forest meets Lake Bánki. Designed by architect Árpád Ferdinánd, this environmentally conscious and energy-efficient complex features a spacious performance hall and a shaded courtyard, welcoming visitors year-round. Its multifunctional event hall, equipped with cutting-edge lighting and sound technology and capable of accommodating 280 guests, ensures a unique atmosphere for every event. The professionals behind METTRIN are committed to utilizing resources effectively, curating high-quality multidisciplinary artistic programs for all generations, and fostering a vibrant communal space for professional and social gatherings. Their strategic operational model enables the formation of limitless artistic collaborations and the establishment of a new cultural-tourism network.

"The foundation of our professional collaboration with METTRIN’s dedicated founders is built on shared values, expertise, commitment, quality, and mutual respect. The success of this strategic partnership is ensured by artistic and financial independence, structural and creative stability, a vision that embraces progress and transformation, the effective utilization of professional and personal qualities, and the continuous evolution of networking opportunities," stated Zoltán Balázs, who was appointed artistic director of METTRIN as of March 1.

Balázs emphasized that METTRIN’s artistic concept prioritizes reputation-building, exclusive cultural projects. A dedicated team of creators, organizers, and technicians will focus on identifying unique program opportunities, organizing and promoting guest performances, maintaining connections with other artistic centers and cultural institutions, and ensuring a structured platform for artists arriving in Bánk from both Hungary and abroad. Additionally, the METTRIN Center’s long-term plans include developing in-house productions and expanding the highly successful Louis Armstrong International Jazz Festival in multiple directions. A further goal is the establishment of a pioneering Artists-in-Residence program, providing selected artists from around the world with opportunities for growth and professional networking.

"We hope many will discover the extraordinary world of the METTRIN Center on the shores of Lake Bánki, where the tranquility of nature meets the clarity of intellectual culture. Through our carefully curated and diverse events, we aim to offer visitors a multisensory, life-enriching experience that bridges the natural and artistic environments. We trust that, through a gradually unfolding artistic strategy, METTRIN will become a key venue in Hungary’s and the world’s expanding cultural calendar, as well as a significant focal point of the artistic community,” said Zoltán Balázs.

About Zoltán Balázs

Zoltán Balázs is an actor, director, set designer, and theater director. In 2001, he founded the avant-garde Maladype Theatre, an ensemble that quickly gained international acclaim and recognition, where he continues to serve as artistic director. Over the past two decades, this groundbreaking company has become one of Budapest’s most prestigious theatrical and cultural institutions, regularly appearing at international festivals across Africa, America, Asia, and Europe.

Balázs is a sought-after director worldwide, having staged productions in the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Kosovo, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania’s dynamic theater scene. His work as both an actor and director has been recognized with numerous professional and state awards, including the Comet Award, the Critics’ Award, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, the Gábor Miklós Award, the Lajos Őze Award, the Mari Jászai Award, the Kálmán Nádasdy Award, the Sándor Hevesi Award, the Hanna Honthy Award, and the Golden Mask Award.

Balázs’ theatrical approach is deeply conceptual and method-driven, spanning various genres and styles. He has successfully directed classical and contemporary works, adapted novels and epics, staged dramas, comedies, operas, operettas, musicals, dance performances, puppet shows, performances, non-verbal and movement-based theater, and even rock concerts. His productions, inspired by diverse cultures and theatrical traditions, consistently receive critical and audience acclaim both in Hungary and abroad. His artistic work is characterized by intellectual freedom, experimentation, and a pioneering spirit.

Committed to nurturing the next generation of theater professionals, Balázs developed the "Gold-Bug Method" in 2013—an actor-training and creative-communication analytical program. In 2023, he introduced the "Five Gates" theater methodology, a comprehensive system integrating his extensive creative experience into a new, era-specific approach to theater education.

szinhaz.online, 2025