On Nov. 3rd, 1991 in Hungary, the Cimbalom / hammered dulcimer / World Association was founded.

The CWA aims to group artists of cimbalom and similar instruments like yanchin, santur, hackbrett, hammered dulcimer, tympanon, qanun, kantele, etc. – and all interested companies and persons – in order to support and promote cimbalom music in the world. Functioning as a cimbalom music centre, it helps members to obtain scores, partitures, records and other musical material including their transfer to the claimants. The CWA hold a World Congress once in every two years.
In this time CWA has members from 32 countries of Europa, Asia, America, Australia. They are artists, players, instrument manufacturers, music publishers, scientists of music, etc.

The CWA is registered under Hungarian law.

The main aim of the Cimbalom World Association resided in Hungary is to popularize the culture of cimbalom ( hammered dulcimer) all over the world. All of the programs of ours are based on this aim. A very important task to fulfil our purpose is to establish a tight international relationship which can be useful to disseminate the Hungarian Culture of Music as well. The programs of the association are formed for this benefit. International Congress is organised in each second year in several countries with lectures on the history of cimbalom and concerts. Besides of them the important facts and changes of the period between the conferences are introduced (changes or modernesations of the instruments, the hammers, new pieces of music, new methods of teaching etc.). We had the following congresses before:

1991. Pécs – Hungary
1993. Brno – Czech Republic
1995. Bratislava – Slovak Republic
1997. Mogilev – Belorus
1999. Chishinau – Moldova
2001. Lviv – Ukraina
2003. Appenzell – Switzerland
2005. Beijing – China
2007. Oberammergau – Germany
2009. Querétaro – Mexico
2011. Budapest – Hungary
2013. Taipei – Taiwan
2015. Malvern – UK
2017. Banska Bystrica – Slovakia

The Association is acting between the congresses as a Center of Music and ornganising concerts (international concerts, concerts of exchange for adults and students, lectures for adults and students etc.). We have published music (2 albums of 9 Hungarian pieces) and help the students’ learning and make consultancy.
The results of our Association till today:

  • The Departments of Cimbalom were not stopped at The Conservatories of Bratislava and Kosice
  • The students of cimbalom at the Conservatory of Bratislave have a chance to be taught by tutors in Budapest.
  • The education of German Cimbalom (Hackbrett) was introduced by the Conservatory of Linz.
  • National and international festivals of cimbalom are being organised in Australia, Japan, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic Moldova, Britain, Netherlands, Mexico etc.
  • The Department of Cimbalom was opened at the Academy of Arts in Banska Bystrica.
  • More and more composers write pieces for this instrument and the international literature is getting larger. Due to the activity of the association the literature of the cimbalom is getting more and more public.
  • The instrument used in clubs, restaurants and pubs gets more and more popular and has chance to be introduced on stages in many countries.
  • The number of fans and artists of the instrument is growing.
  • The level of the education of the cimbalom is growing internationally and makes an overall and unified picture.

The association publishes an information newsletter since its foundation (1991) titled “CWA NEWS” in Hungarian and English to inform our members about the facts of the world of cimbalom. The newsletter helps to keep the contacts amongst the members. The members write their news and information and the association publishes them. The headquarters of the association can be found in Hungary (it is the first international organisation of music with Hungarian headquarters) and the interest in Hungarian folk – music, modern music and the Hungarian education of cimbalom is growing very quickly. The Departments of Cimbalom of Academies, Conservatories and Colleges of Music (Germany, Austria, Belorus, Japan, China, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic) and the private teachers are teaching the music for cimbalom of Hungarian composers and Hungarian folk music. The Cimbalom World Association plays great role in the distribution of music.

The Cimbalom World Association has individual and group members from over 30 countries of Europe, Asia, Australia and America. The members are not only musicians and teachers, but hobby musicians, craftsmen making instruments and hammers, professors of the history of instrument, composers, publishers of music and CDs, and fans as well.

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