Rozina Pátkai, the Hungarian singer with Italian roots, began her career with classical singing, but she received her well-deserved wider reputation first as an authentic performer of evergreen Brazilian bossa nova songs. In recent years, however, she has surprised her audience several times, both with her electronic music experiments, and by her drawings, collages and photos. The members of her solid chamber trio – composer and saxophone player János Ávéd, and guitarist István Tóth Jr., winner of Special Prize of the Montreux Guitar Competition – both are musicians having a similarly strong attitude to experimentation. For the recording of Rozina's brand new album Taladim, as well as to its debut concert in Opus, the trio is joined by one of the best-known performers of the present Hungarian classical music scene: cellist Ditta Rohmann and the internationally renowned percussionist, András Dés.

The House of Hungarian Music invites any noise loving child and adult to be part of a joint boisterousness. From 10.00 'till 11.00 you may test your talent in noise making in the Noise Symphony Orchestra of the House of Hungarian Music. The improvised concert’s success depends only on you. After all the clashing, winner of the Virtuosos talent show, Misi Boros will calm down the mood with his music. During the whole event attendees could join to fantastic programmes, such as trying out exciting instruments or even making their own handcrafted ones. Come over and make some noise together!

A special Christmas treat for jazz big band lovers: Modern Art Orchestra's Christmas Diary tells the tale of Christmas with the music of Kornél Fekete Kovács, MAO's artistic director.

The leading Hungarian new music ensemble, UMZE and guest conductor Huba Hollókői presents a selection of Finnish, Hungarian, and Romanian contemporary pieces featuring the famed Hungarian cellist Ditta Rohmann.

The Kálmán Oláh Sextet's well-formed, multi-part compositions are based on classical musical forms, where Bartók's harmony is strongly perceptible. However, true jazz pulsation and improvisation never remain in the background. In their arrangements acoustic sound and the natural dynamic equilibrium is dominating. The excellent soloists of the sextet and the extremely creative, often collective improvisations of the rhythm section, along with the unique, modern compositions result in a novel, real 21st century chamber music.

Nancy Wilson / Cannonball Adderley is “an excellent collaboration of Nancy Wilson’s voice with Cannonball Adderley’s alto sax from the early ’60s. Not entirely a vocal album, five of the 12 cuts are instrumentals. A highlight is the gentle cornet playing of Nat Adderley behind Wilson, especially on Save Your Love for Me and The Old Country. Cannonball Adderley's swinging, boppish sax is heard to excellent effect throughout. Joe Zawinul's work behind Wilson on The Masquerade Is Over demonstrates that he is a talented, sensitive accompanist. On the instrumental side, Teaneck and One Man’s Dream are especially good group blowing sessions. On the other end of the spectrum, Adderley’s alto offers a lovely slow tempo treatment of the Vernon Duke - Ira Gershwin masterpiece I Can’t Get Started. To keep the listeners on their musical toes, the first couple of bars of Save Your Love for Me are quotes from So What from the Miles Davis Sextet’s seminal Kind of Blue session. Given the play list and the outstanding artists performing it, why any serious jazz collection would be without this classic album is difficult to comprehend.” Dave Nathan - Allmusic

“Dresch is one of the most influential nurturers of a fertile fusion between Hungarian folk music and jazz” John Fordham - The Guardian “Oriented towards his Middle European legacy ..., Dresch never forgets his equally powerful jazz roots. Recapping of the head is mandatory throughout his compositions...” Ken Waxman - JazzWord

Jazz singer and X-Faktor talent show sensation Nikolas Takács joins the Modern Art Orchestra to enchant us with songs of goodwill and love at a one-time Christmas show on the 27th of December at Budapest Music Center. The heartfelt renditions will include Joy To The World and Nikolas’s trademark hit: To Make You Happy.

It all began with English music becoming so fashionable that the Frank and the Flemish composers grew fond of it. Nobody could resist the catchy tunes they wrote. But no one is a prophet in their own land, so Dufay and his followers dreamt big and moved to Italy where the weather was nicer and the pay was better - not to mention the food and the drinks... And while one Fleming does not make spring, by the dozens, they do. And that's how the Burgundy school became Europe's defining musical stlye. Was it for the better or the worse? The Saint Ephraim Male Choir's three-night concert series will give a definitive answer to that question. 

It all began with English music becoming so fashionable that the Frank and the Flemish composers grew fond of it. Nobody could resist the catchy tunes they wrote. But no one is a prophet in their own land, so Dufay and his followers dreamt big and moved to Italy where the weather was nicer and the pay was better - not to mention the food and the drinks... And while one Fleming does not make spring, by the dozens, they do. And that's how the Burgundy school became Europe's defining musical stlye. Was it for the better or the worse? The Saint Ephraim Male Choir's three-night concert series will give a definitive answer to that question. 

It all began with English music becoming so fashionable that the Frank and the Flemish composers grew fond of it. Nobody could resist the catchy tunes they wrote. But no one is a prophet in their own land, so Dufay and his followers dreamt big and moved to Italy where the weather was nicer and the pay was better - not to mention the food and the drinks... And while one Fleming does not make spring, by the dozens, they do. And that's how the Burgundy school became Europe's defining musical stlye. Was it for the better or the worse? The Saint Ephraim Male Choir's three-night concert series will give a definitive answer to that question. 

Professional Extension Course for Music Teachers, led by Dr. Zsuzsa Pásztor and Anna Négyesi.(In Hungarian)

2019. január 2-án lesz hetvenöt éves Eötvös Péter, akit aligha kell bemutatni a BMC közönségének. Az utóbbi fél évszázad egyik legjelentősebb – s ami a kortárs zenében nem feltétlenül jár ezzel együtt –, legjátszottabb zeneszerzőjéről van szó. A budapesti Zeneakadémia elvégzése után kísérleti műveket, valamint film- és színházi zenét írt, majd 1966-ban Nyugat-Európába költözött, ahol Karlheinz Stockhausen együttesének tagja, majd a Pierre Boulez vezette Ensemble InterContemporain zeneigazgatója lett, s egyre sikeresebb karmesteri pályát futott be. Zeneszerzőként mindvégig aktív volt, bár az igazi áttörést 1998-ban bemutatott operája, a Csehov drámája nyomán komponált Három nővér hozta el számára, amelyet az elmúlt húsz évben közel húszféle színrevitelben játszottak világszerte. Azóta tíz opera jött ki Eötvös műhelyéből, s persze számos zenekari darab, kamaramű és vokális zene. A hetvenötödik születésnap sokak számára a számvetés ideje volna, de nem Eötvös Péternek. Az ünnepi koncert nem retrospektív, Eötvöst jobban érdekli a jelen és a jövő, mint a múlt – általában is, önmagával kapcsolatban pedig különösen. A műsorban kizárólag az új évezredben született művek, zömében kamaradarabok szerepelnek, jó részük először lesz hallható Magyarországon. S mivel vérbeli színpadi szerzőről van szó, bemutató előtti verziójában elhangzik az Alessandro Baricco Selyem című regénye nyomán komponált, öt hangszerre és narrátorra írott melodráma, a Secret Kiss is, mégpedig Molnár Piroska főszereplésével. A műsorban elhangzó műveket még nem játszották Magyaroszágon. 

“Daniel Erdmann’s Velvet Revolution with French violinist extraordinaire Théo Ceccaldi and English percussion master Jim Hart (here solely on vibraphone) is a happy meeting of three kindred spirits and a tonal specialty. ...Velvet Revolution is a true European group with a strong spirit, wit, great musical ideas as well as fantasy and capacity to make it work in captivating ways.It’s not only the combination of instruments that is unique. The same applies to the playing. Fed by many sources, they act independently and together at the same time. They know what to play when, and how to arrive at a strong common theme, something that carries them along the predisposed into the imagined-in-the-moment. They are great at creating shifting atmospheres. It is heavy, then light again, firing at one moment and whispering the next.” Henning Bolte, All about jazz “...it is not only Erdmann’s concise compositions, specially designed for this trio, that give his band ‘Velvet Revolution’ a striking charism. Thanks to their individual virtuosity, Erdmann, Ceccaldi and the British vibraphone player Jim Hart might even have their own spark from children’s songs or famous chansons. Their joy of playing and close-knit interaction are a pleasure, the connection of high art, vitality and fine humor succeeds exemplary. Live on stage many improvisations shed new light to the pieces: the three of them balancing on the high ropes of the free, but never overbearing, imagination.” Norbert Krampf, FAZ After the huge German and international success of A Short Moment of Zero G, the trio's award-winning first album on BMC Records, they present their brand new material at the Opus, followed by a recording session of their second album at the BMC Studio. 

Details soon! szabolcsolahmusic.com facebook.com/olahszabolcsquintet facebook.com/szabolcsolahmusician 

www.szokolay.huwww.gregoryvajda.com atlatszohang.hu

The trio was founded at the end of 2017 at the initiative of guitarist Roland Heidrich, who first started playing in separate duos with Csaba Pengő and Zsolt Sárvári Kovács. But, having known them better, the opportunity for a long-awaited drum - bass - guitar trio soon started glimmering. During the past year’s work they have created a common voice that soon will be available on disc as well. Crudity of experimental rock, refined textures of “Northern jazz” as well as the exciting world of free improvisation all appear in the trio’s music. Roland’s themes provide the framework for a common adventure, where the classical trio setting gets to display in a broad variety. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roland-Heidrich-guitarist-and-composer

“The Gerry Mulligan Quartet of 1952-53 was one of the best-loved jazz groups of the decade and it made stars out of both the leader and trumpeter Chet Baker. Mulligan and Baker had very few reunions after 1953 but this particular album from 1957 is an exception. Although not quite possessing the magic of the earlier group, the music is quite enjoyable and the interplay between the two horns is still special. With expert backup by bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Dave Bailey, these 13 selections should please fans of both Mulligan and Baker.”  Scott Yanow, AllMusic

“It’s wild, but immaculately played, and Pulcinella’s affection for good songs from any source is very evident.” THE GUARDIAN ****“Toulouse-based quartet making a joyful noise with a spicy cocktail of East European folk dance rhythms and contemporary jazz extemporisation.” JAZZWISE ****“The reasons to go for this enchanting album « ¾ d’once » are all good reasons.” LES INROCKS Made out of four major actors of the Toulouse scene, Pulcinella is surprising by its high energy and fertile imagination. «Punch», the classical character that originated in the commedia dell'arte of the 17th century is claiming for an extravagant music, generous and dynamic. With a very special sense of story-telling rising from the compositions and arrangements, Pulcinella offers an access to an inventive and original musical world. Hard to classify, the music of the band is full of colours and unpredictable characters. Pulcinella plays an omnivore kind of jazz, fond of rock, tango, musette, and Eastern European music... all in order to serve musical stories and sparkling colourful pictures! Pulcinella recorded their 5th album two years ago at BMC’s studio. The resulting 3/4 d’once was critically acclaimed, followed by extensive touring. Meanwhile the guys prepared the material for their next one, to be recorded again at BMC, after presenting it on stage of the Opus.

Guillaume de Machaut (c1300–1377) is one of the foremost figures in the history of Western music. His oeuvre is unparalleled in all major genres of his day and his musical innovations spread like wildfire. Renassiance music was born from Machaut's art which subsequently became a major influence on every style of music. His self-consciousness as a composer and poet was 50 years ahead of his time: he might even be considered the first avantgarde artist. In the present four lectures and the accompanying concerts, János Bali sets out to expose Machaut's musical hearing and show how the most powerful intellectual trends of his time appear in the composer's mentality as musical elements. 

A muzsikus kortársak egészen biztosan irigykedtek Haydnra, amiért egy olyan nagyigényű, művelt és választékos zenei ízlésű herceg közelében dolgozhatott, mint Esterházy „Fényes” Miklós, aki virágzó, operajátszást is magába foglaló zenei életet teremtett kismartoni és fertődi kastélyában. Haydn számára a hercegi szolgálat időszakában minden feltétel adott volt ahhoz, hogy korának legünnepeltebb zeneszerzőinek sorába emelkedjen. Manapság viszont inkább a hercegre szoktunk irigykedni, mert egy olyan zenei géniusz közelében élhetett évtizedeken keresztül, mint Joseph Haydn. A Budapesti Vonósok három koncertből álló hangversenysorozata a korai daraboktól indulva, két évtized szimfóniatermésének izgalmas keresztmetszetét mutatja be, mely egyben betekintést is enged egy műfaj születésébe és felvirágzásába. Az első koncerten azokkal az 1761 nyarán bemutatott szimfóniákkal találkozhatunk, melyek portrészerűen mutatják meg Haydn válogatott muzsikusokból álló együttesét. Ezek az egészen különleges, a barokk concerto és szvit jegyeit is magukon viselő darabokban Haydn minden egyes kollégájának adott valamilyen érdekes, feltűnő vagy csak egyszerűen hálás feladatot. A második koncert műsorán a kísérletező Haydn két egészen különleges szimfóniája szólal meg, a harmadikon pedig olyan kibővített apparátusra hangszerelt kompozíciók, melyek a párizsi és a londoni sorozatok lehengerlő stílusát jósolják. A művekről ismertetőt tart és vezényel: Vashegyi György, a Purcell Kórus és Orfeo Zenekar alapítója és művészeti vezetője.

The flesh covers the bone, and they put a mind in there and sometimes a soul. Kalle Kalima and Andreas Schaerer reach out for existential music. Where Improvisation becomes the heavy drumbeat of an ancient heart,while composition gives birth to a new brotherhood of bouncing galaxies.Are we all trapped by a singular fate? The extraordinary Swiss master of human voice, Andreas Schaerer, and the similarly versatile Finnish guitarist, Kalle Kalima, are both regular guests in the Opus Jazz Club. In May last year they have even  been entering its stage together, both being members of the international quartet, Novel of Anomaly. After the unforgettable concert, they mentioned that a duo project of them has been developing since a while. It has started with the common spell of their occasional, completely improvised duo concert at the gala of the Voicingers Jazz Competition and Festival held in Żory, Poland, and after the necessary maturing process, the project has its launch in 2019 to hit the European jazz stages. Knowing the outstanding talents and magical creativity of the duo members, even experiencing personally the spell of their mentioned concert in Poland, the organizers of the Opus were sure that they didn’t take much risk when they were booking one of the first concerts of the duo for Opus’s January program right there an then, on the spot. 

Musical adventures for children about music, melodies, sounds, rhythms and playing games, hosted by bassoon player György Lakatos in Hungarian.

„2011-ben arról beszélgettünk Stefan Kellerrel, hogy ha hirtelen el kéne költöznie az albérletéből, egy nap alatt meg tudná oldani. Csodálkozó kérdésemre – melyben a hagyományos, kotta-és könyvgyűjtő személye bukkan fel –, hogy mi lenne a kottáival, könyveivel, egyéb dolgaival, simán odavetette: olyanok neki nincsenek. Minden a laptopjában van. Csak a laptopját és a tabláit kéne vinnie, azok a tárgyi értékei.” Horváth BalázsAz Átlátszó Hang fesztiválon történő bemutatkozása is ezen értékeit tárja elénk kompozícióin keresztül: a koncerten klarinét-elektronika és tabla-elektronika művekkel mutatkozik be zeneszerzőként és előadóként. Keller maga játszik tablán, amihez élő elektronika társul, teljesen zenei módon, hiszen a számítógépes hangzás az előadó játékának függvényében születik meg. A koncert után közvetlenül a zeneszerzővel beszélgetünk, illetve a műveiről faggatjuk őt.

The musicians of the ethno-jazz / contemporary chamber music outfit Trio Squelini played together for years in various groups, like Tin Tin Q, Ektar Szőke Quartet and others. The trio, starting with occasional performances, made its first recording in 2014, and became a regular concert act since its release, entitled Campiello. In 2016 they made their second release, Furioso, with contribution of the outstanding Hungarian celloist, Ditta Rohmann. Ditta Rohmann is a versatile musician, whom we may encounter as a soloist in great concert halls as well as improvising with world-music ensembles, or playing a major role in joint productions with dancers, as a chamber musician and, most recently, as an actress. facebook.com/triosquelini  dittarohmann.com 

TIME STANDS STILL(Megáll az idő)Hungarian drama film, 1982, 6 min. - In Hungariandirected by Péter Gothárscript: Géza Bereményi, Péter Gothár, László Kelecsényimusic by György Selmeczicinematography: Lajos Koltaieditor: Mária Nagyproduction design: Gyula Pauerfeaturing: István Znamenák, Henrik Pauer, Sándor Sőth, Anikó Iván, Ági Kakassy, Pál Hetényi, Lajos Őze, Ádám Rajhona, Tamás Jordán The screening will be introduced by film- and music critic László Kolozsi. (in Hungarian)Guest: György Selmeczi - composer A Budapest high school in the beginning of the 1960s. Dinis suffers the torments of adolescence. His father had to leave Hungary after the uprise in 1956, and since then Dini's mother has had to take care of her two sons on her own. A friend of Dinis' father, Bodor, is released from prison and moves in with them. Dinis and his brother Bodor are far from happy over this intrusion of their family life. (Mattias Thuresson)

“We want to play our music just as a river flows in its bed, and to re-paint the pictures expressed by our music time and again. We try to select the means, colours, and musical solutions to best reflect the feelings and thoughts behind each piece we perform – while keeping open the possibility to play them a little differently each time without losing what’s essential.” István Baló In July 2017, the group recorded the material of their first album at BMC's studio. Entitled Folyó a medrében (=River in its Bed), the debut CD was released by Hunnia Records in February 2018. 

A lecture by Anna Vető about musical mother tongues and folk music's role in personality development during early childhood. Music Therapy Club is an open meeting-place of music therapists, medical, educational and social workers, as well as of anybody interested in music therapy. (In Hungarian) Free entry!

“David Helbock is a musician to watch. [...] An impeccable pianist with a clear, crisp touch.” Jazzwise (GB)“Accomplished, melodic playing” The London Times (GB)“Tour d’Horizon surprises at every turn, a measured feast for the senses.” Downbeat (US)“Simply indescribable.” Jazz Thing (DE)“Exciting and full of surprises and delights.” Les Inrocks (FR) More than 20 instruments on stage, but just three musicians. David Helbock, Outstanding Artist Award Winner in Austria, mainly plays on instruments with keys. Johannes Bär does all the brass, from trumpet to bassflugelhorn and tuba and Andreas Broger plays wind-instruments like saxophones, clarinets and flutes. For their new program, Tour d’Horizon - From Brubeck to Zawinul released as a CD on the renowned ACT Music label, David Helbock got inspired by his favorite jazzpianoplayers and arranged their most famous tunes for this special line-up. So new, exciting versions of Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock or Bolivia by Cedar Walton emerged – but also soft, atmospheric pieces like Keith Jarrett’s My Song shine like new. Over the years Random/Control has developed a really distinct bandsound. Always different raw material – Austrian folkmusic, original compositions (in 2009 David Helbock had a big compositional project, where he wrote one piece every day for a whole year) and now these ‘Pianoplayer’s Hits’, the band always sounds like Random/Control - a ride on the rollercoaster for the ear and the eye. Or like Roland Spiegel from the Bavarian radio wrote already years ago: “...I think this musician with his ‘pianocap’ is one of the most exciting players of the young European jazz scene. The listener experiences something new when David Helbock plays. And it’s never ‘top-heavy’ music – it’s music that thrills the body and the mind...”

The Transparent Sound (Átlátszó Hang) New Music Festival will take place for the sixth time between 4-20 January, 2019. A host of concerts, interactive lectures, music pedagogy workshops, family and children theatre performances and an exhibition will all be part of the 17 day-long program. The festival’s aim is to give an insight into the colorful and innovative world of new music, and make it transparent even for new ears. The novelty of the 2019 festival is that different artists have been invited to co-curate certain events of the festival along with the existing curators. The understanding of the pieces performed and the compositional ideas behind them will be supported by short introductory workshops before and during the events. Scores of the pieces performed will be available to the audience in a reading corner at the BMC Library. At the BMC Concert Hall, Stockhausen's Kontakte and Originale will be performed as part of the festival on the 18th of January by 23 members of the Festival's collective and soloists Dániel Láposi, Bálint Baráth, and Jázon Kováts. Stockhausen's Originale: Doubletakes, The Film (1964) from Le Hub on Vimeo.

The Kosztolánszki Group is a vibrant young septet, playing their take on modern jazz based on the musical world of the late Fifties and early Sixties.

The János Nagy Trio will celebrate its 25th birthday in 2019. The lineup has changed couple of times since, but the most important of them was when in 2014 the ‘obligatory’ double bass player of a traditional piano trio was replaced by a violinist. “Without a bass instrument, I think, I have more freedom both in harmony, rhythm and in the group’s sound. For me no finished compositions exist, they change during the concerts constantly, so I can break the rules, set by ourselves, much more daringly and unbounded” says the pianist. In the spring of 2018 the trio released Debussy 100, an album dedicated to the magnificent French composer, featuring French saxophonist Vincent Mascart. If this still wouldn’t be enough, on November 24 a brand new other one, Yancha, will come out. The album, referring with its title to the pianist’s well-known nickname, features guest artists such as bass player Dominique Di Piazza and guitarist Mike Stern. “The album is sort of a self-definition. I’ve played and written many kinds of music in the recent years: music for contemporary puppet performances, soundtracks, arrangements of Protestant chants and jazz rock. I was looking for an answer to the question whom of all these I am mostly and tried to find it with the music on this album. It is a special gift for me to have such wonderful companions as Frankie Látó and Flóra Joubert, so I wrote most of the compositions for the band members. The guest appearance of the two fantastic, world-renowned musicians just elevated this feeling. It is a great pleasure and honour for me to play with Dominique Di Piazza for years, not only on concerts but being both of us among the tutors at the Balatonfüred World Music and Improvisation Camp in the summer seasons regularly. As a member of the group Balkan Union, I had the luck and pleasure to play with Mike Stern in the summer of 2017 at the Nisville Jazz Festival – the idea of his appearance on the album came through this joint concert experience.” János Nagy Yancha janosnagy.com dominiquedipiazza.com 

A kortárs művek bemutatása prioritás a Modern Art Orchestra számára. Számos kitűnő zeneszerző műveit gyűjti egybe a MAO koncertje, mely egyben a legfrissebb lemez kiadásának ünnepe is. A lemez és a koncert is a kortárs jazz és kortárs klasszikus zene között húzódó fal leomlásának fő gondolata köré épül. Hallható lesz Igor Stravinsky Ebony Concerto-ja - a szerző, mint a neoklasszicizmus atyja jelenik meg a gondolatiságban. A darab idejére a MAO-t kiegészíti Kolarics Kinga hárfán. Horváth Balázs kortárs klasszikus zeneszerző Divergent című alkotását maga a szerző vezénylésével ismerheti meg a közönség. A művet a Modern Art Orchestra számára, kimondottan az együttes rendhagyó összetételére komponálta. Hogy hazánk legnevesebb kortárs zeneszerzői körében a MAO milyen megbecsülésnek örvend talán leginkább az példázza, hogy Magyarország nemzetközileg is egyik legelismertebb zenei szaktekintélye, Eötvös Péter Paris-Dakar című kompozícióját is bemutathatjuk. Az eredetileg Gőz László trombita szólistának ajánlott művet adaptáltuk big band formációra. A darabot a hazai színpadokon túl a sanghaji nézőközönség előtt is volt alkalmunk nagy sikerrel bemutatni. Bacsó Kristóf a mai magyar jazz szcéna egyik legnevesebb zeneszerzője, szintén bemutatja Budapest Anzix c. művét és Subicz Gábor, jazz zeneszerző pedig az Allegro Barbaro című zenemű nagyzenekari átiratát. Hallható lesz továbbá Gryllus Samu Blues for Charles című, jazz irányból közelítő műve, valamint a művészeti vezető, Fekete-Kovács Kornél Traffic Choral című, Bartók-i ihletettségű alkotása is. Az est során a MAO zenekarhoz csatlakozik Gőz László (basszus trombita), valamint Borbély Mihály (klarinét) is.

The incredibly gifted young alto-saxophonist Sándor “Soso” Lakatos has been playing professionally since the age of 12. Having made his mark on the Hungarian jazz world before the age of 20, he went to Holland to further his studies where he was tutored by the world’s leading jazzmen, like Miguel Zenon, Branford Marsalis, Gerard Presencer and Brad Mehldau, just to name a few. Since his return he is enriching the Hungarian jazz scene with his brilliant, incredibly intelligent and inventive playing. He is member of several groups like Balázs Bágyi New Quartet, Tzumo Exclusive or the Bart’z eColony Band. Since a couple of years, Soso leads his own quartet with various lineups. 

Two violins, a viola, a cello and the human voice is all they need. Two Austrians, a Taiwanese and a Dutch, radio.string.quartet describe their new work as some “CrossoverJazzClassicPopFusionRockNewMusicElectronic” thing. A rather intricate monstrosity of a word. For better understanding, they are also citing the names of artists who have inspired them in recent years: Nine Inch Nails, Franz Schubert, Feist, e.s.t., Arvo Pärt, Bugge Wesseltoft & Sidsel Endresen. Since they devoted themselves to the work of John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, radio.string.quartet have gained a peerless reputation. The Viennese foursome are setting the bar high. For good reason: Wesseltoft, the Norwegian NuJazz pioneer, has co-produced their new album In Between Silence. The album was recorded live in the studio and further enriched with samples and overdubs. The use of vocals widens their horizon considerably, a first for the quartet. Berlin Techno DJ Henrik Schwarz is featured on one recording; mix and mastering were in the able hands of Jazzland-Mastermind Ulf Holand (Nils Petter Molvær). “There was a great longing for beauty and tranquility in us,” violinist Bernie Mallinger says about the gentle spark that ignited songwriting for their sixth album. In Between Silence shows great dynamics, a fearlessness concerning the use of experiments and wondrous sounds, while preserving catchy melodies. They set most personal stories to music; Mallinger describes their art as screenplays, realized in musical images. The calm before the beginning and the silence after the end – what happens in the interim? In Between Silence can be heard as the musical equivalent of the cycle of human existence. In the words of radio.string.quartet: “We play the song of life, full of chaos, energy and beauty.” radiostringquartet.net  

The trio was founded in 2015 by multi-instrumentalist Áron Tálas, guitarist Márton Fenyvesi and bass player Tibor Fonay, with the aim of creating experimental improvisational music based on genre-abridging grooves. The concert program, built on pre-composed rhythmic themes, develops itself out of improvisations drawn on elements of progressive rock, contemporary electronic music and dub. The trio is working on their debut album.

Valószínűleg Händel maga azon csodálkozna, hogy miért csak most? Azon pedig végképp fennakadna, hogy Bach előbb került terítékre nálunk, mint ő. Pont egyidősek voltak, Händel csak néhány évvel élte túl szaktársát, és mindkettejük látását ugyanaz a kuruzsló tette végleg tönkre utolsó éveikben. Händel viszont világsztár és dúsgazdag ember volt, míg Bach csupán egy elismert kántor, szerény körülmények között. Händel megfordult Európa legfontosabb udvaraiban, Bach egész életében egy pár kilométeres körön belül mozgott csupán. Ma mégis: Bachról szinte mindent tudunk, Händel régi dicsősége pedig mintha megkopott volna kissé. Itt az ideje, hogy belássuk: egy évben akár két korszakos zseni is születhet. És 1685-ben éppen ez történt. Händelt végül is az énekesek emelték arra a magaslatra, ahová őelőtte szerző még nem emelkedett, bár saját maga valószínűleg utálná ezt a felvetést. Hihetetlen operai sikerei hozták meg számára a világhírt, bár a köztudottan tüzes temperamentumú mester sokszor a tettlegességig fajult veszekedések árán tudta csak kordában tartani a kor szupersztárjait, az énekeseket – akikről egyébként sem volt túl nagy véleménnyel. Hogy mit gondolna Baráth Emőkéről, hazánk legelismertebb Händel énekeséről? Ezt önöknek kell eldönteniük ezen az estén, ahol végigszaladunk a hihetetlen életmű fontosabb sarokpontjain, egy igazán egyedülálló áriaest keretei között.

For the 2018/2019 season, the Rondo Quartet returns to the BMC Library to perform a three-part concert series. All three performances will feature one piece from the first quartet componist, Joseph Haydn's last complete cycle, the Erdődy Quartets. Haydn's quartets will be complimented by those of Janaček, including a string arrangement of a piano cycle, all intriguing due to their treatment of structure and arrangement. Finally, quartets by Ives, Copland and Cage will showcase the ideas American composers had about this particularly European chamber music genre.

Pianist, composer and university teacher at Liszt Ferenc Music Academy, Károly Binder is a significant musician, who vows his talent to new trends, alternative cultures and composition tecnhiques as well as to the synthesis of improvisation systems, without forgetting his own original musical roots. Binder is an autonomous musician whose compositions and piano playing do not represent one single style or genre category. He is a multidimensional artist with unbending determination, who – from the early 70s – moves along the chosen road on which he had no former Hungarian predecessors. In the development of Károly Binder as a composer, the grandiose ouvre of Béla Bartók as well as the folk music of the Carpathian basin, the early Hungarian homeland of the Volga and Kama, and even the American repetitive school of Steve Reich clearly can be traced. binderkaroly.hu 

A csodagyerekről szóló zenés mesénk folytatódik… a többi még maradjon titok. Egy biztos, a csokigolyó most sem marad el.

Viszonylag könnyen belátható, hogy Bach élet(műv)e és a késő-középkor – leginkább a 15. század – szinte bármely szerzője között párhuzam vonható. Hogy e sok szóba jöhető szerző közül miért éppen Du Fay-ra esett a választás... Talán azért, mert Du Fay élete viszonylag jól dokumentált, így életútjának fontosabb mérföldköveiről, legjelentősebb zeneszerzői döntéseiről, az alkotómunkához való hozzáállásáról, sőt élete utolsó napjairól is viszonylag sokat tudunk. De azért is, mert az ő személye különösen inspiratívnak bizonyul a ma zeneszerzője számára. Persze legalább ennyire Bach személye is. A Du Fay-Bach előadássorozat zárókoncertjének – Balogh Máté, Sándor László és Tornyai Péter szerzői estjének – műsorát úgy válogattuk össze, hogy az elhangzó darabok erről a megtermékenyítő inspirációról adjanak tanúbizonyságot. Fontos és tanulságos az, hogy egy szerző egy adott (élet)helyzetben, vagy egy adott esztétikai kérdőjellel szembesülve milyen alkotói döntést hoz. Nagy merészen úgy gondoltuk, hogy ez éppen annyira fontos a ma élő zeneszerző, mint a múlt csodált mesterei esetében.

Valószínűleg Händel maga azon csodálkozna, hogy miért csak most? Azon pedig végképp fennakadna, hogy Bach előbb került terítékre nálunk, mint ő. Pont egyidősek voltak, Händel csak néhány évvel élte túl szaktársát, és mindkettejük látását ugyanaz a kuruzsló tette végleg tönkre utolsó éveikben. Händel viszont világsztár és dúsgazdag ember volt, míg Bach csupán egy elismert kántor, szerény körülmények között. Händel megfordult Európa legfontosabb udvaraiban, Bach egész életében egy pár kilométeres körön belül mozgott csupán. Ma mégis: Bachról szinte mindent tudunk, Händel régi dicsősége pedig mintha megkopott volna kissé. Itt az ideje, hogy belássuk: egy évben akár két korszakos zseni is születhet. És 1685-ben éppen ez történt. Händelt végül is az énekesek emelték arra a magaslatra, ahová őelőtte szerző még nem emelkedett, bár saját maga valószínűleg utálná ezt a felvetést. Hihetetlen operai sikerei hozták meg számára a világhírt, bár a köztudottan tüzes temperamentumú mester sokszor a tettlegességig fajult veszekedések árán tudta csak kordában tartani a kor szupersztárjait, az énekeseket – akikről egyébként sem volt túl nagy véleménnyel. Hogy mit gondolna Baráth Emőkéről, hazánk legelismertebb Händel énekeséről? Ezt önöknek kell eldönteniük ezen az estén, ahol végigszaladunk a hihetetlen életmű fontosabb sarokpontjain, egy igazán egyedülálló áriaest keretei között.

Details soon!

Hannah James has been an unmatched force of innovation in British folk for nearly two decades. A multi-faceted performer, James’ virtuosic talent spans all her four disciplines: singer, accordionist, composer and clog dancer. She has amassed an international touring career, multiple award nominations, and credits in some of Britain’s most respected folk projects, including Lady Maisery and Songs of Separation. In 2015, James introduced her one-woman show, JigDoll. This innovative debut reinvented the notion of solo performance by combining all James’ disciplines simultaneously for an immersive, unforgettable song and dance experience. Utilising cutting-edge looping technology with vocal, accordion and composition skill, a multi-layered soundscape was woven onstage, providing the backdrop for James’ spellbinding fusion of traditional and wholly original dance. Now, the JigDoll Ensemble sees James enhanced by three masters of their instrument: percussionist András Des (Hungary), fiddle player Kate Young (Scotland), and bassist Marti Tarn (Estonia) perfectly articulate James’ visionary ideas for song, tune and dance. The resulting live masterpiece debuted at 2017’s English Folk Expo, gaining an awestruck standing ovation from distinguished folk industry professionals from around the globe and stunned UK audiences in 2018.

The Gramofon and Artisjus prize-winner jazz guitarist and composer teaches guitar since 1990, currently at the Béla Bartók Secondary School’s jazz guitar department and at the Jazz Faculty of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music. He has played with dozens of internationally renowned musicians, of whom Archie Shepp, Palle Mikkelborg, Erik Truffaz, Charlie Mariano, Ian Ballamy, Lars Danielsson, Stephen James, Bebo Baldan, Federico Sanes, Theo Jörgensman are definitely has to be mentioned. He was a founding member of the Tin Tin Quartet, and contributed on recordings of many famous jazz musicians. In 2002 his album 60/40, in collaboration with Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg, was released on BMC Records. In 2006 he founded his trio which is continuosuly active with a changing line-up, often extended to quartet or quintet by guest musicians. In 2009 he released 1978, featuring both the trio and the quintet; the album was voted for the Hungarian Jazz Record of the Year 2010.  Gábor plays regularly with fellow guitarist Bálint Gyémánt; the compositions of the guitar duo were released on the album Budapest in 2011. The 2013 live album, Making a Change, in trio with Péter Szalai and Miklós Lukács, includes among others A Love Supreme, the legendary sacral piece of the late John Coltrane, transcribed for guitar, percussion and cimbalom. In 2014, on commission of the Arcus Temporum festival in Pannonhalma Juhász presented a large composition, inspired by Franz Schubert’s song cycle, Winterreise. Gabor Juhasz was voted by the readers poll of jazzma.hu The Jazz Guitar Player of the Year in 2015. In the Garden, his latest album was released on the Fonó Records label in 2018. juhaszgabor.eu  

“Today, Schönberg’s music is understood to be ultramodern hyperbole taken to a laughable extreme. In his homeland, he is treated simply as ‘der Fall Schönberg’ /The Schönberg case/, as though referring to some psychopathology.” Thus Antal Molnár wrote in the periodical Nyugat (1912), reflecting the general sense surrounding the work of Arnold Schönberg. A good century has passed since then and in the meantime Schönberg has become a music history classic, although there has still not been a full exposition of his oeuvre free of misconceptions and prejudices. This is partly the mission of this concert, which opens with his atonal Three Piano Pieces (1909) as performed by Gábor Csalog, a fine artist who has long demonstrated his commitment to modern and contemporary music. ‘Two figures pass through the bare, cold grove; the moon accompanies them, they gaze into it.’ These are the opening lines of a poem by German Richard Dehmel published in 1896, inspiration for Schönberg’s late Romantic string sextet Transfigured Night that premiered three years later. The concert winds up with a truly unusual item, Pierrot Lunaire (1912), in sprechgesang (spoken singing) style with small orchestra accompaniment: verses by Belgian poet Albert Giraud are delivered by mezzosoprano Klára Csordás who currently resides in Paris.

The music of the Attila Gyárfás Trio is free and ethereal on one hand, while it surprises with sharp contrasts and reveal longer-term metamorphoses on the other. In their performance, the sincere co-play of the three musicians plays much greater role than the presentation of their individual musical abilities. The compositional elements of their repertoire are often accompanied by improvised passages, connected suite-like to each other, thus creating a bigger unit out of them. The trio was founded in 2013 by the talented drummer and composer, returning recently from the Netherlands, Attila Gyárfás, the highly versatile Artisjus-prize-winning guitarist, Márton Fenyvesi, and the sought-after bass player on the jazz scene in Rome, Marco Zenini. Cloud Factory, their first album was released in March, 2018 on the Sinistra label. attilagyarfas.bandcamp.com 

Az újraegyesítések nagyon ritkák a jazzben. A Human Feel mégis újra együtt zenél. A kamarazene, a free jazz és az alternatív rock szikrázó fúziója az eredeti szellemiségben szólal meg ismét. A zenekart 1987-ben, Bostonban alapította a két kiváló szaxofonos, Andrew D’Angelo és Chris Speed. A dobos Jim Black és a gitáros Kurt Rosenwinkel 1990-ben csatlakozott hozzájuk. New Yorkba költözött a zenekar, ahol a pezsgő belvárosi élet kedvenceivé váltak pillanatok alatt. A zenekari tagokat különböző produkciókba hívták, így együtt alkottak Time Berne-nel, Dave Douglas-szel, Uri Caine-nel és John Zornnal is. A ’90-es években olyan ikonikus felvételek kerültek ki a kezeik közül, mint a Scatter (1992), a Welcome to Malpesta (1994) és a Speak To It (1996). 2019-ben a régi energiákkal és hangzással áll a budapesti színpadra ez az ikonikus zenekar.

“Leïla Martial is more than a singer. She is a creator of feelings” Jean-Marc Gélin, JAZZ MAGAZINE Award-winning French singer, Leïla Martial, inhabits a captivating sonic universe, new wave jazz and rock amidst a flurry of vocal madness. She is one of today’s most experienced masters of a rare instrument: a voice of boundless creativity, a source of onomatopoeia which changes and transforms itself to adapt all soundscapes it browses. Whether she screams, blows, belches or delicately accompanies the melody, Leïla Martial is a force to reckon with. Her second album Baabel released on Laborie Jazz, also owes its richness to the talents of her trio, Pierre Tereygeol’s feverish guitar solos, Eric Perez’s changing rhythms into controlled waterfalls. Baabel delivers the most subtle and unexpected twists, switching from an urgent madness to serenity. Coming from a a family of musicians in the south-west of France, Leïla Martial trained at the celebrated Collège jazz of Marciac, a place known worldwide by its famous Jazz in Marciac Festival. She then entered the Conservatoire de Toulouse and several jazz schools, following in the footsteps of her friend Emile Parisien. She hesitated between a career as an actress or a musician, when in 2009 she won the first soloist prize at the Concours de la Défense (for the first time awarded to a singer), and soon after taking France by surprise with the release of Dance Floor, her debut album in 2012. In 2014 her quartet was selected by the AJC Network for the annual Jazz Migration tour. Leïla performs also in Anne Pacéo’s Circles and in FiL, her duo with Valentin Ceccaldi. Inspired by musicians as diverse as Eric Dolphy or Médéric Colignon, and just as moving as Jeanne Lee, Leïla Martial is the equal of her Swiss counterpart Andreas Schaerer, with whom she has performed at the Südtirol Jazz Festival. Among these influences, she also quotes Björk, Magma, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Maria Joao or the singer Camille.

 

A muzsikus kortársak egészen biztosan irigykedtek Haydnra, amiért egy olyan nagyigényű, művelt és választékos zenei ízlésű herceg közelében dolgozhatott, mint Esterházy „Fényes” Miklós, aki virágzó, operajátszást is magába foglaló zenei életet teremtett kismartoni és fertődi kastélyában. Haydn számára a hercegi szolgálat időszakában minden feltétel adott volt ahhoz, hogy korának legünnepeltebb zeneszerzőinek sorába emelkedjen. Manapság viszont inkább a hercegre szoktunk irigykedni, mert egy olyan zenei géniusz közelében élhetett évtizedeken keresztül, mint Joseph Haydn. A Budapesti Vonósok három koncertből álló hangversenysorozata a korai daraboktól indulva, két évtized szimfóniatermésének izgalmas keresztmetszetét mutatja be, mely egyben betekintést is enged egy műfaj születésébe és felvirágzásába. Az első koncerten azokkal az 1761 nyarán bemutatott szimfóniákkal találkozhatunk, melyek portrészerűen mutatják meg Haydn válogatott muzsikusokból álló együttesét. Ezek az egészen különleges, a barokk concerto és szvit jegyeit is magukon viselő darabokban Haydn minden egyes kollégájának adott valamilyen érdekes, feltűnő vagy csak egyszerűen hálás feladatot. A második koncert műsorán a kísérletező Haydn két egészen különleges szimfóniája szólal meg, a harmadikon pedig olyan kibővített apparátusra hangszerelt kompozíciók, melyek a párizsi és a londoni sorozatok lehengerlő stílusát jósolják. A művekről ismertetőt tart és vezényel: Vashegyi György, a Purcell Kórus és Orfeo Zenekar alapítója és művészeti vezetője.

We believe in Hungarian songwriters and we believe that for the success of songwriting it is essential to connect the talented authors of the Central European region with each other and with the world. For this reason, we will organize the second Songwriter Expo on February 18-19, 2019, where creators will be able to get inspired, gain new knowledge and form new relationships. Due to the success of the first Expo in 2018, the next one will be two-day long. Hence, visitors can choose from more programs, take a peek into the professional secrets of foreign and Hungarian songwriters and music specialists during lectures, workshops or individual consultations. In addition to the first Expo's most popular programs, we will also introduce new ones and bring many current topics.In February 2019, Budapest will become the capital of songwriting for two days. We believe your place is right there!

We believe in Hungarian songwriters and we believe that for the success of songwriting it is essential to connect the talented authors of the Central European region with each other and with the world. For this reason, we will organize the second Songwriter Expo on February 18-19, 2019, where creators will be able to get inspired, gain new knowledge and form new relationships. Due to the success of the first Expo in 2018, the next one will be two-day long. Hence, visitors can choose from more programs, take a peek into the professional secrets of foreign and Hungarian songwriters and music specialists during lectures, workshops or individual consultations. In addition to the first Expo's most popular programs, we will also introduce new ones and bring many current topics.In February 2019, Budapest will become the capital of songwriting for two days. We believe your place is right there!

(Greg Lamy is) “A guitar player whose refreshing and pure guitar sound gives birth to multiple melodic climates, underlined by a most fluid style, a musician with a promising future” Lionel Loueke New Orleans native guitarist, Greg Lamy, is a unique commuter: constantly moving between Luxemburg, New Orleans and Paris. After he finished his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, he was rapidly noticed while showcasing in clubs in New York and making swift tours around Europe. Greg Lamy often finds himself invited to perform in various bands and has simultaneously created his own quartet with saxophonist Johannes Müller, drummer Jean-Marc Robin and double-bass player Gautier Laurent. The Greg Lamy Quartet is an inspired and challenging formation where the pleasure of performing together and being pluralist at the same time are the decisive elements, creating a unique jazz atmosphere. Since 2006 the quartet has released four albums, the last of them, Press Enter, came out in 2017. More than just an album marked by modernity – as the titles Control Swift, Erase, Exit and Press Enter suggest –, the album’s nine original compositions (plus a bonus track) are first and foremost an invitation to a journey. The album thus seduces with a broad range of sensations, both impressionist and figurative, melancholic and energetic… Lamy’s abundant inspiration is more than ever revealed by a decade-long musical complicity with his fellow musicians. We can’t help but follow the quartet’s call: Press Enter… and enjoy the journey! greglamy.com 

Barlast creates spacious new music with a silence echoing in the background.The silence can be heard between the notes. Everything unnecessary is stripped away.Only the name remains as ballast. From the soothing sound of a telecaster to the calling of the mänkeri, the herder’s instrument, from the rumble of a frame drum to a free double bass solo, the aural visions range from 18th century dances to heavy breathing in hazmat suits. The quartet was noted as one of the highlights in the showcase festival Tallinn Music Week 2017 and has performed in Finland, Estonia and Norway. Their debut album Ihantola, released in 2017 has been described as “a joy, taking the listener on a journey of unexpected peaks and valleys of experimental and exploratory music.” Barlast is releasing their second album in 2019 and the concert in at the Opus Jazz Club is part of the record release tour. barlast.com  The concert has been supported by The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland

Talks and mini concert Swiss composer Heinz Holliger is one of the few doyens of contemporary music field. Now he is coming to have a master class here in Budapest with Peter Eötvös. During the public meeting we can hear a mini-concert of his smaller pieces and he will also perform as a surprise. Host: Gergely Fazekas, music historianLanguage of the talks: English. Supporters: Pro Helvetia Foundation, National Cultural Fund www.eotvosmusicfoundation.orgwww.facebook.com/petereotvosfoundation

”So ingenious is the way vocalist Lucia Cadotsch reimagines the canon of standards that the songs feel fully in the here and now. (…) Such is the spell that Cadotsch, Sandsjö and Eldh cast on these albums that it can make one feel that this is the only way age-old standards should be approached: not slavishly but fearlessly, with an unfettered imagination approaching that of the songs’ originators.” Bradley Bamberger, Downbeat ★★★★★ On their internationally acclaimed album Speak Low, released on enja/yellowbird records in 2017, Swiss singer Lucia Cadotsch, in a trio with Petter Eldh on bass and Otis Sandsjö on tenor saxophone, perform a captivating beautiful collection of modern classics like we’ve never heard them before. The record, a gorgeous sonic love letter to Lucia’s soul mates from a distant musical past, won her the ECHO Jazz Award in 2017. The absence of both a harmonic and a rhythmic instrument makes this trio really unique – live, minimalistic, raw and even symphonic. SPEAK LOW have everything they need to interpret these beautiful songs in their own unique, stirring and very contemporary way. In one place, you hear the saxophone and think of a vintage synthesizer; in another, the strings and wood of the bass sound like the kick and claps of an 808. Still: no effects. This is a real band, with musicians who can play anything and are not afraid to hold themselves back. Above all, Lucia Cadotsch lays it down straight: she sings freely and with pride, she uses her gorgeous instrument like a real storyteller. What she sings always sounds real because there is a hotline between the song and her heart. The newspaper DIE ZEIT recognizes in the native Swiss singer one of the most important voices “for the resurrection of jazz melody beyond tired scripts and singer-songwriter clichés.” Originally from Zürich, now living in Berlin, Cadotsch recorded three albums with the musical collective, Schneeweiss + Rosenrot. They won the New German Jazz Award in 2012. Together with Wanja Slavin (Echo-Award Winner for Best Saxophonist National 2014), they run “LIUN and the Science Fiction Band”, synthpop for people of the day after tomorrow. With the modern-root band Yellow Bird she released a super-dada bluegrass album, the follow up Edda Lou came out in January 2018 and together with Hayden Chisholm and the Lucerne Jazz Orchestra, she reclaimed the old time Big-Band Swing for the 21st century. The Swedish bass-player Petter Eldh, and his compatriot, Otis Sandsjö, have both won many accolades in the jazz world. Petter plays in Django Bates‚ Belovèd, in AMOK AMOR (with Peter Evans), with Kit Downes and in a number of other constellations. He has been releasing records like a madman, not least on his own label, Galatea Records. He plays about 100 concerts a year on stages all over the world. Otis is a member of the bands Farvel and Gothenburg Gadjos as well as leading his own OTIS+WEDDING and is about to make a big name for himself in the scene for his unconventional playing style. On stage together the three are a force able to work their magic on any possible night. The songs they play make up the heart of their performance and in them – everything is possible.  luciacadotsch.com 

A zene történetében gyakran nem a radikális újítók, hanem az őrzők játsszák a főszerepet. Olyan komponisták, akik tudatosan mentenek át valamit a távoli vagy közelmúlt értékeiből. Egy Palestrina, egy Schütz, egy Bach, egy Mozart, egy Brahms vagy egy Kodály – de a sort a végtelenségig lehetne folytatni. S persze nem ritkán még a legmerészebbekről is kiderülhet, hogy valójában a tradíciót éltették tovább. Amikor a moderneket a klasszikusok tükre elé állítjuk, nem a szembesítés a cél: sokkal fontosabb, hogy azt éljük át, azt tapasztaljuk meg, hogy a visszatükröződés a zene alaptermészetéhez tartozik. A Budapesti Vonósok tehát ismét párbeszédre invitálják a közönséget, s olyan csemegéket kínálnak, mint Schönberg fiatalkori keringőfüzére, a Bach fiúk zenekari muzsikája, a modern magyar zene nagy klasszikusainak darabjai, vagy az új generáció képviselői közül Varga Judit, Balogh Máté és Brandenburg Ádám kompozíciói.

Pianist and composer Nitai Hershkovits has been described as a ‘Genuine prodigy’ by BBC music. ‘Reminiscent of a silky-toned old piano swinger such as the late Hank Jones’ (The Guardian), intertwining bliss and melancholy with skillful freedom. As a solo artist, Nitai Hershkovits’ repertoire consists mainly of original work written for piano, giving space for interpretation. Since a young age, Nitai had the privilege of touring all over the world and performing at many different venues: Village Vanguard, Salle Pleyel, Vienna Konzerthaus, l’Olympia, Alter Oper, North Sea Jazz Festival, Antibes Jazz Festival, Jazz à Vienne, Montreux Jazz Festival, Barbican Center and Tonhalle, to name a few. In 2011 Nitai joined bassist Avishai Cohen’s group (known for his long time collaboration with Chick Corea as well as for his successful band leading career). As part of Cohen’s Trio as well as of other symphonic projects, they recorded 3 albums together: A Duet - Duende (EMI/Blue Note), A chamber music project Almah (EMI/Parlaphone) and a Trio album -From Darkness (Razdaz Records). In 2016 Nitai had relocated to NY and is keeping a busy schedule, touring and recording with notable artists such as: Malmo Symphonic Orchestra, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Kendrick Scott, Mike Moreno, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Robert Sadin, Theo Bleckmann, Matt Penman, Mark Turner, Marcus Gilmore, Ben Monder, Jorge Rossy, Mndsgn (Ringgo) among many others. Nitai's latest album, New Place Always is a collection of melodies that have resonated through time, long enough to evoke a sense of folkloric familiarity. After collaborating for his debut album, Nitai Hershkovits and Rejoicer take the art of Piano Solo to a new level; Eight of the tunes were written together in the studio — “I had all kinds of ideas but I wanted the music to fit the piano and the room in the studio so I wrote most of them there. The process was simple - we kept switching sides, left and right hands, each one brings his colour to a new tune”, says Nitai. Like in classical music, the rest of the tunes are through-composed, leaving space for interpretation and real-time composition as well as gathering musical ideas from Nitai’s African roots, using Western harmonies to create a new, fresh palette of sounds.

A zene történetében gyakran nem a radikális újítók, hanem az őrzők játsszák a főszerepet. Olyan komponisták, akik tudatosan mentenek át valamit a távoli vagy közelmúlt értékeiből. Egy Palestrina, egy Schütz, egy Bach, egy Mozart, egy Brahms vagy egy Kodály – de a sort a végtelenségig lehetne folytatni. S persze nem ritkán még a legmerészebbekről is kiderülhet, hogy valójában a tradíciót éltették tovább. Amikor a moderneket a klasszikusok tükre elé állítjuk, nem a szembesítés a cél: sokkal fontosabb, hogy azt éljük át, azt tapasztaljuk meg, hogy a visszatükröződés a zene alaptermészetéhez tartozik. A Budapesti Vonósok tehát ismét párbeszédre invitálják a közönséget, s olyan csemegéket kínálnak, mint Schönberg fiatalkori keringőfüzére, a Bach fiúk zenekari muzsikája, a modern magyar zene nagy klasszikusainak darabjai, vagy az új generáció képviselői közül Varga Judit, Balogh Máté és Brandenburg Ádám kompozíciói.

Estonian pianist Kristjan Randalu is one of the most versatile, most exciting artists of his generation, an outstanding soloist, composer, and arranger. Jazz Times called his music “an unnamable exotic land.” He turned Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, a piano cycle popular in diverse arrangements, into a saxophone-piano duo, in a manner that left ample room for his own musical ideas. This evening his partner will be saxophonist David Liebman, an alumnus of the bands of Elvin Jones and Miles Davis whose career started in the 1970s. He can be heard on over 500 records, and his widely translated educational writings are essential material for the instruction of jazz.

Guillaume de Machaut (c1300–1377) is one of the foremost figures in the history of Western music. His oeuvre is unparallelled in all major genres of his day and his musical innovations spread like wildfire. Renassiance music was born from Machaut's art which subsequently became a major influence on every style of music. His self-consciousness as a composer and poet was 50 years ahead of his time: he might even be considered the first avantgarde artist. In the present four lectures and the accompanying concerts, János Bali sets out to expose Machaut's musical hearing and show how the most powerful intellectual trends of his time appear in the composer's mentality as musical elements. 

By inviting Gergely Fazekas to my piano recital series, I am hoping for a new type of dialogue between the music historian and the artist which might even involve the audience. Before and during the pieces, we will be able to consider parts and aspects of the music which speak to us. (Gábor Csalog)

Guitarist for Tom Waits, Marc Ribot is coming to Budapest in 2019 to present his solo project. During the past decades Ribot has worked together with artists like Jack McDuff, Wilson Pickett, Chuck Berry, Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp, Diana Krall, Marianne Faithful, Laurie Anderson, McCoy Tyner, a Medeski, Martin & Wood, James Carter, Allen Ginsburg, Madeleine Peyroux or Norah Jones, Jeff Bridges and Elton John in the recent past.