The Zádor – Kováts duo was formed in 2016. In their music, the two instruments engage in a dialogue based on the themes of their own compositions, in which the alternation of consonant and dissonant harmonies creates tension. Their works are typically born out of improvisation, with both composed ideas and spontaneous instrumental reflections, almost reminiscent of free music. Their exchange of ideas is based on their album Thoughts from the Outskirts, released in autumn 2018, but this concert will also feature some potential hits from their forthcoming second album. The duo's artistic mission is to perform music interspersed with pre-composed passages, but essentially improvised, in a way that is understandable and enjoyable for listeners less familiar with the jazz genre – without compromise.   Thoughts from the Outskirts by Zádor - Kováts duo

2021-ben a kölni Zeneakadémia és a müncheni Hochschule für Musik und Theater hallgatói közös kollaborációban vettek részt, melynek célja új dalok írása és előadása volt. Az egyetlen kikötés az volt, hogy 21. századi szövegeket kellett megzenésíteni. A végeredmény rendkívül színes és izgalmas lett, igazán különleges volt megfigyelni, hogy a fiatal német és más nemzetiségű zeneszerzők milyen kimagasló érdeklődést mutatnak a dalírás iránt. Mintha a Lied műfaja hirtelen újrateremtődne, vagy akár továbbfejlődne. A programban szereplő zeneszerzők a Hochschule für Musik und Theater München jelenlegi és diplomázott hallgatói, mindannyian Prof. Moritz Eggert tanítványai. A program szervezője és művészeti vezetője Varga Abigél zeneszerző.

Contemporary jazz and contemporary classical music are almost indistinguishable concepts, their boundaries seem to be blurring. What is most important about them is the encounter: what happens when different practices, worlds that mutually support and presuppose each other, enter into an alliance? What kind of electricity is generated and what kind of music is born out of it here and now?  Lajos Rozmán is an experimental performer who has made his mark as a soloist and in many forms of ensemble playing, from duo to large orchestra. He knows every aspect of organising and leading a performance, both as an instrumentalist and as a conductor. This knowledge is expressed in a distinctive sound and the intensive inner dynamism of his playing. All this experience and improvisational instinct, partly inherited from the greatest figures of written music, is combined with the unmistakable, noble beauty of Gábor Gadó's composed and free music, rooted in tradition and individual at the same time. This is not their first meeting, but rather the latest stage of their work together in a wide variety of settings. The inner guarantee of the electric discharge that results from this encounter is provided by Anna Rákóczy and Ernő Hock, longtime companions of Rozmán and Gadó’s journey.   The show brings to life the musical memory of several centuries through Gábor Gadó's latest songs and transcriptions in unexpected tones.

Departure, change and return "The very first musical motif of the Goldberg Variations, the Aria, takes thirty different forms before returning to its starting point. Although it is a work composed in the West, its structure may remind us to some extent of the Eastern idea of reincarnation. I would like to share with the audience the experience of this recurrence of sounds." - Han Chi Ho The Goldberg Variations is an emblematic work, turned into epoch-making in the history of piano music by the playing of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. Starting with the Aria, Bach's cyclical piece wanders through thirty different variations before ending with a return to the original theme. Following his 2021 concert in Germany, the Süddeutsche Zeitung compared Han Chi Ho's piano playing to that of Glenn Gould and Wilhelm Kempff. Han Chi Ho is a graduate of the University of Music, Drama and Media Hannover, Germany, where he studied piano performance. The Germany-based concert pianist is considered a unique performer with a wide repertoire, who by the age of 20 had already established a reputation for his individual performance style in German classical music. He has achieved top prizes in Beethoven competitions in Vienna and Bonn and Schubert in Dortmund. In 2014 he was the Audience Prize winner at the ARD International Music Competition in Germany, and also took home the prize for the best interpretation of a piece composed for the competition. In South Korea, he won first prize at the Seoul International Music Competition, a silver medal at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in the USA and fourth place at the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition. This year, in 2022, he was awarded third place in the modern music category at the Orléans International Piano Competition, the most prestigious music competition in Europe, and the Yun Isang Special Prize. As a soloist, he has performed at international music festivals such as the Cervo International Music Festival, the Ruhr Piano Festival, the Kissinger Sommer Music Festival and the Lake Como Piano Festival, the Ernen Music Village Festival and the Deer Valley Music Festival, and has performed with leading orchestras such as the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Belgian International Orchestra and the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra. Han Chi Ho, who has been artist-in-residence at the Korean Cultural Centre for two years, will appear as soloist in a total of four performances in the 2022/2023 season. After two performances last year, this June he will perform Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations.

Leginkább a férfikarok hangzásával rokonítható a mélyvonós együtteseké - nem véletlen, hogy utóbbiak irodalma sokszor merít belőlük. A mostani koncerten azonban három eredeti kompozíció is elhangzik, közülük kettő is erősen kapcsolódik Liszt szellemiségéhez. Valamennyi darab megjelent a BHKZ Edition gondozásában, ezeket a helyszínen is meg lehet vásárolni.

Dominga Tango is a tango duet created in 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by Ana Micozzi on piano and Ilein Bermudez on violoncello. Given their atypical lineup in the genre, they make their own non-traditional arrangements searching for a distinctive style and a very original sound. The repertory includes contemporary and traditional Argentinian tangos. They play several tangos composed by female composers, with the intention of disseminating and promoting their work within a genre that has been historically established mostly by male musicians. During their third European tour, they will perform in several cities in Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Hungary and Germany.   Chapa y Pintura by DomingaTango

The Egri & Pertis Piano Duo's concert series, Crosstalks showcases the interplay of the arts. This evening is centered on opera, a genre that is itself an interplay: a fusion of text, music, scenery and stage performance, mutually inspiring each other. But what happens when a composer transforms all this into piano music? Why were 19th-century piano virtuosos so passionate about operas, and how did they paraphrase them? Is it possible to satirize an opera? The answers will be provided by the works performed: the bel canto masters – Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini – share the programme with piano virtuosos such as Liszt, Thalberg and Chabrier. The evening's guest artist, opera director Miklós Szinetár, former director general of the Hungarian State Opera, gives a special insight into the world of the genre, while the host will once again be the popular editor and presenter of Bartók Radio, Szilvia Becze. The concert is supported by OTP Bank.

In the first thirty years of film history, when films were still running in cinemas without sound, about 600 feature films were made in Hungary, including the world-famous works of Sándor Korda and Mihály Kertész, but only a couple of these have survived. The survivors of the internationally acclaimed, flourishing Hungarian silent film industry are sought and collected by the National Film Institute's archive, whose ever-growing collection has inspired prominent representatives of Hungarian contemporary music. This evening, the Moment's Notice Trio's improvised musical discourses will further interpret the output of the first golden age of Hungarian filmmaking, in the form of feature film excerpts and fragments. This time, the drama unfolds through the dialogue between image and music.

In the first thirty years of film history, when films were still running in cinemas without sound, about 600 feature films were made in Hungary, including the world-famous works of Sándor Korda and Mihály Kertész, but only a couple of these have survived. The survivors of the internationally acclaimed, flourishing Hungarian silent film industry are sought and collected by the National Film Institute's archive, whose ever-growing collection has inspired prominent representatives of Hungarian contemporary music. In the second part of Opéra Cinématique, the silent film excerpts are interwoven with compositions by soloist-composers of the Modern Art Orchestra, under the artistic direction of Kornél Fekete-Kovács. The programme will include not only feature film extracts but also documented real-life scenes from the first half of the 20th century.

The musical world of Pastell Contemporro can be described as contemporary jazz based on Bartókian traditions, drawing on the jazz avant-garde of '60s America, and also using elements of folk, bop and swing. The band is also characterised by a grotesque-ironic tone and audience-friendly humour. Active since 2008, the jazz quartet was founded by pianist János Weisz and saxophonist Attila Borkó, joined by Márton Eged (bass) and Sly Juhász (drums). All four musicians play in other bands with distinguished artists such as István Elek, Márton Fenyvesi, the Transform Quintet and Bálint Gyémánt. They perform regularly in the biggest Hungarian clubs and have also participated in the Budapest Music Expo.

"I owe a lot to the beginnings. I think I can rightly be proud of my musical background. I could be the fellow musician of István Grencsó, György Szabados and Mihály Dresch. The former cohesive power of these communities – as a kind of samurai pride – resides here in me. Does art reflect the state of society? Its main value is that unique? That would be ideal, however, the world wants to have fun. And the artist grinds there between these two millstones with opposite motion. That is why we say that art is a business of torment and pain. On June 1, I will be performing with outstanding musicians who will be able to give me the opportunity to play parallel to the accompaniment. Their sense of form, ability to break form, and their desire for catharsis make me optimistic. This music has a serious future ahead of us here as well, I dare take poison from the stronger variety... As the menu of the evening, we offer free compositions and our own pieces spiced with a powerful and vast amount of improvisation." Tamás Geröly One of the most characteristic percussionists in Hungary, Tamás Geröly and his friends, promises a real treat for the fans of complex contemporary free music. The outstanding Hungarian representatives of the genre – at the same time the representatives of two generations – have already played together several times.

Saxophonist-composer Kristóf Bacsó occasionally extends his musical horizons with guest musicians, as was the case when he recorded an album with bassist Lionel Loueke for BMC Records (Pannon Blue), creating a kind of fusion of Hungarian-focused contemporary jazz and West African-influenced improvisational music, and then, with his own band, Kristóf Bacsó Triad, he recorded another album together with guest bassist Daniele Camarda (Imaginary Faces). The use of electronics, already prominent on Pannon Blue, opens the door to a further change of dimension. The backbone of this evening is material from Imaginary Faces, but since the release of the album, several new compositions have also become part of the band's repertoire. In recent years, Kristóf Bacsó has released four albums as a composer, and his compositions have been performed in a delightful orchestration by his trio, quartet, quintet or the Modern Art Orchestra, in which he has been active as a soloist and composer since the band’s foundation. But of all these, he considers Triad as his own child, where one of his partners on keyboards is the award-winning Áron Tálas, who, in addition to piano, also plays the Fender and other electronic sounds with great originality. The third member of the band is drummer László Csízi, who is one of the busiest drummers on the Hungarian jazz scene. Triad's music blends elements of jazz and contemporary music with an Eastern European feel, with carefully crafted passages and collective improvisations playing an important role. http://kristofbacsomusic.com/  

The second album of Bendegúz Varga's band, released on Tom-Tom Records, is the follow-up to Goldmund, released in 2018, with perhaps an even more sophisticated sound and a clearer commitment to experimental contemporary jazz. The compositions and arrangements of the band leader and members are carefully crafted, with consistent emotional and atmospheric characteristics, and their playing is of a high quality and sensitivity. The material on the album is varied yet coherent, and offers an accessible musical world even for those new to the jazz genre. The bandleader is a drummer who plays in Júlia Karosi's band, but has also been a member of bands led by Károly Gáspár, Attila Rieger and Kristóf Bacsó for many years. He founded his own band in 2015; his current bandmates include János Ávéd, who has been voted saxophonist of the year several times, jazz guitarist Márton Fenyvesi, and Ádám Bögöthy, one of the scene's busiest bassists. The guest artist for the new album and this evening is virtuoso pianist Árpád Tzumo, a graduate of the Monk Institute in the US. “We are all chasing our dreams. I think one of the most important virtues is to keep chasing. With this album, Bendegúz and his band have caught up with their dreams, and I congratulate them from the bottom of my heart”, said jazz guitarist and composer Gábor Juhász about the new album.  

A well-rehearsed ensemble is connected by an invisible, elastic band among each other: if one side is pulled, all move accordingly. The band Woodoism fully corresponds to this idea: As if on a taut net, the four musicians move confidently and extremely changeably through their compositions, the harmonious interplay always perfectly coordinated. At times, their youthful nonchalance and inner calm, which is directly transmitted to the audience, is astonishing - at other times, their discreet humor and infectious playing mood is captivating.  After the quartet came together in 2014 as Woodoism, Florian Weiss (tb) Linus Amstad (as), Valentin v. Fischer (b) and Philipp Leibundgut (dr) released their debut album Woodoism three years later. In 2019, the second disc Refugium follows on the German label Neuklang. The press praises the "magical brew" and also the courage to move somewhere between cool and free jazz with their original compositions. The band manages to never let itself be taken out of its own dynamic and has already swum free of everything that could be put on them as a stamp early on. They tell their musical stories with such a differentiated and entertaining sound spectrum that you fall completely under their spell and can't stop listening to them.  With Alternate Reality, the band now presents their third album in spring 2021, released on Nils Wogram's label NWog Records. Since 2020, Woodoism has been supported by Pro Helvetia's Priority Jazz Funding. The band is a winner of the Jazzpreis' of the Zürcher Kantonalbank and its Audience Award 2018 and has already toured Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Russia and the Netherlands, among others. (Isumi Rögner, 2021) In the days following the concert at Opus Jazz Club, the quartet will record their new album at BMC, which is expected to be released in 2024.  

Friends since 2003 and playing several times together, joint projects of István Grencsó and Lewis Jordan are documented by two triumphant albums released on BMC Records, Homespun in Black and White (2009) and Local Time (2011). „István’s approach to music expresses a philosophy which I find the most alluring. He interprets ’free music’ in the exact way that resonates with me: with a passion and energy that comes straight from the heart. His compositions and his freedom of expression all lead to an uncompromised sensual experience.” – wrote Lewis Jordan about Grencsó in the booklet of their first album. No truer words could be spoken about his partner in music and the compositions born from their meeting. The two soloists will be joined by Róbert Benkő and Szilveszter Miklós, both members of the Grencsó Collective, to open the doors of a musical world without barriers – all we have to do is walk through them without prejudice.  

The musical world of Rozina Pátkai's album Minka is the straight continuation of the artist's intermedia experiments (sound images, montages, performances) and the EM90 orchestra's album Bad word order, composed from the poems of Miklós Erdély. Rozina, with the help of guitarist, electronic musician and sound engineer Bence Dóczi, has moved from bossa nova to electronic music, a never resting sound world, and has found her way back from the Portuguese musical tradition to her mother tongue: the poems of Sándor Weöres, Endre Ady, Szilárd Borbély, Frigyes Karinthy, Mihály Víg, Árpád Tóth, Lajos Áprily and, last but not least, Minka Czóbel, whose first name became the title of the group’s first album. After their second album on poems by János Pilinszky, the band has now created ever-changing but always intense soundscapes from the poems of Sándor Petőfi, with an atmosphere that draws mainly from electronic dance music, free jazz and contemporary music. This time again, János Ávéd, Rozina's regular musical collaborator, also plays a key role, and the concert will be rounded out by the contributions of musicians with a wide range of musical skills and experience.  

Gábor Juhász – the Hungarian guitarist famous for his beautiful melodies – presents a selection of the time-honoured songs he wrote in his various creative eras: in the early nineties, when he was a member of the Tin Tin Quartet and Pangea, from the period of the first records released under his own name in the early 2000s, while also including compositions written for his trio. "This concert showcases my joyful realization that my trio has become an extremely important entity for me", said the guitarist, composer and band leader, who will also perform standards in addition to his own pieces – standards that accompany and guide him like lighthouses as he sails through his musical career.  

The Vasas Artistic Ensemble's Lajos Vass Choir, celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, was founded in 1903 as a male choir, then reorganised as a mixed choir in 1948. The three pillars of its repertoire are contemporary Hungarian music, large-scale oratorios and a cappella pieces. The choir had the honour to premiere Zrínyi Szózata by Zoltán Kodály and Mathias Rex by Lajos Vass. The ensemble took over the name of its former conductor, the Erkel Prize-winning composer Lajos Vass, in 1994 and has been committed to promoting his work and preserving his legacy ever since. It is still crucial for them that all age groups can show their voice and continue the decades-old tradition. The Lajos Vass Choir has established a tradition of organising conducting courses, their concerts instigated meetings between renowned and emerging conductors, and in 2023, they held their first choir meeting with three guest choirs. They have built up a rich international network and won prizes at competitions in Hungary and abroad. Since 2015, their conductor has been Dániel Szűcs, joined in 2023 by Zsófia Székely as assistant conductor. The programme of their festive concert will focus on the greats of Hungarian choral music: they will evoke Lajos Vass and Kodály, commemorate György Ligeti, who was born 100 years ago, and perform a piece by György Orbán, perhaps the most popular Hungarian choral composer of our time.

The Oláh Dezső Vibratone Quartet aims to make the vibraphone more widely known, hoping that through the discovery of the instrument the audience will also be brought closer to the world of contemporary jazz and collective improvisation. The orchestra, developing its repertoire through in-depth workshop, was formed during the pandemic with the expansion of the Dezső Oláh Trio and has since played at prestigious venues and festivals. The members of the quartet are regularly invited to many important cultural events in Hungary and abroad, but in this orchestra they combine not only their musical qualities but also the best of their composing skills – their compositions have been successful in the Müpa Budapest Music Competition, among others.

Pianist György Pataj graduated from the jazz department at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in 1997. Over the past fifteen years he has played with such prestigious Hungarian musicians as Aladár Pege, Imre Kőszegi, Gyula Babos or the Cotton Club Singers. Pataj Jazz Quintet, his own band was founded in 2009, and after a few changes, the present solid lineup of prominent musicians of the Budapest jazz scene came to being. The quintet revives the hard-bop genre of the '60s and '70s: their sound reflects the world of groups led by outstanding personalities of the period (Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Cannonball Adderley).

What happens if you cross a violin with a tárogató? We get the first member of the Glissonic family of instruments, the Glissotar. Winner of both the Grand Prize and the Audience Prize at the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2022 in Atlanta, this unique instrument is the brainchild of Dániel Váczi, developed in collaboration with designer Tóbiás Terebessy. The main novelty of the Glissonic family of instruments is that instead of holes, the pitch can be controlled with a longitudinal slot and a magnetic strip, so that – like on a violin string – long glissandos, tremolos and microtonal tones can be played, and the instrument can also be used to produce unusual, special effects.Dániel Váczi exploits the potential of this new instrument with his trio. His partners are two great figures of the Hungarian free and experimental jazz scene, Máté Pozsár, with whom Dániel also plays in the Decolonize Your Mind Society band, and Zsolt Sárvári Kovács, with whom Dániel has been playing in various bands for twenty-five years.The trio will perform a selection from their 2021 album Rebus, as well as tracks from their forthcoming second album. Musical puzzles from Leonardo, rhythm haiku, aperiodic musical chops and loose grooves with lots of improvisation. https://danielvaczi.hu/https://glissonic.com/  

Born into a family of Cuban musicians, Elsa Valle, who has lived in Hungary for a long time, is a great favourite with the public. The grand dame of Afro and Latin jazz in Hungary enchants audiences not only with her unbridled energy, but also with her captivatingly open, direct personality, full of joie de vivre. Her style combines traditional Cuban singing, bebop and improvisation, and her repertoire is complex in rhythm and melody. Elsa's concerts are characterised by the driving music and energetic, explosive performance that give the essence of her compositions. Her talent as a performer, composer and arranger is combined with a simple clarity that allows the songs to unfold in a unique, heartfelt and uplifting way.

Patrik Sebestyén started his career as a classical trumpet player in various symphony orchestras, and only turned to jazz in his twenties. His increasingly significant career in jazz music is evidenced by the fact that he won significant Hungarian awards and scholarships in the past years. The members of his sextet are the youngest and busiest talents on the Hungarian jazz scene, and have won numerous awards individually. The band released its debut album Colors of Fortune in 2021, featuring two standards alongside original compositions by members of the band members, inspired by the classic period of American jazz in the 1950s and 1960s. Their new album, Wandering in Memory Palace, is due for release in June and will feature mainstream-inspired compositions mixed with classical music, as well as Patrik's latest musical experiments. All of the tracks are linked to defining memories, so the listener suddenly finds themselves in a wondrous palace of memory, inviting them to wander and contemplate. For this concert, the sextet mainly selects material from the new album, but they also play songs from the previous one.  

The band, which started out as a trio in 2017, has recorded four albums in their career. They premiered their latest album, The sweetest love of all, at Opus as their birthday production, with huge success. The eclectic songs feature a variety of musical styles that have infiltrated the jazz genre, with the inevitable Hammond organ in the background. The band's aim is to create an album with an entertaining character that will appeal not only to jazz fans but also to listeners from other genres. As a result of the friendship and attunement between the members, the Fenyves Quartet's concerts are not only good vibes, but also open up space for the release of enormous energy and emotions. Catchy music, audience-centred music-making from friends to friends – because by the end of the concert, we all become friends.  

Traditional, mainstream jazz is the stylistic ground for Miklós Gányi’s quartet, which they transform in peculiar ways, stripping away all constraints. Sometimes they recall the era of dixie and swing, sometimes they experiment with modern, free sounds. Their compositions give plenty of room to improvisation. The band was formed in 2016. Miklós Gányi also has a trio that recorded three albums for the Japanese company, Atelier Sawano, all of which proved to be very successful.

The young Hungarian saxophonist has a sophistication that belies his age, which is not only evident in his – otherwise incredibly virtuosic – playing, but also in his compositions. Ármin is a lover of tradition, so he likes to draw on the work of the great jazz forebears. His musical talent came through at an early age; after years of studying classical music, he turned to jazz, where he eventually found his own path. He had the opportunity to perform on stage with world stars such as Jim Rotondi, Renato Chicco, Luis Diego Bonilla, John Riley and Rick Margitza. In recent years, he has released two self-penned albums, Crazier Out There (2021) and Bad Odyssey (2022). For this concert, the saxophonist, who studied at the University of Music in Graz, has invited musicians of different nationalities but based in Graz, and is joined by his trumpet player friend Dániel Hofecker, with whom Ármin co-founded the Nexus Lineup sextet. The ensemble won 1st prize and a special prize at the Hungarian Jazz Association's Budapest Orchestra Competition, and 2nd place at the Zilina International Jazz Contest.  

Although the Weisz brothers have been playing together in different bands since they were children, they gave their first joint recital in the marble hall of the Hungarian Radio in the spring of 2013, founding their band. The premiere of their new material in 2016 also took place there, followed by further concerts, also at Opus. The band's sound is a triad of jazz, classical music and folk music, based on a rather honest and unique sound. They are characterised by a fresh and free approach to the performance of their compositions, often playing in trio or duo. The orchestration is also very varied, sometimes light, sometimes experimental or contemporary, occasionally with a touch of grotesque humour. The compositions in the band's repertoire are created with a deep musical refinement, and the great dynamic differences make the sound even more colourful, combined with individual solos.

Jazz pianist Máté Lachegyi, currently living in the Netherlands, has been active in the Hungarian and international jazz scene for more than ten years. His music constantly balances on borders, creating an exciting and captivating tension. Máté builds his complex musical world out of elementary emotions and moods, characterised by lyricism, cinematography, melancholy and often a kind of mythicism. The desire for an unspoilt relationship with nature also features strongly. His large-scale compositions are full of unexpected turns. He has drawn inspiration from many sources to find his own voice, from Renaissance vocal polyphony to Scandinavian jazz and contemporary music. The music of Arvo Pärt and Meredith Monk, as well as the art of Tarkovsky, have been particularly influential. His sensitive and daring piano playing has been shaped notably by Ahmad Jamal, Keith Jarrett and Brad Mehldau, and more recently Kit Downes. His international quartet, founded in Amsterdam, has performed several times in Hungary in recent years. This time they are joined by János Ávéd, one of the most influential and original saxophonists on the Hungarian jazz scene. www.matelachegyi.com

Barnabás Tomor's music is mainly characterized by jazz, rock and afro influences. The bassist founded his first own band, Bass Loco, in 2008; his work in various formations became more and more sought-after on the Budapest underground jazz-blues scene, as well as at clubs and festivals in the countryside. He founded his trio in 2010. In 2015, the trio performed at the evening dedicated to Barnabás' compositions at the A38 Ship, which was also filmed for the Hungarian Television. The new line-up started in early 2019 with guitarist Péter Usztics and drummer Ádám Ákos Szumper. The trio's repertoire consists mainly of compositions by the band leader. Barnabás Tomor is also active as an organizer of HendrixFest, (Blue)Stone & Friends and Blues Night Session, among others. https://barnabastomor.com/  

In the music of Rebeka Nagy-Babos, many different styles meet. The singer, who is open to jazz, folk and electronic music, experiments with different moods, momentary impressions and feelings in her constant search for new ways. At her concerts, improvisation plays an important role alongside these experiments and emotional states. Rebeka formed an orchestra at the end of 2019, continuing their duo with jazz guitarist Péter Cseh. The quartet won the award for best band at the Müpa Jazz Showcase in 2020, voted by the international jury. Their repertoire consists mainly of arrangements, which they colour with their own ideas, but they also play poems, folk songs and their own songs. Despite their diversity, the songs create a unified, intimate atmosphere.

Rafael Mário, Junior Prima Award-winning pianist and bandleader, graduated from the Liszt Ferenc University of Music and then became acquainted with the world of jazz in Toronto. He worked as a successful studio musician in Canada, then returned home years later and founded the Rafael Mário Trio in 2014, releasing several recordings.The music of his trio is difficult to classify into style categories. The band places a strong emphasis on collective improvisation and the creation of original sound, for which they draw from a variety of sources: their compositions and their interpretations include elements of mainstream as well as contemporary jazz, elements of Latin musical trends and hip hop grooves. The musicians of the trio graduated from the Department of Jazz at the Liszt Ferenc University of Music, but in addition to jazz, they also see popular music trends as a constant source of inspiration, which can be traced in the bold and widespread use of electronic effects. Jazz with the boost of hip hop – their latest album, Blessing, and songs from another trio recording to be released soon, are also offering this experience to the audience.  

The members of Symbiosis 5 met at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and started working together in 2020. They have developed a repertoire of original compositions combining elements of modal and contemporary jazz. The ensemble performed on a major stage for the first time in 2021 at the Babel-Laureate World Jazz Competition, where they came third. Subsequently, in 2022, the ensemble gained recognition in international competitions abroad, winning first place at the Getxo International Jazz Competition and Festival in Spain in the summer and the Sibiu International Jazz Competition in the winter. They obtained further prizes in 2023, for example, in January they not only won the Müpa Jazz Showcase Professional and Audience Awards, but also two special prizes.  

Virág Czakó is one of the promising talents of the new generation, who has recently been performing in various formations, representing the traditional jazz line. The young singer has been inspired by great artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae and Diana Krall, but she is also influenced by young singers seeking new paths, including Samara Joy. Her wide repertoire allows her to perform in duo, trio and quartet, but in the recent year she has been performing mostly with her current quartet. This evening will feature popular American jazz standards, with Latin bossa novas and some groovy arrangements. The songs will be orchestrated by the excellent guitarist Attila Rieger with characteristic ease, accompanied by a chatty, harmonious guitar playing. László Csízi, one of the most versatile and busy drummers of the Hungarian jazz scene, and Péter Czakó, an experienced musician of the older generation, who is well versed not only in jazz but also in Hungarian folk music, will also take to the stage.

The Orbay Lilla Quintet's programme is dominated by Mediterranean stylistic elements and jazz standards reimagined and recomposed in original ways. The backbone of the orchestra's repertoire, however, is increasingly made up of their own compositions, which captivate the listener with their light, yet exciting sound. Although the members are all marked musical personalities, they are able to combine their creative energies in a clear and cohesive sound. Their strengths lie in their improvisation and rich musical repertoire. They have played together on several occasions, but the ensemble did not reach its final form until 2020.

The Test Jazz Group performed for the first time in May 2022, on the occasion of the 60th birthday of the band leader György Regály – under the name Regály 60. Since then, the band has matured into a solid line-up, and its name is a tribute to perhaps Regály's most successful formation, the Test Jazz Group, which was formed in 1983 and has undergone several member changes. Although Regály is well known as a member of No-Spa, Kőszegi Trio, Cotton Club Band, Afro Magic, Afro Jam, Katona Klári Band and Dig It All, he now spends most of his time teaching, but on rare occasions he also performs on stage alongside other jazz legends. In the partially re-formed Test Jazz Group, he is joined by Sándor Soso Lakatos, Krisztián Lakatos Pecek and Elemér Balázs–- the latter of whom got his career off to a flying start with the original Test Jazz Group three decades ago. The two pillars of their repertoire are Regály's own compositions and outstanding pieces of jazz history, to which they give new colour with tasteful performances and brilliant solos.

A zene története röviden általános iskolásoknak Kr. e. 100.000-től napjainkig 6 éves kortól ajánlott Mi a csuda az a zene? És miért találta ki az ember, hogy zenélni akar? Mire jó, és hogy lehet, hogy a legősibb hangszerek sok tízezer évesek? Mit énekeltek a szerzetesek a középkorban, és mire táncoltak az ősemberek? Mi a közös a keringőkben és az afrikai konga zenében? Annyi mindenről tudnánk mesélni… és fogunk is! 45 percbe sűrítettük a zene százezer éves történetét a csontfurulyától a Star Wars-ig. Lesz közös konga-parti, rizsporos paróka és minden, ami a fúvósok csövén kifér. Minden, amit a zenetörténetről tudni akarsz, de még nem merted megkérdezni.

Dohnányi az egyik legnagyobb zenei zseni volt a magyar zenetörténetben, a legnagyobb fejtörést – mint általában a sokoldalú emberek esetében – az okozhatja vele kapcsolatban, hogy zongoristaként, zeneszerzőként vagy karmesterként emlékezzünk-e rá? A kérdést tovább „bonyolítja” Dohnányi világpolgársága: a germán és a magyar zenei nyelvet egyaránt anyanyelvi szinten birtokolta, viharos életrajza pedig végül – Bartókhoz hasonlóan – az USA-ba sodorta az élete végéig honvággyal küzdő, megtört zeneszerzőt, akinek hihetetlen erős zeneszerzői életművét még ma sem ismerjük eléggé. Ezt a hiányt igyekszik orvosolni ez a háromrészes portrésorozat Eckhardt Gábor vezetésével. „Magam sem írhattam volna meg jobban!” – mondta a történet szerint az idős Brahms, amikor a mindössze 17 éves Dohnányi első komoly művét, a zongorás kvintettet meghallgatta. És ugyanígy csettinthetünk mi is 130 évvel később: micsoda zene! Pompás, virtuóz, erős és valódi, akárcsak a szintén erőteljes német zenei behatásokat mutató csellóra írt gyönyörű Konzertstück. Crème à la Dohnányi!

Dohnányi az egyik legnagyobb zenei zseni volt a magyar zenetörténetben, a legnagyobb fejtörést – mint általában a sokoldalú emberek esetében – az okozhatja vele kapcsolatban, hogy zongoristaként, zeneszerzőként vagy karmesterként emlékezzünk-e rá? A kérdést tovább „bonyolítja” Dohnányi világpolgársága: a germán és a magyar zenei nyelvet egyaránt anyanyelvi szinten birtokolta, viharos életrajza pedig végül – Bartókhoz hasonlóan – az USA-ba sodorta az élete végéig honvággyal küzdő, megtört zeneszerzőt, akinek hihetetlen erős zeneszerzői életművét még ma sem ismerjük eléggé. Ezt a hiányt igyekszik orvosolni ez a háromrészes portrésorozat Eckhardt Gábor vezetésével. „Magam sem írhattam volna meg jobban!” – mondta a történet szerint az idős Brahms, amikor a mindössze 17 éves Dohnányi első komoly művét, a zongorás kvintettet meghallgatta. És ugyanígy csettinthetünk mi is 130 évvel később: micsoda zene! Pompás, virtuóz, erős és valódi, akárcsak a szintén erőteljes német zenei behatásokat mutató csellóra írt gyönyörű Konzertstück. Crème à la Dohnányi!

The 2023 chamber music series by Fülöp Ránki, János Mátyás Stark and Gergely Devich will crown each of the four seasons with a concert at the BMC Concert Hall. The young artists will perform a selection of outstanding masterpieces from the piano trio repertoire, from Mozart to Ravel. The first three concerts feature two trios, sometimes highlighting the diversity and variety of the works, sometimes their commonalities, while the fourth programme includes a duo sonata, a testament to the musicians' long-standing duo collaborations. One of Beethoven's pupils thought he detected the ghost of Hamlet's father in the second movement of the Trio in D major, which is dark and ethereal at the same time. He was not far from the truth: the composer had originally sketched the material for a witch scene in an abortive Macbeth opera. The moody and genuinely witty outer movements are made all the more entertaining by their kaleidoscopic variety. This is one of the first trios in which the three instruments enjoy full equality.Already a great success at its premiere, Mendelssohn's Trio in D minor was described by Schumann as the master trio of his time, and he predicted that future generations would enjoy it too. The piano takes flight with virtuoso passages, the cello declares broad melodies in the spirit of Italian opera, and the light-footed fairies of the scherzo challenge the pianist with their exuberancy. Further concerts in this series: 1 December 2023 7 PM Ránki – Stark – Devich: Piano Trios IV. | Debussy and Ravel

A hangverseny középpontjában a hegedű-zongora szonáta műfaja áll. Bartók 1922-ben bemutatott két szonátáját követően kikopott a műfaj a magyar szerzők repertoárjából. Az elmúlt száz évben elvétve találunk e két hangszer párosára íródott műveket. A koncert műsorával ezt a hiányt hivatott pótolni. Napjaink két kiemelkedő tehetségű zeneszerzője, Balogh Máté és Tornyai Péter vállalkozott rá, hogy feléleszti e hagyományt és elsők között reflektál a nagy előd, Bartók munkáira. Az est szellemiségét legjobban talán Tornyai Péter egy korábbi interjújában adott frappáns válasza írja le: Képzeljünk el egy sportbarát társaságot, akiknek rendszeres időtöltésük 10-20-50 évvel ezelőtti, jól ismert focimeccsek újra és újra végignézése. Egy alkalommal betoppan hozzájuk egy különc alak: „Kapcsoljuk be a tévét, most kezdődik a VB-döntő élő közvetítése!”

Dohnányi az egyik legnagyobb zenei zseni volt a magyar zenetörténetben, a legnagyobb fejtörést – mint általában a sokoldalú emberek esetében – az okozhatja vele kapcsolatban, hogy zongoristaként, zeneszerzőként vagy karmesterként emlékezzünk-e rá? A kérdést tovább „bonyolítja” Dohnányi világpolgársága: a germán és a magyar zenei nyelvet egyaránt anyanyelvi szinten birtokolta, viharos életrajza pedig végül – Bartókhoz hasonlóan – az USA-ba sodorta az élete végéig honvággyal küzdő, megtört zeneszerzőt, akinek hihetetlen erős zeneszerzői életművét még ma sem ismerjük eléggé. Ezt a hiányt igyekszik orvosolni ez a háromrészes portrésorozat Eckhardt Gábor vezetésével. Nemcsak Bartók és Kodály, de még a náluk idősebb és konzervatívabb Dohnányi is egy időben hatása alá került a fiatalok új szenvedélyének, a népi zenének. Jó néhány kompozíció jelzi a szerző hazafelé fordulását, és a maga invenciózus módján nagyszerűen ötvözte a magyar vagy magyaros dallamokat az általa mesteri fokon űzött nagyromantikával.

Dohnányi az egyik legnagyobb zenei zseni volt a magyar zenetörténetben, a legnagyobb fejtörést – mint általában a sokoldalú emberek esetében – az okozhatja vele kapcsolatban, hogy zongoristaként, zeneszerzőként vagy karmesterként emlékezzünk-e rá? A kérdést tovább „bonyolítja” Dohnányi világpolgársága: a germán és a magyar zenei nyelvet egyaránt anyanyelvi szinten birtokolta, viharos életrajza pedig végül – Bartókhoz hasonlóan – az USA-ba sodorta az élete végéig honvággyal küzdő, megtört zeneszerzőt, akinek hihetetlen erős zeneszerzői életművét még ma sem ismerjük eléggé. Ezt a hiányt igyekszik orvosolni ez a háromrészes portrésorozat Eckhardt Gábor vezetésével. Nemcsak Bartók és Kodály, de még a náluk idősebb és konzervatívabb Dohnányi is egy időben hatása alá került a fiatalok új szenvedélyének, a népi zenének. Jó néhány kompozíció jelzi a szerző hazafelé fordulását, és a maga invenciózus módján nagyszerűen ötvözte a magyar vagy magyaros dallamokat az általa mesteri fokon űzött nagyromantikával.

Modern Art Orchestra’s Legendary Albums series presents the most important and unique albums of jazz history. By learning and playing these compositions and arrangements, the musicians are paying tribute to the jazz legends and are undergoing an intense process of musical improvement. The band absorbs the material of the original recordings, sticking to the arrangements, forms and compositional features. As improvisation is at the heart of jazz, solos are invented by the players at the moment. Due to the respect shown towards the original conceptions of the legendary composers and the level of craftsmanship known from Modern Art Orchestra, the Legendary Albums series both brings you the essence of jazz tradition and guarantees a fresh musical experience. Philly Joe Jones (1923-1985), the other centenarian of the autumn season of the MAO series provided the drum part on so many sessions, live and studio, that it would be easier to list those who he hasn’t played with, than the jazz greats he played with, such as Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Archie Shepp and Sun Ra. He already enjoyed respect at a young age, because he was drumming with so much fire, while always as punctual as an atomic clock. His recordings are basic material in all the drum schools. His solos on this session, Trailways Express are especially outstanding, not just his accompanying. Alternative album titles of some editions from among the 17 different versions of this material were Mo Joe, as well as Gone, Gone, Gone. Jones used to live in Europe for a couple of years, he was teaching in various places and frequently joined his fellow countrymen when they were touring. He organised a band of his own in London based on local talent in 1968, but those talents were just as good internationally as it gets, such as sax player Pete King and trumpet player Kenny Wheeler (not to mention his unforgettable flugelhorn). Although the latter player had soon become a major voice in the emerging avant-garde, what this album contains is serious be-bop playing with just a bit of salt of modernism added. It also bears witness to the fact that during this time British jazz was nothing less than top world class, even if they outside world only took note of The Beatles. Although playing together as young brothers, trombone player Chris Pyne and pianist Mike Pyne had earned recognition separately before this session, where they were reunited. Tenor player Harold McNair also contributed significantly to the emerging authentic sound but his flute solo (Here’s That Rainy Day) stands far out. Composers of other tunes include Gershwin, as well as Tadd Dameron, the leader of the first major band Jones joined early in his career. The title tune is an original by Jones, based on the chord progression of Two Bass Hit by Miles Davis. Rejuvenating the session will be mostly the task of the horns, but the driving seat this time is reserved for the exquisite drummer, László Csízi.

4 éves kortól ajánlott Itt a vissza nem térő alkalom: lerántjuk a leplet a karmester szakma minden csínjáról-bínjáról! Miért kell egyáltalán karmester, mire jó a pálca, mit figyel a brácsás és mit a triangulumos, ki a jó karmester, merre kell lengetni, mik a titkos jelek, miért nem szeretik a zenészek a karmestert, és miért szeretik? Ezekre és még ezernyi kérdésre adunk szórakoztató választ, miközben a közönség tagjai is kipróbálhatják magukat a pulpituson. Pálcákat előkészíteni, indul a karmesteriskola!

Dohnányi az egyik legnagyobb zenei zseni volt a magyar zenetörténetben, a legnagyobb fejtörést – mint általában a sokoldalú emberek esetében – az okozhatja vele kapcsolatban, hogy zongoristaként, zeneszerzőként vagy karmesterként emlékezzünk-e rá? A kérdést tovább „bonyolítja” Dohnányi világpolgársága: a germán és a magyar zenei nyelvet egyaránt anyanyelvi szinten birtokolta, viharos életrajza pedig végül – Bartókhoz hasonlóan – az USA-ba sodorta az élete végéig honvággyal küzdő, megtört zeneszerzőt, akinek hihetetlen erős zeneszerzői életművét még ma sem ismerjük eléggé. Ezt a hiányt igyekszik orvosolni ez a háromrészes portrésorozat Eckhardt Gábor vezetésével. A végzet számos magyar művész életét vezérelte az óceánon túlra, a karmestereknek sokszor a világhírt, nagy zeneszerzőinknek viszont szegénységet és kudarcokat is hozott a nagy utazás. Bartók halála után négy évvel érkezett meg az akkor már sok vihart átélt idős mester Floridába, de alkotókedve még a mostoha körülmények és szeretett hazájának kínzó hiánya mellett sem hagyta cserben: új alkotói korszak kezdődött Amerikában, aminek Dohnányi néhány legkülönlegesebb és legszebb, transzcendens alkotását köszönhetjük.

Dohnányi az egyik legnagyobb zenei zseni volt a magyar zenetörténetben, a legnagyobb fejtörést – mint általában a sokoldalú emberek esetében – az okozhatja vele kapcsolatban, hogy zongoristaként, zeneszerzőként vagy karmesterként emlékezzünk-e rá? A kérdést tovább „bonyolítja” Dohnányi világpolgársága: a germán és a magyar zenei nyelvet egyaránt anyanyelvi szinten birtokolta, viharos életrajza pedig végül – Bartókhoz hasonlóan – az USA-ba sodorta az élete végéig honvággyal küzdő, megtört zeneszerzőt, akinek hihetetlen erős zeneszerzői életművét még ma sem ismerjük eléggé. Ezt a hiányt igyekszik orvosolni ez a háromrészes portrésorozat Eckhardt Gábor vezetésével. A végzet számos magyar művész életét vezérelte az óceánon túlra, a karmestereknek sokszor a világhírt, nagy zeneszerzőinknek viszont szegénységet és kudarcokat is hozott a nagy utazás. Bartók halála után négy évvel érkezett meg az akkor már sok vihart átélt idős mester Floridába, de alkotókedve még a mostoha körülmények és szeretett hazájának kínzó hiánya mellett sem hagyta cserben: új alkotói korszak kezdődött Amerikában, aminek Dohnányi néhány legkülönlegesebb és legszebb, transzcendens alkotását köszönhetjük.

Modern Art Orchestra’s Legendary Albums series presents the most important and unique albums of jazz history. By learning and playing these compositions and arrangements, the musicians are paying tribute to the jazz legends and are undergoing an intense process of musical improvement. The band absorbs the material of the original recordings, sticking to the arrangements, forms and compositional features. As improvisation is at the heart of jazz, solos are invented by the players at the moment. Due to the respect shown towards the original conceptions of the legendary composers and the level of craftsmanship known from Modern Art Orchestra, the Legendary Albums series both brings you the essence of jazz tradition and guarantees a fresh musical experience. The most vital information of this long album title is hidden in the word ’and’, as it is not only the first, but the only joint recording session of Armstrong and Ellington. The two artists have defined what jazz was from the twenties until they died in the seventies. There had been some attempts to bring them together after the shooting of the movie Paris Blues, but Bob Thiele finally managed to organise it for 3-4 April 1961. The trick was to have Ellington play piano in the Armstrong All Stars, but they only played Ellington tunes. These had been rather scarcely played and sung by Armstrong, but he actually kept quite a few of them on his repertoire later. They started out with (what else than) C-Jam Blues, listed under the title Duke’s Place, and for the next ten tracks it is absolutely adorable how Armstrong masters these tunes, which he had to concentrate on a lot, but performed them with ease, e.g., Cottontail. One of those was actually composed on the spot by Ellington. And the pianist, actually quite underrated as such, sounds fantastic here. On a couple of tracks, for instance The Mooche clarinet player Barney Bigard stepped forward. In the title of his autobiography, there is the word ’and’: With Louis and The Duke, since he had been an eminent member of both bands since the twenties. He is also the co-composer of Mood Indigo, which they also perform here. There was a sequel to the album next year, as another seven tracks of the same recording session was also released. By now there have been over 50 different releases of the original master. There is no need to justify why the incomplete and alternative takes have also been published since. Even listening to those, one feels how these two unsurpassable masters were not just respectful and open to each other, their mutual love is obvious.