Ikui Doki, the trio of a quite unusual lineup came to being by the meeting of the female cross-over duet, Dragon, with saxophonist-clarinetist Hugues Mayot. Passionate for a creative interaction between composing and improvisation, the three musicians built up a repertoire of collective compositions for harp, bassoon and saxophone/clarinet. Rooted in the French music from the beginning of the 20th century, their pieces freely use themes and elements of works by the likes of Debussy, Ravel, Satie or Fauré, combined with the jazz idiom. The richness of this musical material offers a wide playground for invention, experimentation with tradition and brilliant instrumental technique in order to create new music with a strong French identity. ikuidoki.fr facebook.com/ikuidoki jazzmigration.com/laureat/sophie-bernado-ikui-doki The concert is being performed as part of the Jazz Migration series established by AJC to support the professional development of new jazz groups.

The music of Novembre is inspired both by jazz history and contemporary composing techniques, and even by means of film-editing in David Lynch movies or by the collage art of Pablo Picasso. Diffracted melodies, compositional fragments are used as general material to form their musical scenario while their listeners’ brains work in a rush to identify reminiscences of themes thought to be long forgotten and lost in the past. Zapping, collages, mirror games and time ellipses are the tools that feed Novembre’s lyricism and poetry. jazzmigration.com/laureat/antonin-tri-hoang-novembre  The concert is being performed as part of the Jazz Migration series established by AJC to support the professional development of new jazz groups.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Danubia Orchestra Óbuda surprises the audience (and themselves) with a new ensemble lineup. Led by the world famous concertmaster and first violinist Tamás Major, a String Master Workshop is formed by the members of the Orchestra to create a new artistic opportunity, performing string masterpieces on a higher level than ever before. A week-long intenstive preparation preceeds the concert which will give the listeners a peek behind the scenes of meticulous ensemble rehearsals. After the break, the ensemble performs Dvořák's most beautiful string pieces.

The young Hungarian singer with Italian roots, Rozina Pátkai, won a number of international awards and prizes in jazz and fringe festivals around the world. Rozina has performed at the Opus Jazz Club on several occasions with her quintet, playing classical bossa nova pieces and some originals. Her second album, Paraíso na Terra, featuring her own compositions, was released in 2016. The songs are inspired by Latin melodies, but they are leading their listeners to an entirely individual musical world. This time, Rozina Pátkai arrives to Opus with her trio. In addition to well-known bossa nova standards in her program, her original songs - though having their roots in authentic Brazilian melodies -  break out of closed forms. The songs are in Portuguese, Spanish and English, written on poems by Zsófia Bán, Ádám Szabó, Garcia Lorca and Jane Tyson Clement. rozinapatkai.com facebook.com/rozinapatkai 

Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, the internationally recognized, emblematic figure of Gypsy Jazz, one of the few Kossuth-prize-awarded musicians of Hungarian jazz, is a regular guest of the Opus Jazz Club. In his seventies, he works with same energy both in composing and performing as he did it throughout his decades-long career. Started two years ago, FAZIOLI Nights, Opus Jazz Club’s series of solo piano concerts, featured outstanding Hungarian and international pianists at the keys of the club’s pride, the FAZIOLI F212 model. From the beginning it was clear that one of the most important performers of the series would be Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, the doyen of Hungarian pianists. Finally the time has come for the long-awaited event when Szakcsi plays solo at the club. One of the most prominent figures of real-time composing, the improvisation, with an unmistakably unique style, the maestro undoubtedly will play one of the most prestigious concerts of Opus’ autumn season!

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

The extraordinary sound of the trio originates from the fact that uncommon instruments like bass clarinet and soprano saxophone, drums and other clingling as well as Hammond organ, Fender rhodes and piano are combined and played in their very own style to create an unheard experience for the listener. Their debut album is dedicated to the music of Charles Mingus and Thelonious Sphere Monk proving the timelessness of jazz. Inspired by their energy, passion and their joy of playing, First Gig Never Happened seizes on figures and ideas of the old masters and transforms them into new arrangements or nearly new compositions in their own musical language. Anxious not to lose the true spirit, not just to copy, but rather being open minded for ideas that have remained the same then and now. They focus on Mingus without a bass and Monk without a hat.  ”Everyone is influenced by everybody but you bring it down home the way you feel it.” - Thelonious Sphere Monk”They’re singing your praises while stealing your phrases.” - Charles Mingus  firstgigneverhappened.com 

The second edition of the festival Bach Bridges at the BMC has been realised in cooperation with musicians of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Festivallinks with the artistic direction of Michael Gieler and Péter Szabó. In Festivallinks a number of European music festivals cooperate to create innovative artistic content, which will travel across Europe between 2018 and 2020. The first part of the concert is brought to you by Hiljaisuus Festivaali, based in the very north of Finland. Their programs combine old and contemporary music with acrobatics. Circus artists and musicians join forces to find new forms of poetic expression. Trumpet player Miroslav Petkov and pianist Dimitar Bodurov feel equally comfortable playing Bach as they are in jazz or avant-garde electronic music. Nevertheless they always stay close to their own musical roots: Bulgarian folk music. Musical friends from the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from Amsterdam join them on a unique musical journey. Additional programs of the Bach Bridges Festival:  October 4th 13:30 Bach Bridges Extra: Gloire - Silent Movie Concert October 4th 19:30 Bach Bridges II. - Ladies Night October 5th 19:30 Bach Bridges III. - Concertante 

In February this year the visitors of Opus Jazz Club and, due to a live YouTube broadcast, also listeners on the web could enjoy an exciting concert of a group, called Grencsó Spontaneous Music Ensemble. In accordance with their name, both their lineup and the music they played were characterized by a complete spontaneity – of course not without antecedents. The musicians, all of them prominent representatives of improvised music, have never before entered the stage in that lineup, while each of them were connected to the others by means of numerous previous projects. The same could be said about the present-day performer of the club, this time called Grencsó Spontaneous Chamber Ensemble. Along with Grencsó on woodwinds, László Gőz played various brass instruments also on the February concert, while the other two excellent musicians, Stevan Kovács Tickmayer and Máté Pozsár, are also steadfast companions of Grencsó, in various formations. The spontaneity is guaranteed both of the fact that this lineup didn't enter the stage so far, neither, and its uncommonnes of two winds and two keys, culminating in a musical encounter of four distinct musical individualities, each of them being matured through many years of composition and improvisation.

Directed by Michael Curtiz, the Academy Award winning director of Casablanca, Gloire tells the epic tale of Napoleon Bonaparte. The silent movie inspired Didier Benetti to compose a new score which will be performed live at BMC alongside the movie screening. Gloire was originally presented at the Sorru in Musica Festival in Corsica. Additional programs of the Bach Bridges Festival: October 3rd 19:30   Bach Bridges I. - Crossing Borders  October 4th 19:30   Bach Bridges II. - Ladies Night  October 5th 19:30   Bach Bridges III. - Concertante 

The second edition of the festival Bach Bridges at the BMC has been realised in cooperation with musicians of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Festivallinks with the artistic direction of Michael Gieler and Péter Szabó. In Festivallinks a number of European music festivals cooperate to create innovative artistic content, which will travel across Europe between 2018 and 2020. Festivallinks presents: Bach Bridges II. - Ladies Nightin collaboration with Bach Festival Dordrecht (the Netherlands) and the International Bach Festival (Gran Canaria) Cellist Lidy Blijdorp has been recognized internationally both for her refined playing and her original artistic choices. Her musical dialogue with cymbal-player Vasile Luca proves her status as one of the most interesting young musicians from the Netherlands. The second half of the program represents the International Bach Festival from Gran Canaria. After Bach’s joyful 4th Brandenburg Concerto it will feature a world-premiere with a new work from Finnish composer Lotta Wennäkoski. We round off the evening with the great Spanish singer Esther Alfonso da Costa and the seductive sounds of Astor Piazzolla. Additional programs of the Bach Bridges Festival:  October 3rd 19:30 - Bach Bridges I. - Crossing Borders  October 4th 13:30 - Bach Bridges Extra: Gloire - Silent Movie Concert  October 5th 19:30 - Bach Bridges III. - Concertante

When Cannonball & Coltrane was released in 1964 it had been out-of-print for some time in it's original incarnation as The Cannonball Adderley Quintet In Chicago. That LP was originally recorded and released in 1959 on Mercury Records, and while it's a mystery as to why Mercury would let the original go out of print, it's pretty obvious why they would choose to re-release it on Limelight (a Mercury subsidiary) in 1964 with both men listed as co-leaders. A bit of a cash grab, to be sure, but the sessions had also gained some historic merit since it was recorded, by the mid-1960s both Adderley and Coltrane had reached new levels of fame and critical adoration that was unthinkable at the time the original album was recorded. While it's hard to imagine these days, in 1959 Coltrane was hardly the monumental jazz figure that he is today, in fact it wasn't until 1960 that he "officially" launched his solo career. At the close of the 1950s Coltrane was a well respected tenor player who had appeared on some legendary albums, and had released a couple of fantastic albums (Blue Train, Lush Life, Soultrane) as either a leader or co-leader. But by the time 1964 rolled around, Coltrane was a superstar. His groundbreaking album Giant Steps had been released, as had the rest of his Atlantic LPs, all of which are today considered classics. Adderley's career arc followed a similar timeline as Coltrane's, moving from celebrated sideman with one amazing album to his credit as a leader (Somethin' Else) to becoming a superstar exploring new avenues of jazz music. In Adderley's case it wasn't the intense and searching jazz music that Coltrane was after, but instead it was earthy soul jazz and post-bop that brought him commercial and critical success. The group on Cannonball & Coltrane is the 1959 version of the Miles Davis Sextet minus it's hallowed leader, which should entice any jazz lover to check it out. The two horn players explore what they learned from the legendary trumpeter, as well as show off what they could do out on their own. The resulting album is some late 1950s hard bop at it's very best, showing off two very distinct talents at work. We get the up-front, populist sound of Adderley matching up with Coltrane's introspective and probing technique.  The rhythm section is able to cut loose behind the talented alto and tenor front line, and - make no mistake about it - Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb are on fire and at the peak of their creative powers. At tonight's concert, members of the Modern Art Orchestra featuring Dávid Ülkei on alto saxophone and János Ávéd on tenor saxophone endeavour to summon the spirits of the two great artists as an hommage to their breakthrough jazz career.

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.

The second edition of the festival Bach Bridges at the BMC has been realised in cooperation with musicians of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Festivallinks with the artistic direction of Michael Gieler and Péter Szabó. In Festivallinks a number of European music festivals cooperate to create innovative artistic content, which will travel across Europe between 2018 and 2020. The original meaning of word concerto means competition. Our Concertante program is a friendly battle between giants: Bach versus Vivaldi. Back in the old days Vivaldi had the status of a rock star. His fresh style inspired many colleague-composers, including Bach. Today we all love Bach’s works, such as his Concerto for two violins. But we are just as happy to introduce to you the delightful concerto for two cellos with Péter Szabó and Lidy Blijdorp or the extravagant Concerto Grosso Mogul, played by the South-Korean violinist Jae-won Lee. Additional programs of the Bach Bridges Festival: October 3rd 19:30  Bach Bridges I. - Crossing Borders  October 4th 13:30  Bach Bridges Extra: Gloire - Silent Movie Concert October 4th 19:30  Bach Bridges II. - Ladies Night

Singer Ági Szalóki returns to Opus Jazz Club with a concert inspired by her 2008 album featuring Hungarian jazz songs from the 1940s. This time, she extends her repertoire with French chansons and American songs from the jazz age. In the second half of the program, the singer fulfills her longtime ambition by performing some songs by Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, and The Doors for the very first time.

Cast:Ayane Imai - WendlaLóránt Najbauer - Moritz / Moritz ApjaBence Gulyás - MelchiorAnna Molnár - Martha / Wendla AnyjaÉva Bernáth - Ilse / Melchior AnyjaDávid Tarnai - Ernst / Pastor KalblauchEdgár Balázs - HaenschenFeaturing:Tamás Kéry – pianoMiklós Holló - percussionsgraphics: Péter Mátrai

The Péter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation has announced an international masterclass for young conductors and composers, which is led by Péter Eötvös and Gergely Vajda, and which focuses on the genre of the wind quintet, as well as Mozart’s Gran Partita. Conductors from around the world can jointly conduct Mozart’s classical piece, and get to know compositions by young artists. The members of the course’s wind quintet will teach participants about the characteristics of each instrument, and the challenges of composing for it. This will be the first time Camilla Hoitenga and Cathy Milliken will have given a concert and masterclass in Budapest. The concert is also the closing event of the Foundation’s three-year mentor programme.

As a saxophonist and composer, Kristóf Bacsó is one of the distinctive figures of the Hungarian jazz scene, with four albums of his own original music released in recent years. The most important of his own bands, Triad, has appeared in numerous countries in Europe, to great acclaim. Bacsó started his saxophone studies under the guidance of Dezső "Ablakos” Lakatos and Mihály Borbély and graduated from the jazz department of the Liszt Academy of Music. Later on, he further developed his skills at the leading institutions of jazz education: the Conservatoire de Paris and the Berklee College of Music. He lived in France and the United States for close to six years, but during this time also regularly appeared throughout Europe, as well as in Japan. He has tried his hand at nearly every style, including mainstream jazz, ethno and funk, and he hasn't shrunk from more experimental trends in jazz, either. Bacsó's old companion Árpád Oláh Tzumo is another former Berklee student and also studied under Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. In addition to the piano, he has a very sensitive feel for the Fender Rhodes and other electronic instruments. A master of painting moods, Márton Juhász was selected drummer of the year on two occasions and, like his two bandmates, also studied in the United States. Triad's music draws from both the present day and the Central and Eastern European musical tradition at the same time. In addition to the painstakingly developed parts, an important role also goes to shared improvisations. Triad's first album, Pannon Blue was released on BMC Records, featuring the acclaimed guitarist Lionel Loueke. The album won the Hungarian Jazz Record of the Year prize in 2017. The band is currently working on new material which debuted first at Müpa Budapest with Gilad Hekselman on the guitar. 

Tamás Varga, solo cellist of the Vienna Philharmonic, has been living in Austria for more than two decades. The programme of his Budapest solo concert, however, proves he has maintained his connections with Hungarian music and contemporary Hungarian composers. It is centred around a key work of the 20th-century literature of the cello, Zoltán Kodály’s Solo Sonata. One distinctive feature of the work, which was written in 1915, and was premiered a hundred years ago, in 1918, is that the two lowest strings are to be tuned lower than customary. The four new works written for Tamás Varga, all of which will be performed for the first time, require the same tuning. Additionally, Gergely Vajda’s new piece evokes not only Kodály, but the figure of Tobias Hume, as well, who was a 17th-century composer, viol player, and soldier.

In order to keep the tradition of the genre of the string quartet animated, Diotima regularly commission new works, keep the most important compositions of the past decades on their repertoire, and search for new approaches to 20th-century masterpieces. Their Budapest programme includes the world premiere of a new piece by Máté Bella, as well as a composition by the celebrated Estonian composer, Helena Tulve. Quatuor Diotima are returning guests of the world’s most prestigious venues. Their concert series – currently at Peter Brook’s legendary Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, and at the Orléans Theatre – always invite considerable critical and popular interest. Having recorded the string quartets of Schubert, Onslow, Janáček, Schoenberg, Berg, Lachenmann, Nono, Crumb, Reich, Hosokawa, and Posadas, they are now working on a quartet omnibus of the Second Viennese School.

The line-up with cymbalom, double bass and drums is as unusual as the program, which varies between jazz and classical. In Hungarian folk music the cimbalom, a hammered dulcimer, plays an important role. Miklós Lukács, who learned to play the cimbalom from his father and studied at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, emphasizes the melodic qualities of the percussion instrument and coaxes out of them an immensely large palette of timbres and forms of expression. In the world of the cimbalom, Lukács is a luminary – as a jazz musician he’s played with greats like Uri Caine, Herbie Mann, Charles Lloyd, Dave Liebman, or Roby Lakatos, and as a classical musician he works closely together with the composer Péter Eötvös. On today's concert the trio will perform pieces from their first two albums as well as play special arrangments of selected pieces from Haydn’s feather, a program debuted recently in Brühl, Germany, at the Haydn-Festival. “Haydn would surely have enjoyed it immensely” advised the program calendar of the festival. Let's check it out!

THE DISCIPLES(A tanítványok)Hungarian drama film, 1985, 100 min. - In Hungariandirected by Géza Bereményimusic by Ferenc Darvasscript: Géza Bereményicinematography: Sándor Kardoseditor: Teri Losonciproduction design: Gyula Pauerfeaturing: Károly Eperjes, Kornél Gelley, Juli Básti, Károly Eperjes Sr., Ádám Rajhona, György Cserhalmi, Enikő Eszenyi The screening will be introduced by film- and music critic László Kolozsi. (in Hungarian)Guest: Ferenc Darvas - composer The heroes of this story, based on real events at the end of the 1930s and during World War II, face and dismiss the illusions of intellectuals about their ability to transform society. Professor Magyary and his disciples hoped to promote the modernisation of Hungarian society through a radical reform of public administration.

The excellent pianist, Máté Pozsár has been recognized so far as an active figure in the creative free jazz and free music scene in Hungary, being member of groups by István Grencsó, Szilárd Mezei and György Baló, as well as of the A.M.P. Trio. However, being himself not just a fan but even professor in music theory, he has been speculating since a longer time about a conceptual compositional approach based on harmonies and voices inherent in modal and polymodal harmonics. He invited his close musical friends to join his brand new, drumless sextet in order to realize this concept about a slowly-built, transparent chamber music, exuberant both in binding terms and free improvisation.

Details soon!

The Flemish pianist Peter Vandenberghe and trumpeter Bart Maris play together for 25 years in different bigger formations, like X-Legged Sally or Flat Earth Society (the latter performing on October 16 in BMC Concert Hall, as part of CAFe Budapest, strongly recommended!). With their duo they are focusing on much more direct dialogues in their playing, using compositions of Bart and free improvised pieces: clear choices and constant vigilance prevails on appointments and solid form. The basic principle is strictly acoustically with predilection for large dynamic contrasts and ever-changing density, colour and texture parameters which weigh as heavily as tonality and rhythm, giving to their performances a lot of the unexpected and surprising. Their debut, Getting Lost in Tiny Spaces, was released last year on El Negocito Records. The album is comprised of recordings of two extensive recording sessions, the first one in Kraakhuis of the Bijloke Ghent, a concert hall with very present acoustics where they could give maximum focus to sound and dynamics, while the second in Salon Agust Debouck of Quatre Mains (Piano store, Ghent) where articulation and timing are more in the focus due to smaller size of the room. There they re-recorded all written material and gave themselves plenty of time for improvising, exploring the character of this space. The two sessions resulted about seven hours of recorded material: the most different versions of the orignals, and an even more a splendid versality of instant improvisations, sometimes long streched soundscapes, some short and direct, which they called Tiny Spaces. Making a selection in this tremendous variety of Tiny Spaces and originals, we can only reveal glimpse of imagination of this duo as only their live concerts give us an experience of the full palet of sounds and colours. bartmaris.be listen to Getting Lost in Tiny Spaces on bandcamp.com 

Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous cycle, Das Wohltemperierte Klavier was promoting what was at the time a novel system of tuning, and did so mostly with the power of quality. Though time was to prove the truth of Bach, it has also become clear that a “well-tempered piano” also has drawbacks, not only benefits. Certain excerpts from Péter Wolf’s playfully titled composition, which salutes the great predecessor, have been performed recently. The complete work, which József Balog will record in the near future, can be first heard at this record debut concert.

Klára Hajdu is a prominent figure in Hungarian jazz life. On the only Hungarian jazz portal, jazzma.hu, she was chosen as Singer of the year in 2013. She performed in New York, Ottawa, Toronto, Oslo, Paris, London, Glasgow, Rome, Madrid and we could continue the line... Her own outfit, the Klára Hajdu Quartet, founded 10 years ago, is playing in the current lineup since 2015. So far, two well received albums have been released, with songs aired  not just by Hungarian jazz radios, but also by Dutch and German national broadcasts. 2013 saw the release of their his first album, Come with me, with own compositions, covers of contemporary jazz pieces, evergreens and folk songs. In 2015, they released Plays Standards Dedicated to Chet Baker, paying tribute to the legendary jazz-trumpeter. Chet Baker's compositions are performed in their own style on the album, with the contribution of the great Hungarian trumpeter Kornél Fekete-Kovács. In 2017 the album was nominated for the Phonogram Prize in the category Hungarian Jazz Album of the Year. Parallel to her Quartet, and inseparable from it works the duo of Klára and pianist, Krisztián Oláh. In the spring of 2017 their first album, Deep in a Dream, featuring their favorite songs along with own compositions. For this festive anniversary concert the Quartet, along with their most popular songs released so far, are also preparing some novelties and surprises. facebook.com/hajduklaramusic 

The Danish String Quartet made its debut in 2002, in Copenhagen. Since then, they have risen to the rank of the world’s leading quartets, with the New York Times calling their concert a highlight of the year twice. A part of the classical and contemporary repertoire, they regularly play the works of 19th and 20th-century Scandinavian composers. In addition to classical compositions, the quartet also plays folk music and folk arrangements. Their 2014 record, Wood Works was enthusiastically received, as was the 2017 Last Leaf, which came out under the legendary ECM label. The concept of Last Leaf was inspired by a 18th-century Danish hymn, a piece with a special atmosphere. The album contains traditional music from the period, both in its original form and in arrangements, and the blending of the classical and the folk mode of playing transports the listener into a dreamy world, both unusual and timelessly familiar.

Our globe-trotting pianist selected works by two Hungarian composers of world fame for his solo recital. Bartók and Kurtág are two self-contained musical universes that are nonetheless connected through a myriad of intricate relationships, from folk music, through their intimate affinity with the piano, to the relentless honesty that informs their musical gestures. “There is no one who could teach you [the distinctive language] of Bartók better than Bartók himself,” says Várjon. “Let me add, it is impossible to imitate his performance style, because it is completely original, but if you listen to him, you will be imbued by his musical mentality. I often find that those who have not heard Bartók play the piano will play his works very differently.” In an interview he said Kurtág, whom he met at a very young age, was “a mythical figure” for him even before they had met, because “I knew what a giant of a composer he was.”

The line-up of this Belgian band suggests a big band, whereas there is practically no musical style they do not draw on, be it punk, classical modern, or experimental avant-garde. Founded by Peter Vermeersch in 1998, the group is without doubt one of the most prominent players in the European avant-garde and jazz scene. For Vermeersch and the other composers who write for them, there is a desirable element in every segment of culture. Their sources run the whole gamut from Kurt Weill, through old crime TV shows, to Henry Cow’s most formal songs. The resulting soundscape is guaranteed to be entertaining, alternately spellbinding audiences and making them crack up.

The Hungarian composer and pianist, living in Finland, László Süle and one of the most outstanding woodwind artist, Mihály Borbély, have been playing together on several occasions. They have recently recorded their first joint album, Heartquake, released on Hunnia Records. We are honoured that they have chosen Opus for the live debut of the album. László Süle (Budapest, 1955) started to learn the piano at the age of seven. Although later graduating from the University of Agriculture in Hungary, his musical studies have been continuous. In addition to piano he has studied composition, harmonization, counterpoint and instrumentation. Between 1981 and 1984 Süle studied at the Jazz department of the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest. After graduation he became a teacher at the Conservatory. He taught music theory, history, harmony and instrumentation.  Following his 1988 tour in Finland with his trio he was invited to teach at the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory. He moved to Finland and started to teach in January 1989. He taught piano, run a workshop called Almost Big Band, which played Süle’s compositions and led the choir of the Conservatory. In August 2000 he was appointed Lecturer at the Pop/Jazz Music Department of Helsinki Polytechnic, STADIA (from August 2008. METROPOLIA, University of Applied Sciences). Currently he is teaching jazz and classical piano, pedagogy, composition and history of Western music. He participated in teacher changing projects in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Portugal.  Süle released 12 CD’s between 1989 and 2011. Absence, released in 2004 with Pentti Lahti and the Scarbantia String Quartet, received very good reviews and was nominated for the Finnish Music Award “Emma”. It was also chosen among the five best jazz records of the year in Finland. His last three CD’s (Duets For The Restless Souls 2008, Trio Music 2009 and Silver Solitude 2011) were made in unique collaboration with top Finnish classical and jazz musicians, like Marko Ylönen, Eeva Rysä, Max Savikangas, Zoltán Takács, saxophonist Pentti Lahti and bass player Hannu Rantanen.  Besides his pieces for for jazz combo, Süle composes also vocal, solo piano and chamber music as well as music for big band and symphony orchestra. He is involved in various projects, including a duo with Pentti Lahti, solo piano and chamber music concerts, performances of his new jazz and contemporary music compositions. In March 2014 he was appointed “Knight of Cross from the Order of Merit of Hungary” for his artistical and pedagogical achievements in Finland. Multireedist Mihály Borbély got his degrees in classical clarinet and jazz saxophone from the Béla Bartók Conservatory and Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary and became a real versatile musician working in different musical styles from folk and world music to jazz and contemporary music. In addition to his original instruments he also plays folk instruments like the tárogató, folk flutes, kaval, dvojnice, fujara, ocarina, bombarde and zurna. He is a member of the famous folk group the Vujicsics (founded in 1974!) and, in addition to this he has participated in several recording sessions and concerts of leading Hungarian and international artists and groups, among others: Paul Bley, Steve Coleman, Trilok Gurtu, Charles Lloyd, Herbie Mann, Michel Montanaro’s Vents d’Est, Zbignew Namislowsky, Jiri Stivin, Saxophone Summit (Michael Brecker - David Liebman - Joe Lovano). He also performed with composer-conductor Peter Eötvös and the National Philharmonic Orchestra. In the nineties he formed his own jazz groups, the Quartet B, the Mihály Borbély Quartet and a duo project with pianist Károly Binder. He has played on major folk, world music and jazz festivals all over Europe as well as in the US and Australia. Similar to László Süle, teaching is a very important element of his musical philosophy and he is an associate professor at the Jazz Department of Ferenc Liszt Academy of music in Budapest where he was the chairman between 1997 and 2000. Among these he gave lectures, workshops and master classes in his country and abroad, e.g. Birmingham Conservatory, Royal Academy of Music in London, DISTIL Scotland/England, Conservatoire de Lyon, Dresden University of Music C.M. von Weber and several colleges in the USA and Mexico. laszlosule.com facebook.com/mihalyborbelymusic 

To claim that the world has plenty of Jazz piano trios on hand is no exaggeration: in recent years the basic classic combo has been experiencing a resounding revival. Yet a searching look among the trios on tour for the essence of this ‘movement’ – when it all comes down to audience acceptance and an unmistakeable sound all its own – the Tingvall Trio from Hamburg stands out on an international scale. With concerts in more than 30 countries, a full measure of accolades including the ECHO JAZZ as “Ensemble of the Year” and “Live Act of the Year”, Jazz awards in gold for each of the trio’s studio albums, No. 1 on the Jazz charts and even high rankings on the Pop charts, their popularity has attained a level usually marked by current Pop bands. Though occasionally branded in Germany as a stigma by those purportedly ‘in the know’, this kind of success tows a beeline path to the listening public. Only recently Tingvall Trio was accorded the honor to play two trial concerts to test the acoustics at the newly inaugurated Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Three years after the successful CD Beat, their long-awaited next album, Cirklar was released in 2017. Martin Tingvall, pianist, hymnwriter and the man who gave the band its name, comments on the new compositions: “The songs always kick things off for us. With this album I’ve tried to compose in a way that points out new directions to us. We’re testing new forms of expression, but at the same time we naturally want to be recognized as the Tingvall Trio. This time the music is clearly the boss, not the trio.” However the songs may sound as Martin Tingvall pens them – certainty doesn’t emerge until the end of the day when Omar Rodriguez Calvo (double bass) and Jürgen Spiegel (drums) join him in approaching a new composition. Each piece a struggle, a game, a drama that revolves in circles (“Cirklar”) until it’s ‘done’. Cirklar might turn out to be their musically most diversified album to date. With its program Tingvall Trio kicked off the longest tour in its history starting last summer, playing first on festivals in Germany, France and Italy, along with more concerts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland and Luxembourg, then continued recently with concerts in Canada, Japan and Australia. Cirklar reached No.1 on German Jazz Charts and No.29 on German Pop Charts. Just a few from the enthusiastic media quotes: “Playful yet intelligent and full of power behind it.” (Spiegel.de) • “The loveliest symbiosis of tranquil calm and racing speed.” (STERN) • “They are all about expression and emotion – clearly a new force.” (Jazzwise) • “One of Europe’s leading jazz trios … an elementary listening experience.” (Financial Times) • “They are bewitching Europe with their melodies.” (DIE ZEIT) • “Lively” (Guardian) tingvall-trio.de facebook.com/tingvalltrio 

“Beautiful music! It's an album full of surprises, a journey that pleases the listener's ears and souls. Exciting rhythmic transitions, soundscapes and funky rhytms will keep the listeners captivated throughout this album” - writes Ferenc Németh New York based jazz drummer about debut album of Bendegúz Varga, released in March. The music of the group reflects the wide-ranging musical abilities and diverse tastes of its members, while the traditional acoustic jazz as lingua franca remains unquestionable. In their repertoire energetic songs by Csaba Czirják and János Ávéd are accompanied by the more deepgoing compositions of the band leader. The sound is determined by the sometimes competing, sometimes complementary play of the two virtuoso guitarists. In September 2017 they recorded their first album, Goldmund, where János Ávéd was accompanied by another tenor saxophone player, Dániel Mester. The entire material of Goldmund was performed for the first time at the Opus in March. “As in a great book where the magic glues us to our chairs, this album has an engaging story with well-defined characters; some of the chapters are whirling and adventurous, some are calmer and contemplative, with hints of Eastern-European folk idioms and ambiance.” - writes the acclaimed pianist, Dániel Szabó in the liner notes of the album. Due to a Korean tour of his Dutch band, Dániel Mester can't be present, so this time we can hear the group in a quintet lineup. vargabendeguz.hu

Cuban pianist and composer Marialy Pacheco, who lives in Germany, won the first prize in the soloist category at the 2012 instalment of the Montreux Piano Competition. She is the first woman to have won the prize in the competition’s history of fifteen years. Said Leszek Możdżer about the jury’s decision: “Deciding between the three [finalists] was tough. In the end, the contestants’ joy in performing and her authenticity guided our decision making.” Marialy Pacheco was born in 1983 in Havana, into a family of musicians. In 2002 she won the Cuban Jo-Jazz Havana competition, where Grammy Award-winner Chucho Valdés was presiding over the jury. Two years later she released her first album, Bendiciones. Following a 2013 concert where she played along with Valentina Lisitsa and Maria Mazo, in 2014 she was named an official “Bösendorfer Artist.” Also in 2014, she made her debut as a classical performer, playing the solo part of a Bach piano concerto in Australia. marialypacheco.com 

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

Born October 27, 1975, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, Igor Lumpert began his professional training at age 19 at the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz, Austria. During this period, he was a member of Munich-based band Sidewinders, winner of the“Best Jazz Group of Germany” award. After completing his studies with honors, Igor was invited by one of the world’s finest bassists, Reggie Workman, to study at the New School University in New York City. He received a scholarship and moved to New York in fall 2000. In April 2002, Igor was selected for the New School All-Star Wayne Shorter Ensemble, which performed at the “Beacons In Jazz” award ceremony at the Supper club, where Mr. Shorter was honored.  In 2011 Igor was commisioned to create a piece for a closure of European Capital of Culture. With multimedia artist Zeljka Blaksic he created Resistance of the Earth, a multimedia project that combines several artistic genres; from video, performance, 16 mm film to live music. The theme of the project covers the world of natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and tornados. In addition to his work as a performer and composer, he has an active career as an educator, having taught master classes and improvisation lessons throughout Europe and the United States. His group, Innertextures, working since 2004 in different lienups, represents Igor’s passion for musical journeys to new and daring places – which was nicely proven by the quartet’s first tremendous gig at the Opus last year. Since then Eleven, their fourth album, was released in the spring, earning critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic: “Clarity, angularity, consistency are the most distinguishing characteristics of the album Eleven, created by saxophonist Igor Lumpert & Innertextures. M-Base, Mahler and Mingus are keywords, too. (...) Eleven is a regenerative, joyful work of complex music. Its bracing and encouraging power could help to face our world's chaos, with its juxtaposition of misery and joy.” Henning Bolte, All About Jazz“The post-bop tensions of the Big Apple, the obliquities of the folk melody, but also an original funk brilliance are the ingredients of a record that swarms with ideas and energy, not rarely explosive rhythmically under the oblique lines of the winds. Lovers of the most sophisticated urban-jazz, this record is for you!” Enrico Bettinelo, Giornale della musica“The musical formula remains the same, but now more matured and with other nuances: a kind of «hyper-mode bop» with funk elements and some aspects of Slovenian folk music” Blurb

Balkumba Tribe’s journey started in 2014, being founded at the initiative of composer and artist of various woodwinds, ​​Lucian Nagy. Balkumba Tribe’s music has a fresh and original feeling built on a multifaceted spectrum of influences. A harmonious gathering and a multicoloured combination of styles where typical Balkan Middle East and Indo-African inflections are naturally fused together. In the frame of the project, Lucian Nagy is composing and exploring new music of his own, while offering as well the chance to all the other members to express themselves and to bring new ideas thru their own compositions too.  Balkumba Tribe’s international debut in 2014 was their Berlin concert, organised by the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute. Since then they are performing regularly in Romania, Hungary, Germany and Austria. Each of their performances carry their musical message straight to the souls and minds of the audiences of festivals and venues like the American Music Festival Arad, Fete de la Musique Festival Timisoara, Bucharest Jazz Festival, Porgy & Bess Jazz Club Vienna, Budapest Jazz Club, to name a few.  Lucian Nagy & Balkumba Tribe are preparing the launch of their new album, State of Soul, performing parts of it already to the audience in Budapest. balkumbatribe.com 

“Alex Simu shows his versatility and sense of beauty by playing clarinet in a style that unites his native city of Bucharest and his current city of Amsterdam. From a completely integral attitude, the quintet made the Balkan songs with their melancholy and beautiful melodies. Amsterdam seemed a little like Bucharest tonight.” (Jan Jasper Tamboer, Het Parool)“A tenor sound like Sonny Rollins, blended with Balkan wizardly staccatos.” (Leidsch Dagblad)“Undoubtedly virtuosic, with an emotional depth that you would expect from a veteran like Ivo Papasov.” (De Volkskrant) Award-winning, internationally acclaimed clarinetist, saxophonist, and composer, Alex Simu, born in Romania, followed a music education from his childhood. In pursue of an international music career, he moved to the Netherlands at the age of 22, where he began his studies at the Prins Claus Conservatory in Groningen, followed by a Masters degree from the Amsterdam Conservatory. In 2007 he received an HSP Huygens scholarship to study at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. In 2008 he was awarded the First Prize of the Utrecht Holland Casino Jazz Contest. The same year he won first prize of the Dutch Jazz Competition at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, and in 2009 was awarded with the EBU jazz scholarship, and became a member of the European Jazz Orchestra for the project Swinging Europe lead by Peter Herbolzheimer. After completing his studies, Alex Simu co-founded the Dutch-based quartet Arifa. Their debut album Beyond Babylon was released in 2010, followed by Anatolian Alchemy in 2012. Both albums were awarded the Best World Music Release of the year in the Netherlands, and distinguished with 5 stars by various publications. In 2017, Alex Simu released Echoes of Bucharest, his debut album as a band leader together with his quintet. The release at Bimhuis in Amsterdam was highly received by the national press. Echoes of Bucharest is a reflection of the present, a fragrance of the past and a glance into the future of a city with a rich multicultural legacy. The compositions of the suite encounter no rules or boundaries, only love, and the urge to create and share. The vision is built on two main pillars: innovation and heritage, and aims to shape sounds into a unique audience experience. The music and the concept behind the compositions are a natural reflection of Alex Simu’s experience with his hometown, expressed through the lens of his emotional and historical ties. All sounds are inspired by the history of Bucharest, from its creation and evolution, to its contemporary times and future. alexsimu.nl 

vaczieszterquartet.hu facebook.com/veqop 

Vajon két különböző korban élt zeneszerző életútja, életműve, valamint a szerep, melyet egyik is másik is a maga korában – bár egymástól több évszázados távolságban – betöltött azért hasonló, mert elsiklunk a különbségek felett, vagy azért, mert valóban van valami lényegi analógia e két alkotói megnyilvánulás között? Az is kérdés, hogy lehet-e bármilyen szempontból két kultúrtörténeti korszakot hasonlónak, vagy analogikusnak tekinteni? Lehetséges-e, hogy két olyan – a szellemi nívó igen magas fokára eljutott – személyiség, mint Du Fay és Bach egészen egyszerűen hasonló kérdésekre hasonló válaszokat talál? Ha ez lehetséges, akkor feltételezhetjük-e az emberi belátásnak azt a szintjét, ahol az egyéni különbségek elenyésznek? Szokás Bach zenéjét a középkori egyházi műzene felől és figyelembevételével értelmezni, de kettejük között minden tekintetbe vehető részletre kiterjedő párhuzam vonására talán még nem került sor. Erre teszünk kísérletet három előadás keretében. Az előadások tematikája nem kronológia szerint halad, hanem a két szerző legfontosabb alkotói döntéseit helyezi egymás mellé; olyan döntéseket, melyek válaszok a személyes életút, a liturgia, a szerelem és a halál közeledtének kérdéseire.További előadások:2018. november 10.Párhuzamus életutak - Du Fay és Bach | Sándor László előadása 3/2.2018. december 8.Párhuzamus életutak - Du Fay és Bach | Sándor László előadása 3/3.

In the second installment of András Kemenes' recital series, the pianist will perform three of J. S. Bach's English Suites. Despite their name, the suites display a distinctively French style - paradoxically even more so than the great baroque composer's French Suites.

The idea of Common Ground was born when trumpeter Byron Wallen, widely recognised as a seminal figure in British jazz with a deep interest in African music, joined forces with the band of the brilliant Berklee-trained Hungarian drummer, Márton Juhász, another avid explorer of African rhythms. They played just one gig at an inter-club festival in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, but that was sufficient for them to recognise their musical kinship. They went on to correspond, embellishing the idea of future cooperation and drawing into the planning other equally gifted musicians, both from London and Budapest. From Márton’s band the award-winning multi-instrumentalist keyboard player, Áron Tálas and István Tóth Jr, one of the bright young hopes of the bass-guitar were a given. But so was one of Byron’s fellow-musicians, the astonishing guitarist, Rob Luft. The first one to join the project from the ’outside’ was the virtuoso jazz steel pan player, Mark Cherrie bringing the flavours of the Caribbean with him, closely followed by the immensely versatile, all-round African drummer of British Nigerian parentage, Richard Olatunde Baker, founder of the group Eardrum. These seven great musicians found Common Ground among themselves to explore African, Caribbean, British and Hungarian motives, not to mention mainstream jazz. Should be a musical riot. byronwallen.co.uk martonjuhasz.com markcherriequartet.com robluft.co.uk arontalas.com richardolatundebaker.com 

A Dal fogytán című dalciklus szövegét hat Arany János vers alkotja. Ezek egyikét sem zenésítette meg végig a szerző, többet meghúzott vagy szétvágott. Fő célja az volt, hogy szemléltesse a költő viszonyát magával a költészettel. A Ritratto di Barnabás Lenner - El gigante című kompozíció egy öt tételes ciklus második darabjaként íródott meg klarinétra és zongorára azzal a koncepcióval, hogy a két hangszert egy játékos szólaltatja meg végig a darab folyamán. A ciklus összes darabja az előadó klarinétművész egy-egy „portréja” Alessandro Baricco „Mr. Gwyn” c. regényének koncepciójából kiindulva. A Lullaby című duó 2017 januárjában íródott, eredetileg angolkürtre és hárfára, a koncerten a második, szaxofon-hárfa verzió hangzik el. A koncert második felében az Ukihashi című opera első hét jelenete lesz hallható. Zarándy Ákos 2016 tavaszán egy japán témájú egyfelvonásos opera megírását kezdte el Villányi G. András költővel. A libretto Ono no Komacsi, IX. századi japán költőnő és Villányi G. András dialógusaiból áll, egyfajta élet-és sorpályá/ka/t rajzolva. Az opera teljes apparátusát a két énekes szólista mellett (koloratúrszoprán és basszus) egy három férfiből álló kórus és egyetlenegy hárfa képezi. A darab címe Ukihashi, ami afféle pontonhidat jelent, és mélyen vibráló szimbolikára utal a japán irodalom történetében (pl. Gendzsi regénye). Ám a Nyugat-Kelet, valamint múlt és jelen között ívelő hídra is, amely maga az opera. Zarándy Ákos 2004-ben nyert felvételt a Zeneakadémia zeneszerzés tanszakára, főtárgy tanára Vajda János, majd 2007-től Jeney Zoltán lett. 2009-ben a Zeneakadémia Nagytermében, zeneszerzés diplomakoncertjének keretén belül hangzott el első „Las dos Fridas” című operájának keresztmetszete kiváló énekes és hangszeres szólisták, valamint a Magyar Rádió Szimfonikus Zenekarának tolmácsolásában. 2010-ben fél évre Mexikóba utazott. 2011-ben „Nightmare Symphony” című darabja bejutott az Új Magyar Zenei Fórum zeneszerzőverseny nagyzenekari kategóriájának döntőjébe, ahol elnyerte a Fidelio különdíját. Ugyanebben az évben a Nemzeti Kulturális Alap által meghirdetett egyfelvonásos operapályázat egyik nyertese lett. Zarándy Ákos több hazai és nemzetközi kortárszenei fesztiválnak és hangversenysorozatnak állandó résztvevője, néhány kompozícója elhangzott már Ausztriában, Csehországban, Finnországban, Franciaországban, Lengyelországban, Németországban, Olaszországban, Romániában, Svédországban, Szerbiában, Törökországban, az Egyesült Államokban, valamint Mexikóban. Számos felvételét a Magyar Rádió archiválta, és több ízben le is játszotta.

The group, founded in 2002, developed a special sound for its composed and improvised chamber music by combining instruments, rather uncommon in jazz, like the Bulgarian gadulka, or the African array mbira with the more traditional setting of guitar, saxophone, double bass and drums. The name Ektar comes from the Indian word 'ek-tar'which means one string. Indeed, the five musicians play and improvise in such harmony as if they were all playing on a single instrument.

Simsa Fünf was founded by Sebastian Simsa in 2017. The quintet has its roots in jazz and improvised music with major influences ranging from classical chamber and film music to folk music. A crucial feature of the ensemble’s sound is the original and highly thrilling orchestration along with Simsa’s compelling style of composition. The space left for each member to contribute their individual sound, musical energy and ideas represents unique quality of this group. Their album The Time We Need has been comprised of tunes telling stories, which Simsa experienced over the past few years. His songs are portrayed anecdotes about the Berlin Brandenburg Gate covered in snow in times of the cold war, a bridge in rural Finland, a small Catalan village called La Bisbal, a long plastered night in Vienna, or a “traditional folk song” inspired by a dream. Real experiences immingle imperceptibly with unconsciously invented memories. The bands detailed focus on creating versatility among their compositions and particularly the sensation of various sound-combinations are an essential feature of this upcoming and promising ensemble. On their concert at the Opus Jazz Club the quintet will play the material of their new album, to be released in September on Cracked Anegg Records. sebastiansimsa.com

One of the most promising young bands on the Polish jazz scene, the Tomasz Chyla Quintet from the Tri-City area in Pomerania, Northern Poland, were the first band ever from the Baltic region of their country to be chosen as winners of the Grand Prix 40 at the prestigious international Jazz Juniors Festival in Kraków, December 2016. They entered the Polish scene of improvised music proving that young Polish jazz is growing in strength. The performances of the young band are known for their incredibly expressive, virtuosic performances of soloists and energetic, common and open improvisation of the entire group, however not conflicting with a taste for simple forms and melodiousness. Violinist Tomasz Chyła, leader of the quintet had this vision clear in his mind when he invited his friends – some of the best young musicians in Poland, known to have collaborated already with such established artists of their homeland as Leszek Możdżer, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Tymon Tymański, Jerzy Małek, Maciej Sikała, Leszek Kułakowski and many others – to cooperate in the quintet. Chyła's seemingly non-jazz instrument works brilliantly in symbiosis with the rest of the band members, all of them dynamically building and developing the Tri-City jazz scene. Their debut album Eternal Entropy has been excellently received by the music community. The album was nominated for the prestigious Polish FRYDERYKI 2017 Award in the Jazz Debut category. This autumn the band releases their second CD, Circlesongs.

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. Bár Händel művészete elsősorban az énekhang köré fókuszálódott, életét végigkísérik a különböző célokra komponált instrumentális művek, amelyek a kezdeti években kiváló lehetőséget adtak a fiatal zseninek előadói képességei megcsillantására. A legelső és legutolsó ismert kamaramű közé különböző típusú versenyműveket ékeltünk: a concerto grosso formájában inkább Corelli concerto típusát követi, míg az orgonaversenyek máig a szerző legközvetlenebb remekművei közé tartoznak, amelyekből csak úgy sugárzik a játék öröme, amely valószínűleg magát, a szerzőt is jellemezhette, amikor megszabadulván az operaigazgatás minden nyűgétől csak a tiszta zenélésnek adhatta át magát.

NSI is a Polish quartet formed by four talented and energetic musicians who are passionate about playing acoustic jazz. A wide range of musical inspirations can be traced in the music of NSI Quartet’s music. Energetic, strong sound, full of improvisations and mutual interaction but not lacking mellow moments, when you can forget yourself in mesmerizing, romantic melodies – these are for definite the most characteristic parts of NSI Quarter’s style. The music is full of wonderful colours and shades which one simply can’t ignore. The band won many awards at international jazz contests and performed at numerous festivals. The NSI Quartet released two albums so far – Introducing and last year The Look of Cobra., this with the contribution of the outstanding pianist Dominik Wania, who will appear as special guest at the present concert, too.

Kodály: Háry János c. dalműve alapján Ahogy az évek telnek-múlnak, az emberek fiatalkori hőstettei úgy szépülnek és terebélyesednek egyre komolyabbá. Háry János, az öreg, nyugdíjba vonult katona egy pohár bor mellet idézi fel a régi szép időket: hogyan állt katonának, hogyan győzte le a nagy Napóleont, és hogyan lelt boldog életre szerelme, Örzse oldalán. Kodály Zoltán gyönyörű zenéjével a magyar irodalom egyik legszebb és legszórakoztatóbb meséjét kelti életre a zenekar az Operaház két ifjú csillagával a főszerepben.

Vajon két különböző korban élt zeneszerző életútja, életműve, valamint a szerep, melyet egyik is másik is a maga korában – bár egymástól több évszázados távolságban – betöltött azért hasonló, mert elsiklunk a különbségek felett, vagy azért, mert valóban van valami lényegi analógia e két alkotói megnyilvánulás között? Az is kérdés, hogy lehet-e bármilyen szempontból két kultúrtörténeti korszakot hasonlónak, vagy analogikusnak tekinteni? Lehetséges-e, hogy két olyan – a szellemi nívó igen magas fokára eljutott – személyiség, mint Du Fay és Bach egészen egyszerűen hasonló kérdésekre hasonló válaszokat talál? Ha ez lehetséges, akkor feltételezhetjük-e az emberi belátásnak azt a szintjét, ahol az egyéni különbségek elenyésznek? Szokás Bach zenéjét a középkori egyházi műzene felől és figyelembevételével értelmezni, de kettejük között minden tekintetbe vehető részletre kiterjedő párhuzam vonására talán még nem került sor. Erre teszünk kísérletet három előadás keretében. Az előadások tematikája nem kronológia szerint halad, hanem a két szerző legfontosabb alkotói döntéseit helyezi egymás mellé; olyan döntéseket, melyek válaszok a személyes életút, a liturgia, a szerelem és a halál közeledtének kérdéseire.A sorozat záró előadása:2018. december 8.Párhuzamus életutak - Du Fay és Bach | Sándor László előadása 3/3.

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. Bár Händel művészete elsősorban az énekhang köré fókuszálódott, életét végigkísérik a különböző célokra komponált instrumentális művek, amelyek a kezdeti években kiváló lehetőséget adtak a fiatal zseninek előadói képességei megcsillantására. A legelső és legutolsó ismert kamaramű közé különböző típusú versenyműveket ékeltünk: a concerto grosso formájában inkább Corelli concerto típusát követi, míg az orgonaversenyek máig a szerző legközvetlenebb remekművei közé tartoznak, amelyekből csak úgy sugárzik a játék öröme, amely valószínűleg magát, a szerzőt is jellemezhette, amikor megszabadulván az operaigazgatás minden nyűgétől csak a tiszta zenélésnek adhatta át magát.

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

Még nincs 30 éves, és Christian Sands jelenleg a jazz egyik legfoglalkoztatottabb zongoristája. Az elmúlt években bejárta saját zenekarával az egész világot, a közelmúltban pedig Christian McBride és Gregory Porter lemezein volt közreműködő. Szeptember 21-én megjelenő Facing Dragons című lemeze anyagával érkezik Budapestre. Sands többek között olyan jazz nagyságokkal szerepelt együtt, mint Oscar Peterson, Wynton Marsalis, Diane Reeves, Gary Burton, Randy Brecker, Louis Hayes vagy Craig Handy, Carl Allen. Fiatal kora ellenére neve már ismerősen hangzik többek között a Newport Jazz Fesztiválon, a Monterey Jazz Fesztiválon, a Detroit Jazz Fesztiválon, Savannah Zenei Fesztiválon. Játékát olyan legendás jazz klubokban is élvezhette a közönség, mint pl. a Village Vanguard, a Jazz Standard, a Blue Note és a Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola. Sikeresen szerepelt Japánban, Németországban, Oroszországban, Olaszországban, Franciaországban, Belgiumban, Dániában és Spanyolországban egyaránt.

The trio, founded in 2010 by János Ávéd, a prominent representative of the youngest generation of Hungarian saxophonists, is a tight collaboration of three musicians, depicting the present time with a line-up of saxophone-guitar-drums, balancing the deliberate absence of a bass instrument by free use of formal and musicals means. Their sometimes quite surprising use of different musical themes drawn from mainstream roots through classical and contemporary music up to even post-rock is sort of a trademark of their music. A memorable example of this was their successful concert at the Palace of Arts in 2013, sharing the stage with their guest, US sax player David Binney. Further members of the trio are also outstanding figures of the young generation. Guitarist Márton Fenyvesi, awarded with the Junior Prima prize, is leader and/or member of several Hungarian jazz outfits. Winner of the Vilmos Jávori Drummer Contest, Ákos Benkó is a solid pillar of different groups, he played at the Opus Jazz Club several times with groups of Gábor Juhász, Tamara Mózes, or Csaba Czirják, among others. Comprised of the trio's two previous Opus concerts, their debut album Balance was released in 2016 on BMC Records. “Like the music of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, later-day patron saints of Hungarian music, the songs written by János Ávéd and by Balance are all based on the mixture of folk wisdom and sophisticated poetic conceits and they celebrate the natural world and its regenerative powers in the face of both natural and supernatural phenomena. Each begins arrestingly with either saxophone or flute and with the addition of the drums, acquires emotional weight as it goes along. The seriousness with which Balance  approach these works is evident, and the forces are ideal: single voices amplified as a potent trio as required provide atmospheric rarity and a powerful sonorous imprint to all of this music. This is clearly a disc not to be missed.” wrote Raul da Gama, JazzdaGama, in May 2017 about Balance. janosaved.com 

Bálint Gyémánt’s guitar playing reflects a profound inner microcosm which is always open to new inspirations. The guitarist-composer wrote sensitive and dynamic pieces for his trio's debut album, True Listener, released on BMC Records in September 2017. “The guitarist Bálint Gyémánt is not old enough to have known the iron curtain, but his music is in the tradition of those Hungarian musicians who exiled their art during the cold war. Clear play, without excessive virtuosity or too much salience: True Listener, his first album at BMC is a trio formula where he leaves plenty of room for his rhythmic base. Flight to Berlin is an example, with a beautiful dialogue between the bass of Tibor Fonay and drums of László Csízi, certainly the one of most beautiful discoveries of the album.” Franpi Barriaux, CitizenJazz

“Hand on the heart. Which of us jazz fans has Hungary as a typical jazz region on his agenda? The times of Attila Zoller or Gabor Szabo's are long gone, but in recent years on the banks of the Danube a corps of young, promising talents has ripened, which raises hopes to the most beautiful expectations. The mere 27-year-old pianist, Aron Talas may certainly be counted among them. Talas' playing represents the fusion of different cultural traditions in the light of Ligeti or Kurtag. This very specific expression can be experienced here as well. Talas embraces the flexibility of jazz to his own, integrating free improvisation and typical Hungarian folk music, while parallels to Bartók seem also obvious. And rarely has one heard such a hellishly grooving piece as Ke-Bop - compliments, gentlemen from the land of the Magyars!”Tom Fuchs - Piano News, July-August 2018

Details soon!

Over the last years the Meyer Brothers, Peter on guitar and Bernhard on bass, invented a sound without comparison, a sound that overrode all established concepts of jazz improvisation, alternative rock, modern classical music and ambient, but even surpassed all known syntheses, avantgardisms and overlappings. A sound that is far away from any crossover and that is pathbreaking in the European music landscape.  The two brothers, best known for their work with Melt Trio, presented recently their new band, Other Animal, with Wanja Slavin on saxophone and Jim Black on drums. One of the most influential drummers of our time, Jim Black, is at the forefront of a new generation of musicians bringing jazz into the 21st century over the last two decades. With his limitless technique and futuristic concepts, with his relentless feeling of joy and invention, he enthralled and inspired audiences worldwide. Echo-Winning saxophone volcano Wanja Slavin brings along a rarely heard energy of rough beauty into the band. His playing reflects all the energie, creativity and love of John Coltrane or Ornette Coleman. Beyond this his virtuosity allows him a totally new approach by reaching unhearded soundscapes of Neue Musik and electronic music. The four musician recorded their first album last year. It was released on Traumton Records in February 2018. Based on post avantgarde NY-Berlin Jazz this music will go and grow everywhere else.  meyer-music.de 

“Estonian bassist Peedu Kass’ Momentum ensemble serves as an exciting and intricately woven remake of the piano trio format” Josef Woodard, Downbeat Peedu Kass Momentum is a bassist led piano-trio with a dashing “in-your-face” stage performance. Adventurous rhythms, sparkling virtuosity and sophisticated compositions are key elements in their performance. If you’re looking for a piano trio with a spark, then this is your choice! They were the first Estonian group to be chosen to perform at the world’s biggest jazz trade show Jazzahead! in Bremen. They’ve also performed in Canada, Australia, Germany, UK, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Russia, Hungary, Finland, Latvia and Estonia. Momentum won the Jazz ensemble of the year award at the annual Jazzkaar Jazz awards and were nominated for Jazz album of the year at the 2017 Estonian Music Awards. Peedu Kass is a sought-after musician in the European jazz scene. His versatile musicanship has been heard around the world. Seamus Blake, Django Bates, Tony Allen, Marilyn Mazur, Tõnu Kaljuste, Hayden Powell are just a few artists he has worked with. The pianist of the group is the brilliant Kristjan Randalu, the ambassador of Estonian jazz in the western hemisphere. He performs regularly with jazz giants like Ben Monder, Ari Hoenig, Nguyen Le, Dhafer Youssef, David Liebman or Nils Petter Molvaer. Kristjan brings sparkling virtuosity and rhythmic intensity to the group. Drummer Toomas Rull is the keystone of Estonian jazz drumming. A sensitive listener and a prolific songwriter, who knows how to richen any group’s sound. His extensive sideman career has taken him to recordings of more than 100 albums. peedukass.com facebook.com/PeeduKass  The concert is part of the Estonian Music Week, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Estonian Republic

Estonian composer Veljo Tormis (1930-2017) was one of the main choral composers of the 20th century in Europe. The great majority of his works are based on ancient Estonian folk songs. Singer Kadri Voorand and guitarist Jaak Sooäär have sung songs by him in choirs since early age and have always fanned his music. As a part of the celebration of the 85th birthday of Veljo Tormis, Jazzkaar festival proposed a concert consisting of his music in a jazzy context for which Voorand and Sooäär were joined by singer Liisi Koikson and guitarist Paul Daniel. As the debut went very well, the four musicians decided to continue as a group and have performed at all main folk and jazz festivals in Estonia and also in UK, Israel, Germany and Finland. The quartet received the Estonian Folk Grammy as the best new group in 2016. This spring the quartet released their debut album Tormisele – Hommage To Veljo Tormis.  The concert is part of the Estonian Music Week, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Estonian Republic

Marina & The Kats, described as The World’s Smallest Big Band, take their listeners on a dreamy journey into the times of Django Reinhart and Cab Calloway, the Divas and the Crooners, the Lindy Hops and the Collegiate Shags, and still land them softly in the here and now. Racy gypsy guitars, nimble melodies, airy snare drums and Marina’s uniquely charming voice conflate into a nostalgic cocktail – ready to be enjoyed not only at breakfast but also in the evenings at the dance café, bringing immediate smiles to everyone.  Small, their debut album was a big success in 2016; during the album release tour they enchanted the audience in the Opus Jazz Club as well. One year later, Marina & The Kats were back in the studio again, and this time the outcome was Wild, a vinyl double-album with no less than 16 new songs. They have been remaining faithful to their style and their slogan SWING SWING SWING. With the experience and know-how of over 100 live-concerts under their paws, they were diving even deeper into the driving sound of the Juke Joints and Ballrooms. Due to another year of intensive touring they built up an international reputation by playing in The United States, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, France and Austria of course.  The band’s third birthday is coming up and they are working hard on their third album, to be released in the Autumn – and to be preseneted among others at the Opus again! marina-thekats.com 

Mopo, a trio of energetic virtuoso musicians from Finland, has been on the radar of international tastemakers already for a while thanks to their unique blend of punk, jazz and inspiration from the Finnish nature. The outfit of saxophonist Linda Fredriksson, bassist Eero Tikkanen and drummer Eeti Nieminen has previously released three albums, Jee! (2012), Beibe (2014) and Laivalla (2016) together with Finnish singer-songwriter Ville Leinonen. Beibe won Emma, the Finnish Grammy, in best jazz album category in 2015. Linda Fredriksson has made it already three times to DownBeat’s Rising Star list, while All about Jazz has listed Mopo in their list of “15 European Jazz Musicians You Need To Know About”. Mopo relased their latest album, Mopocalypse, in February to high praise. Mopo is known for its live energy, in their almost ten years together they have charmed the audiences in countries across Europe, Central America, and Africa.  “The basic trio format allows the three inventive improvisers to explore an endless number of sonic sceneries, quickly moving from sweet and dancing melodies to the most ferocious screams. Captivating and fresh!” All About Jazz mopomopo.com facebook.com/MOPOMOPOMOPO instagram.com/mopoband 

Vajon két különböző korban élt zeneszerző életútja, életműve, valamint a szerep, melyet egyik is másik is a maga korában – bár egymástól több évszázados távolságban – betöltött azért hasonló, mert elsiklunk a különbségek felett, vagy azért, mert valóban van valami lényegi analógia e két alkotói megnyilvánulás között? Az is kérdés, hogy lehet-e bármilyen szempontból két kultúrtörténeti korszakot hasonlónak, vagy analogikusnak tekinteni? Lehetséges-e, hogy két olyan – a szellemi nívó igen magas fokára eljutott – személyiség, mint Du Fay és Bach egészen egyszerűen hasonló kérdésekre hasonló válaszokat talál? Ha ez lehetséges, akkor feltételezhetjük-e az emberi belátásnak azt a szintjét, ahol az egyéni különbségek elenyésznek? Szokás Bach zenéjét a középkori egyházi műzene felől és figyelembevételével értelmezni, de kettejük között minden tekintetbe vehető részletre kiterjedő párhuzam vonására talán még nem került sor. Erre teszünk kísérletet három előadás keretében. Az előadások tematikája nem kronológia szerint halad, hanem a két szerző legfontosabb alkotói döntéseit helyezi egymás mellé; olyan döntéseket, melyek válaszok a személyes életút, a liturgia, a szerelem és a halál közeledtének kérdéseire.

“...these cats know how to play. But first of all, they also have something to say that no one else does. (...) The song is clear and beautiful like a Finnish folk song but then the band breaks all the clichés. All four, pianist Toomas Keski-Säntti, bassist Mikael Saastamoinen, saxophonist Jarno Tikka and drummer Okko Saastamoinen are improvising at the same time but in some magical way, they are keeping the song together musically and maintaining the atmosphere.” Katri Kallionpää, Helsingin Sanomat OK:KO is Finnish drummer Okko Saastamoinen’s collective, introducing some of the most prestigious Finnish jazz musicians of younger generation. In his compositions Okko puts an emphasis on leaving a lot of room for improvisation, where members of the band are in their best taking the music to new directions still maintaining the the essence of the tunes. “This dialogue keeps music fresh and makes it very multi-dimensional and vibrant,” says Saastamoinen “We're trying to keep the bands sound fresh and move from fragile soundscapes to rough and flamboyant moods.” The influences that the band members bring to Okko’s compositions can be anything from the history of Western music. Trust, use of space and improvisation are the main themes. OK:KO’s gigs have been described as an intense experiences that arouses mental images and deep presence in the listener. OK:KO's critically acclaimed debut album, Land E., was released last year on AMP Music & Records. “The Finnish jazz group OK:KO has been getting praises around the world with their first born, which is a sovereign example of their eerie style. Especially the organic ‘Kesäranta’ draws subtle figures. Drums, saxophone, piano and bass end up to really interesting dialogues.” wrote Juha Seitz (Ilkka-Sanomalehti) in his 4star review about the album. facebook.com/OKKOband 

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

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 remai in the background. In their arrangements the 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!