A program of the CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival 

It was during her studies in Brussels that Veronika Harcsa met pianist Kris Defoort, who not only teaches at the academy but is also a key figure of contemporary Belgian jazz. Both artists are versatile, keen on adventure and on connecting distant styles, so their cooperation gave rise to a compelling material.

Veronika Harcsa barely needs to be introduced to Hungarian music lovers. All her productions – whether they be a guitar duo or a “serious” concert with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra – are marked by the same perfectionism, charm and poetic sensivity. “She sings,” wrote a critic, “by controlling every bit of her body — from deep within, even in the anatomical sense.”

The career of Belgian composer and pianist Kris Defoort has been similarly unconventional. An artist of diverse interests, he initially studied old music, before immersing himself in jazz, composition and improvisation. In the 2000s he revisited his studies in classical music, and started writing in this vein, including string quartets and operas. Of the latter, his House of the Sleeping Beauties, which had its premiere in Brussels in 2009, was performed in a number of European cities with great success. Last year he worked on an orchestral piece for the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and also composed a “circus opera” for the Feria Musica company.