This year, Dutch Focus, a festival presented in cooperation between Budapest Music Center and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Hungary, will take place between 12 and 15 November, bringing the vibrant colours of Dutch jazz to Opus Jazz Club.

Dutch saxophonist, clarinetist and shakuhachi player Ab Baars lives for improvisation. His highly personal and distinct, yet clearly accessible musical style embodies the best of what the Dutch improvisation scene can give. On 12 November, he and the Grencsó – Hock – Mezei – Miklós quartet invite the audience into the world of present-tense free music that is rooted in the past, and does not leave us without a vision for the future. The quartet of István Grencsó, Szilárd Mezei, Ernő Hock and Szilveszter Miklós brings together musicians who all admire spontaneous music of the moment. After years of preparation, they performed together for the first time in February 2023. Since then, they have played multiple concerts together with Baars, whose work is a great inspiration for the group.

WAAN, taking to stage on 13 November, is the brainchild of saxophonist Bart Wirtz and keyboardist Emiel van Rijthoven. Together with bassist Matteo Mazzù and drummer Mark Schilders, they shape a sound that blurs the lines between electronic and acoustic music, dancefloor energy and jazz improvisation. Since their debut, WAAN has become known for a raw, adventurous style – merging groove-based electronics, atmospheric melodies, and improvisational freedom. After their acclaimed debut, Echo Echo, the band is releasing their second album, We Want WAAN, in January 2026. With music that speaks to both the body and the imagination, the quartet expands their sonic universe: bold, restless, and brimming with curiosity.

On 14 November, Bonsai Panda, under the direction of godspeed duo Jelle Roozenburg & Louk Boudesteijn, presents their self-proclaimed best work so far: the spectacular, absurd, surrealistic masterpiece Tout Galore. Their already 6th album is like a fever dream that’s scary but comforting and daringly challenging at the same time. Averse of all trends and without concessions, the Pandas imperturbably plot their own future and, as ever, the two opposites: the intimate, more cultivated and stylized (Bonsai) and the wild, unconventional and playful side (Panda) play a leading role in their music. They call their sound Short Term Memory Music, music that’s unavoidably taken over by the moment it’s being performed.

The new Spirit Quartet unites four musicians who share a thirst for adventure, a dedication to the mysteries of sound, and a love of freedom in musical expression. On 15 November, they perform their own compositions, as well as works by cult saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc. Trombonist Steve Swell has played with Cecil Taylor, John Zorn, and Peter Brötzmann, as well as for many years with Moondoc. Ziv Taubenfeld, one of the most impressive bass clarinetists of the moment, is associated with the Amsterdam and Lisbon creative music scenes. Bassist Wilbert de Joode is a legend of Dutch jazz and has played with just about everyone. The quartet is rounded with Sun-Mi Hong, an up-and-coming talent who is currently making a splash in the Dutch scene.

Tickets for the concerts of Dutch Focus are available on the spot, online at bmc.jegy.hu, and at InterTicket Jegypont partners across Hungary.