After having played in many free, pop and especially world music formations, Gergő Kováts felt that the time had come to explore the endless fields between folk music and jazz with his fellow musicians. The aim of the team, which has been assembled for this scientific-fantastic expedition, is nothing less than to gradually replace its material, starting from the world of jazz and retaining its achievements, with elements of Carpathian Basin folk music culture. Máté Pozsár and Attila Gyárfás are acknowledged jazz authorities, ubiquitous and inescapable figures of its free scene, and teachers at the Liszt Academy Budapest. Ábel Dénes, despite his young age, has a well-established international reputation as a bilingual musician, having achieved major international successes with the Nagy Emma Quintet and Söndörgő, among others.   Kovász · Live at Fonó, Budapest

A zenepedagógia száz éve keresi a gyógyírt önnön elidegenedésére. Számos módszer született a zenélés terapeutikus és spirituális energiáinak, a zene létrehozásából fakadó örömnek visszanyerésére. Ezek a módszerek azonban sosem a zene természetéből bomlanak ki, hanem valamely idegen koncepciót kényszerítenek rá. Ameddig nem hagyunk föl a módszer modernista bálványozásával, ameddig a feladatot rá akarjuk bízni valami másra, ami helyettünk dolgozik: addig valódi lényünk mozdulatlan marad, és a zenét csak reprodukálni fogjuk, nem pedig létrehozni. Ha viszont átitatódunk az 1800 előtti zenepedagógia gondolkodásmódjával, akkor esélyt kapunk arra, hogy növendékeinket teremtésre „kényszerítsük”.Festmény: Hieronymus Bosch (követője): Koncert a tojásban A sorozat befejező része:2024. január 6. 15:30A szabály szabadsága | Vokális improvizáció a zenepedagógiában 3/3.

Lia Sampai is a singer-songwriter and an actress. She entered the music industry in 2017 by participating in original song contests. Despite being self-taught, she began composing her own songs, focusing on the lyrics and interpretation of her own verses. Her talent and hard work earned her more than twenty awards at the national and international level, and she is currently preparing her third album, which will explore her experiences in Terres de l'Ebre, a region that often serves as inspiration for her music. Lia Sampai, Adrià Pagès and Gerard Morató excel in creating narratives that encompass both personal and social aspects, delving into the most intimate and vulnerable corners of human experience. Their music is characterized by simplicity and a sense of complicity, allowing listeners to connect with their stories on a deep level.  Through their artistry, they construct a bridge between the personal and the universal, exploring themes that resonate with individuals and society as a whole. Their ability to touch upon intimate and fragile emotions adds a profound and authentic dimension to their work, inviting listeners to reflect and connect with their own experiences. Lia Sampai finds inspiration for her songwriting in the genres of Nova Cançó (Catalan New Song) and Chanson Française (French chanson). She draws influence from renowned artists such as Raimon, Maria del Mar Bonet, Lluís Llach, Édith Piaf, Jacques Brel, and Georges Brassens, who are her most cherished references. These artists have made significant contributions to their respective musical traditions and have left a lasting impact on the singer-songwriter genre.  With the support of Institut Ramon Llull and JAZZ I AM within the project of Catalan Jazz On Tour.

A lecture by András Párniczky on the continuation of Béla Bartók's music in jazz - in Hungarian.

This evening, artists knowing no boundaries will take Ligeti's legacy into their own hands and shape it further. In the first set, two small ensembles will demonstrate that the inspiration of the Hungarian composer's oeuvre is still present in contemporary jazz. The musicians of the Ligeti Ensemble under the auspices of Concerto Budapest will play the challenging Ten Pieces for Wind Quintet, which will be answered by Miklós Lukács' Cimbiozis Trio, blurring the (often thin) line between contemporary music and jazz. The collaboration was initiated by Miklós Lukács, and after the two bands presented the project at BMC's Ligeti 100 festival in May, they also recorded it, and the resulting album will soon be released on BMC Records. The second part of the concert will be a similarly unconventional musical adventure in a thousand colours, as the Cimbiózis Trio will perform for the first time as a quartet with Csaba Klenyán. Their free music journey is based on the traditions of classical music, contemporary music and jazz, but as they are the country's leading creative musicians, their performance will be guided by a cavalcade of individual musical and sound ideas.

Dutch drum legend and artist Han Bennink (81) likes sounds from unlikely objects. This is why he can play on anything he encounters, from a kitchen chair to the stage floor. The co-founder of Instant Composers Pool has played in countless formations over the last 55 years, with jazz titans such as Sonny Rollins and Wes Montgomery. Now he will perform with two musicians who are less than half his age: saxophonist Ben van Gelder and guitarist Reinier Baas. Bennink lovingly calls this his ‘Children’s Trio’, even though Baas and Van Gelder have reached an age and a career path that deserve respect. The three of them have performed nationally and internationally, from the Concertgebouw to the Umbria Jazz and North Sea Jazz festivals. Baas and Van Gelder have played more than 300 gigs together, and they have released two albums as a duo: 'Smash Hits' (with the Grammy-winning Metropole Orkest) and 'Mokum In Hi-Fi', an ode to the city of Amsterdam. Between the two of them, their accolades include two Edison awards, a Deloitte Jazz Award, composition assignments from the North Sea Jazz Festival, Pynarello and the WDR Big Band, and collaborations with Jeff Ballard and Cory Smythe. "It sounded Monk-like… They played an insanely beautiful version of Body and Soul. During the encore Bennink jumped from behind the drum kit to play one of his characteristic solos on the floor. The three radiated virtuosity and, above all, fun. The audience loved it!" (JazzFlits).

Young guitar lion Jelle Roozenburg and trombone maverick Louk Boudesteijn join forces to create Bonsai Panda. After shaping and cultivating the seeds of their ideas they are now ready to share it with the world. Roozenburg & Boudesteijn each wrote a dozen compositions – all dripped in blues, charged with jazz and heavily influenced by the great composers of the 20th century (Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Messiaen). Their mutual love for composing and improvisation makes this a truly magical collaboration. In this sonic adventure they team up with eclectic reedmaster David Kweksilber, saxophonist Jesse Schilderink and the uncompromised beats & sounds of Jimmi Jo Hueting. This group of likeminded souls are all masters of their instrument. But doubling on other instruments gives Bonsai Panda an even wider spectrum of sound and instinctive playfulness. The Pandas refer to their in-the-moment approach as Short Term Memory Music, which became the title of their 2020 album too. Meet Bonsai Panda and launch yourself along with us into the great unknown.  

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! Az előadás 4 éves kortól ajánlott.

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.

Fenix is an electro-acoustic jazz band, in which ambient synths, playful melodies and raw grooves merge. Their music has an open, playful character, where their shared love for improvisation and musical spontaneity results in honest music-of-the-moment. With their receptive interplay they paint a musical landscape that evolves and moves to unexpected places. The band is a musical collective made out of four young, yet decorated musicians and composers that established themselves as “usual suspects” on the flourishing Dutch jazz scene. As bandleaders and side-men with different projects they have toured Holland’s main stages with regular appearances at venues like the legendary North Sea Jazz Festival and the Bimhuis. Inspired by artists like Flying Lotus, Donny McCaslin and Avishai Cohen, they join arms for an intimate and at the same time festival-banger-worthy experience.

Zámbó Jonatán a koncert műsorát alkotó hét darabot közönségbarát szellemben, vagyis praktikusan a sokszínűség jegyében válogatta össze: mivel tartalmaz régi és új, rövid és hosszú, „dallamos és dallamtalan”, homofón és polifón, minimalista és „maximalista” műveket, valamint abszolút zenét és programzenét is egyaránt, mindenki könnyedén megtalálhatja a számára leginkább szimpatikus kompozíció(ka)t. 1. Contrapunctus IrregularisJ. S. Bach Die Kunst der Fuge – ciklusának első darabja által ihletett műről van szó, melyben egy algoritmikus módszerrel, szólamainak eredeti ritmusértékeit megváltoztatva, egy, a Stravinsky középső alkotói korszakának stílusára hajazó hangzásvilágú darabot kapunk eredményül. A cím egy barokk figurára, az ún. transitus irregularisra utal, mely az összhangzattan késleltetési és előlegzési szabályainak figyelembevétele nélküli átmenetet jelent a dallam hangjai között a harmóniákhoz viszonyítva. 2. MétamorphosesAhogyan címe is mutatja, a mű a folyamatos átalakulásokról szól. Mást nem is érdemes elárulni róla, a zene többet mond minden szónál.3. Óh, szív! Nyugodj! – Négy tétel József Attila költeménye alapján Az 1928-ban íródott, azonos című József Attila-vers négy versszakát „zenésítettem meg” négy tételben. Nem programszerűen, tehát nem a szöveget szorosan követve, hanem inkább azon érzeteket kívántam megfogalmazni, melyek az olvasás közben törtek rám. Természetesen, konstruktív oldalról is meg van erősítve a kompozíció, minden tétel a Fibonacci-számok arányai alapján épül fel, valamint mindegyikre egy ún. ’uralkodó hangköz’ a jellemző. A vers szövege a következő: (I) Fegyverben réved fönn a téli ég,kemény a menny és vándor a vidék,halkul a hó, megáll az elmenő,lehellete a lobbant keszkenő. (II) Hol is vagyok? Egy szalmaszál nagyonhelyezkedik a csontozott uton;kis, száraz nemzet; izgágán szuszog,zuzódik, zizzen, izzad és buzog.(III) De fönn a hegyen ágyat bont a köd,mint egykor melléd: mellé leülök.Bajos szél jaját csendben hallgatom,csak hulló hajam repes vállamon.(IV) Óh szív! nyugodj! Vad boróka hegyénszerelem szólal, incseleg felém,pirkadó madár, karcsu, koronás,de áttetsző, mint minden látomás. 4. T(rio) de Janeiro1502. január 1-jén, Caspar de Lemos portugál hajóskapitány felfedezi a Guanabara-öblöt. Ő ezt elnevezi Rio de Janeironak – januári folyónak, (vagy egyes források szerint Ria de Janeironak – januári öbölnek). Lemos kapitány nem tudja egyértelműen eldönteni a kérdést, hogy folyótorkolatról, avagy tengeröbölről van-e szó, és miután kiderül, hogy az előbbi az igaz, az itt felépülő város mégis az utóbbi nevet kapja.Darabom szempontjából annyi jelentősége van a történetnek, hogy egy lassan befagyó folyót ábrázol. 5. BarcarolaDarabom két nagy rétegből tevődik össze: a hegedű szólamában egy zenei akrosztikon ismétlődik folyamatosan, míg a zongora „kommentárja” állandóan mást fűz ehhez hozzá. A két réteg találkozása, illetve szétválása adja azt a hullámzást, ami miatt a címét is kapta a kompozíció. 6. Contrapunctus IVssusSzintén Kunst der Fuge - feldolgozás, melyet (eredetileg minimum tizenkettő) dallamhangszerekre képzeltem el. Ezek között a negyedik Contrapunctus hangjait hoquetus-szerűen osztom el – hangnevek szerint, így egy olyan anyag jön létre, amelyben a hangok sorrendisége (jórészt) a bachi marad, de a ritmikai értékek, hangszínek játéka elidegeníti az eredeti hangzástól. A mű címe arra utal, hogy a megszólaltatáshoz „kánonként” adok utasítást a játékosoknak, így a darab minden egyes megszólalása más realizációt eredményez. A mai alkalommal három hangszeren szólal meg a darab. 7. Sonatina in the Old StyleA zeneszerző néha megunja a túlbonyolított struktúrákon alapuló munkáját, és könnyebben bejárható vizekre evez.

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.

CSONTVÁRYHungarian drama, 1980, 106 min. - In Hungariandirector: Zoltán Huszárik script writer: Péter Dobai, István Császárcinematography: Péter Jankuraeditor: Éva  Kármentő music by Miklós Kocsár Featuring: Ichak Finci, István Holl, Andrea Drahota, Margit Dajka, Ágnes Bánfalvy, Samu BalázsTivadar Csontváry Kosztka the one-ideaed Hungarian painter was thought to be crazy by his peers, but he eventually became a significant artist. The screening will be introduced by film- and music critic László Kolozsi (in Hungarian).Guest: Balázs Kocsár, conductor

On 20 December 2022, after more than a decade of silence, György Szabados' former orchestra, the Royal Hungarian Court Orchestra (MAKUZ), whose members are all musicians who have gone from apprentices to legendary masters, gathered again and performed in public. "It was as if they had stepped back in time, the players sensing each other, showing their individuality in the solos that emerged from the joint improvisations, and changing from a pensive mood to a rousing climax, they gave a tribute to the joy of playing free music", said Gábor Turi, summing up the experience of last year's concert. The Christmas concert, organised by the Adyton Foundation, will again pay tribute to the great master of free music, who passed away in 2011, and the reunion of MAKUZ will be opened by the trio of Barnabás Dukay, István Grencsó and Szilveszter Miklós. http://györgy-szabados.com/

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 music 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, which he refers to as “instrumental storytelling”. The band's debut album, The Time We Need was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award and received rave reviews in Austria and Germany. Perpetuum mobile, the band’s second release, has again been comprised of tunes telling stories, which Simsa experienced over the past few years. His songs are portrayed anecdotes of childhood memories, journeys, neighborhood, impressive encounters and small electronic troublemakers. Real experiences immingle imperceptibly with unconsciously invented memories. The band's detailed focus on creating versatility among their sensation of various sound combinations is an essential trademark of this well attuned ensemble.  

Wanting Machine is the first solo program, album and live show of Peter Rom, guitar player, composer and co-founder of JazzWerkstatt Wien. In this case, “solo” stands for working with three wonderful musicians. For Wanting Machine, Peter Rom, who has been a creative linchpin of many projects in and around JazzWerkstatt Wien, followed his dream to compose for his favourite musicians regardless of pragmatic assumptions. “I admire the imagination of Franz Kafka. Steps, growing upward following climbing feet, steps too high to overcome… Time and time again, his literary characters realise their wrong assessment of situations. The world around them seems firm, but in reality everything proves to be precarious, soft, blurry and ambiguous. I have always looked for music that is working on different levels. Like a hologram: you look at it, you look through it and from a different perspective it looks all different.” Sometimes while listening to Wanting Machine you might not know which instrument is responsible for a certain sound. Utilizing different playing techniques and sonic manipulation, instruments take on different characters, sounds become blurred, reveal themselves, disappear and reappear somewhat transformed. Peter Rom’s compositions take numerous turns, change – sometimes all of a sudden, sometimes gradually – their state of matter, fluidify, shift, dissolve and freeze. Text: Kristin Gruber  

“This Austrian quartet have a keen sense of sound and vision, their furious rock fusion attack is constantly causing flurries of abstract pattern to emerge from behind the music which, on the first hearing, seemingly veers in the direction of Hot Rats-era Frank Zappa and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. As the various instrumental patterns lock into place, however, a more complex set of sound pictures gradually takes shape. The flurries of what initially sounded like straight ahead jazz figurations become more fragmented as the players become bolder and more confident, solos are punched out, and the bare musical bones of Fuzz Noir eventually flash out to reveal a band with real muscle. Super cool one minute and avant garde fusion the next…” – Edwin Pouncey, Jazzwise  

The 20th century Hungarian poet Sándor Weöres wrote in such a musical way, that you just have to put his poems down onto music sheets, says the artistic director of the Modern Art Orchestra Kornél Fekete-Kovács. The next concert of the big band is devoted entirely to music composed of poems by the beloved classic Hungarian poet. Texts by Sándor Weöres, whose poems have been learnt and adored by kids from pre-school age by many following generations, have already been put to music in every style, mostly those famously rhythmical children’s poems. Explaining how he composed the first piece of music a few years back to a poem by Weöres, Fekete-Kovács says he just identified the melody as indicated by the syllables in the original poems. The long poem Dob és tánc (Drum and Dance) was his first adaptation, sung by Veronika Harcsa and Dan Bárta with a quintet featuring the composer. Prior to the premiere Fekete-Kovács sent the score and a recording of the poem put to music to the administrator of the rights of the late poet. He got a very favourable response immediately: saying that the administrator was very happy with it and was looking forward to hearing more of it. Now has the time come to perform a full evening of music composed of the wonderful poetry of Weöres. In addition to the bandleader, who also composed new material since, works will be premiered by the section leaders and composers of MAO: János Ávéd, Kristóf Bacsó, Gábor Cseke, Attila Korb and Gábor Subicz. The featured artist of the night will be singer Veronika Harcsa, whose artistic, beautiful voice is perfect for this recital.

The Dresch Quartet has been playing in its current lineup for four years, and its founder, the highly acclaimed Mihály Dresch, has been a key figure in Hungarian music since the 1980s. This year he was awarded the Kossuth Prize. His band consistently and confidently treads its own unique path with an individual fusion of Hungarian folk music and African-American jazz, developed by the leader and the members. Commitment to the musical concept, respect and humility towards the sources, outstanding musicians, new and evergreen compositions, standards in the Dresch manner – all these combine to create the musical experience that may always strike the audience with its freshness.  

The legendary Binder Quartet (Károly Binder, Mihály Dresch, Róbert Benkő, István Baló) in the late seventies and early eighties was one of the most original and defining formations of Hungarian jazz at that time. After the breakup of the band, Károly Binder achieved significant success as a composer and performer: he won the first prize of the Kalisz International Piano Competition, the Ferenc Erkel Prize, the 1991 Jazz Record of the Year award, the eMeRTon Prize for the best soloist, the first Hungarian Radio Jazz Competition and the Artisjus Award. He formed a band again after no less than forty-nine albums. He made several records with his regular partner, Mihály Borbély. In the spring of 2012, they started working with drummer Ákos Benkó (who was replaced by Tamás Hidász in the band two years ago) and bassist Tibor Fonay, and the quartet also released four CDs (Retropolis II, Összegyűrt kottafejek, Old Dreams New Dimensions and Nevergreens). At this concert, they present their 5th recording, Silence Over the Mountains.

A zenepedagógia száz éve keresi a gyógyírt önnön elidegenedésére. Számos módszer született a zenélés terapeutikus és spirituális energiáinak, a zene létrehozásából fakadó örömnek visszanyerésére. Ezek a módszerek azonban sosem a zene természetéből bomlanak ki, hanem valamely idegen koncepciót kényszerítenek rá. Ameddig nem hagyunk föl a módszer modernista bálványozásával, ameddig a feladatot rá akarjuk bízni valami másra, ami helyettünk dolgozik: addig valódi lényünk mozdulatlan marad, és a zenét csak reprodukálni fogjuk, nem pedig létrehozni. Ha viszont átitatódunk az 1800 előtti zenepedagógia gondolkodásmódjával, akkor esélyt kapunk arra, hogy növendékeinket teremtésre „kényszerítsük”.Festmény: Hieronymus Bosch (követője): Koncert a tojásban

Nasip Kısmet’s music fuses the Anatolian lyrical poetry traditions with the eclectic and overlapping rhythms and melodies of ethnic jazz, fusion and psychedelic folk. With a mixture of instrumentals and sung pieces, Nasip Kısmet connects to audiences on a spiritual level, they are moved both figuratively and literally by sounds and rhythms that resonate deep within music lovers of all nationalities. Nasip Kısmet, formed in 2019, featuring fellow high-caliber musicians - Dávid Szegő (HU) on drums, Dániel Mester (HU) on saxophone and clarinet, and Márton Eged (HU) on bass guitar and the line-up was completed by Derya Ocak’s (Arif’s sister) addition on backing vocals. After the release of their first 3-song EP in March 2021, Nasip Kısmet’s following grew remarkably quickly, and they were soon booking gigs at popular Budapest venues and festivals. Their LP was recorded live in SuperSize Studio and released in April 2022 by Hunnia Records.  

There is no dance without music, but is there music without dance? The question is, who (or what) dances to the dance music of Bartók and Schumann? Is it our mind? Our soul? Or does the music itself dance? For this concert, Gábor Csalog has selected dance music by two composers whose music was never danced to (at least not written with that purpose in mind), but whose pieces, from the most sensuous and tactile examples to the most stylized movements, show all the layers of the genre. And although both Bartók and Schumann believed that music was a transcendent phenomenon in itself, and very rarely commented on the poetic content of their music, Schumann's dance music evokes many of the figures of his private mythology, while Bartók's dance movements, if properly interpreted, offer a socio-political programme that is still valid today. These questions will also be discussed in the first half of the concert, with music historian Gergely Fazekas as Gábor Csalog's conversation partner.

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.

David Yengibarian (born 1976 in Yerevan) began to play the accordion at the age of ten. From 1995 he continued his musical studies in Hungary where he soon became one of the most sought-after jazz and world music performers and composers. He released five CDs, two of them on BMC Records, played on many festivals and composed music for numerous theatre-pieces and films. The main source of inspiration for his individual musical world is Armenian musical tradition, European and American jazz and improvised music, Argentinian tango, and the ‘tango nuevo’ of Astor Piazzolla. He founded his trio in 1999, and despite undergoing several incarnations in the last two decades, it sustains its special sound consequently.  

The Moroccan Saïd Tichiti was the first to introduce gnawa music to the Hungarian audience and made it popular through his world music group Chalaban. In Morocco, Gnawa was a part of the slave culture and that of their decendents and is closely related to healing rituals. William Borroughs describes this ancient, sacred trance-music form of the Moroccan Berbers as „4000-year-old rock and roll”. The mysterious power of Moroccan trance music has come into the spotlight in the past fifty years. Led Zeppelin, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Archie Shepp, Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman all helped to let the secret of this culture out. Gnawa is based on rhythm structures that are at once fixed but constantly changing. Though the basic patterns remain the same, varying accents consistently feed the constantly accelerating music with new pulsations. Saïd Tichiti, who has established a name in the Hungarian world music scene since 1998, has gathered together outstanding musicians from the creative / jazz / Hungarian folk music scene to form his new group. They can freely improvise on gnawa musical patterns and have the ability to call forward the strong emotional effect of trance rituals. Crossbreed by Tariqa

Flute Expedition is a new series by Gergely Ittzés, which thematically and systematically introduces flutists and the audience to the instrument's non-traditional playing modes and sound world.

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. The two sonatas were written during perhaps the most difficult period of Debussy's life, between 1915 and 1916, when the composer was consumed by the horrors of war on the outside and his worsening illness on the inside. The tone of the Sonata for Cello and Piano is modern and almost coarse, while the Sonata for Violin and Piano – Debussy's last completed work – has both a playful and painful character.Ravel's most ambitious chamber work was written on the eve of the First World War – in a hurry, because the composer wanted to enlist as soon as possible. The Trio in A minor, a work of sublime skills and mature technique, draws inspiration from a wide range of sources from Malay poetry to Basque melodies, but Ravel has cast his exotic influences in a traditional, austere form. The piano's percussive effects are constantly juxtaposed with the strings' sustained tones, while shimmering colours and flickering shadows catch the listener's attention.

Az Átlátszó Hang Újzenei Fesztivál keretében bemutatjuk Dargay Marcell A 180-as Csoport című könyvét január 19-én, 18:00 órai kezdettel a BMC Zenei Információs Központ és Könyvtárban. A szerzővel Fazekas Gergely zenetörténész beszélget. Archív filmfelvételek is lejátszásra kerülnek, valamint fellépnek élőben a volt 180-as Csoport-tagok.A könyv megvásárolható a kiadó webshopjában: www.praekiado.hu

The Szabó Dániel Quintet is a "middle generation" supergroup, consisting of highly acclaimed musicians both in Hungary and internationally. The quintet plays progressive music that is also accessible and stimulating for the audience. Intense and joyful interaction, complex rhythm world, sprawling melodies and modern harmonies characterize their performance. Intersections was released in November this year and was recorded in Los Angeles with Dániel Szabó, who is also active in California, and his American colleagues. What makes this concert particularly exciting is the interpretation of the compositions with Hungarian colleagues, who add new colours to the music, drawing on their own cultural background and strong individuality. Dániel Szabó regularly works with musicians such as Peter Erskine, Chris Potter and Joe LaBarbera, alongside the leading representatives of the young generation of American jazz. His most recent album, Visionary, was one of the chart-toppers of the prestigious American magazine JAZZIZ. Last year, Szabó performed the final movement of the Jazz Piano Concerto composed by Chick Corea for MÜPA at the posthumous premiere, accompanied by John Patitucci and Dave Weckl. Band photos: Jazz Nights Szentendre 2023, Deim Balázs / Ferenczy Múzeumi Centrum  

With the concert of David Helbock Austrian Syndicate, Budapest Music Center and the Austrian Cultural Forum celebrates the 100th concert in their j(A)zz! series presenting the finest artists of the Austrian jazz scene. Austrian Syndicate: the phrase immediately brings to mind the best-known and most influential of all Austrians in jazz, Joe Zawinul. And yet David Helbock’s project is much more than just a homage to his compatriot. It is a return to the roots of fusion jazz and how things developed from then on. It is also a new direction stylistically for Helbock, who has harnessed a panoply of inspiration with a refreshing openness to new sounds from far and wide. As Helbock himself puts it: "This is close to my heart." This passion project by David Helbock, in which the "young lions" of Austrian jazz meet one of the most sought-after sidemen in the international jazz scene of the past decades, captivates with plenty of percussion and groove, and most notably, with many keyboards and other keyboard instruments, in the spirit of Austria's most successful jazz musician. Their first album was released mid-2023 on ACT Music.  

“One of the most exciting and original guitarists in jazz – or otherwise”(Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal) Brooklyn-based guitarist, composer, and MacArthur fellow Mary Halvorson’s new album, Cloudward, is due January 19, 2024, on Nonesuch Records. The album features eight new compositions by Halvorson, performed with her sextet Amaryllis; the improvisatory band that performed on her critically praised 2022 albums Amaryllis and Belladonna comprises Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O’Farrill (trumpet). Labelmate Laurie Anderson also is featured on the album track “Incarnadine.” The dual 2022 releases’ acclaim included being named Jazz Album of the Year in DownBeat’s annual Critics Poll. Halvorson says, “All of the music on Amaryllis was written in 2020, during the thick of the pandemic, in one of the more bizarre time periods I’ve experienced in my life. While composing for Amaryllis, I expanded upon certain musical concepts I’d developed in my life up until that point—the ones that felt fruitful—and left others behind, hitting the reset button and attempting to build from scratch. Two years later, after the release of the first album, I was still writing music for Amaryllis. “All the music on Cloudward was written in 2022, mostly in the fall and winter, when things started moving forward. Life felt like a creaky machine starting up again,” she continues. “Air travel, however chaotic, had resumed, and we were once again cloudward. Performances and tours and recordings were happening after a long hiatus and with a renewed sense of gratitude. This band, for me, was quite simply working, both musically and personally, and the main thing I felt while writing the music was optimism.” The Guardian said Halvorson’s 2022 double release “shows how far this singleminded original has come, and affords a glimpse of how far she may go. Both sessions confirm how years of jaggedly lyrical solo and ensemble improvising and a quirkily subversive affection for mainstream music have now nurtured a composer of unpredictable but warmly expressive character… These are new landmarks in Halvorson’s already inimitable discography.” Pitchfork said, “Amaryllis and Belladonna are distinct statements; one could hear either album on its own without a sense that something is missing. But they are most powerful when taken together, like a landscape and its reflection in rippling water.” Halvorson has released a series of critically acclaimed albums, from Dragon’s Head (2008), her trio debut featuring bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith, expanding to a quintet with trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson and alto saxophonist Jon Irabagon on Saturn Sings (2010) and Bending Bridges (2012), a septet with tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trombonist Jacob Garchik on Illusionary Sea (2014), and finally an octet with pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn on Away With You (2016). She also released the solo recording Meltframe (2015), and most recently debuted Code Girl (2018, 2020), a new ensemble featuring vocalist Amirtha Kidambi (singing Halvorson’s own lyrics), trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, saxophonist and vocalist María Grand, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Tomas Fujiwara. One of New York City’s most in-demand guitarists, over the past decade Halvorson has worked with such diverse musicians as Tim Berne, Anthony Braxton, Taylor Ho Bynum, John Dieterich, Trevor Dunn, Bill Frisell, Ingrid Laubrock, Jason Moran, Joe Morris, Tom Rainey, Jessica Pavone, Tomeka Reid, Marc Ribot, and John Zorn. She is also part of several collaborative projects, most notably the longstanding trio Thumbscrew with Michael Formanek on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums.   Cloudward by Mary Halvorson

In recent years, Daniel Erdmann has become known primarily through two trios: Velvet Revolution (with Theo Ceccaldi, violins and Jim Hart, vibraphone) and Das Kapital (with Hasse Poulsen, guitar and Edward Perraud, drums). Both pan-European, France-based soloist bands were enthusiastically acclaimed by audiences and the press. They received the German Record Critics' Award and a Jazz "Echo", released several albums and toured internationally. Most recently, Erdmann has also attracted attention alongside the one and only Aki Takase, for example at Jazzfest Berlin 2021 and with the album "Isn't It Romantic?". Erdmann's bands unite extremely playful and accomplished musicians who, together with him, create a special, instantly identifiable sound. This is exactly what can be said about his latest trio Organic Soulfood. Here, Jim Hart plays regular drums instead of vibraphone, and the collaboration with Hammond organist Antonin Rayon is brand new. Hammond organ? If you're thinking of Jimmy Smith right now, you might want to change your mind. Because Rayon, born in 1976, plays the singular B3 monster anything but traditionally. Rather, he fits seamlessly into Erdmann's environment of clever and innovative musicians with a very personal, progressive style. Daniel Erdmann first developed the idea for Organic Soulfood in January 2021, and the group celebrated its spectacular stage premiere at a festival in Frankfurt am Main in November. Rayon's subtle, sometimes almost abstract, sometimes almost electro-aesthetic sounds, harmonies and bass lines interweave perfectly with Erdmann's warmly timbred and deliberately roughened tenor saxophone tones. Fueled by Hart's variable drum grooves, Erdmann repeatedly modulates wide-ranging expressions and takes a pointed approach to his compositions in improvisations, but always preserves the form. Together, the trio develops impressive dynamics and a colorful, independent sound language. The collaboration with Rayon is anything but a quick fix. "I heard Antonin at a festival over 10 years ago and have always had him in the back of my mind ever since," explains Erdmann. "The starting point for my projects is always certain sound ideas. I can't say exactly why I'm now striving for this somewhat more classical jazz sound. It's probably because of my original plan to go to New Orleans in 2021 and write new repertoire there." The band name Organic Soulfood reflects Daniel Erdmann's sense of humor and his current mood. "It's a play on words, of course, but it also arose from the need to play music in which soul, instinct and intellect harmonize. In these times, I need music to feed my soul and that's what I'm trying to convey with the band name." Norbert Krampf

The poems in the lyrics contribute to the innovative world of Ötödik Évszak (Fifth Season), as do the use of both Hungarian and French, the immersion in the values of folk music that are not commonly known, the creative understanding of folk culture and the joy of chamber music. Their music playfully combines an urban environment and respect for tradition, and runs the gamut of emotions: their compositions alternate between dynamic, virtuosic, melancholic and life-affirming. The core of their songs is the folk music of the Carpathian Basin, which is expanding into the world of improvisation. Sometimes featuring guest musicians, the Fifth Season sees traditional folk music as a legacy of European culture, in which the creation as an intellectual heritage is also a community's contemporary imprint. Formed in 2018, the band has enjoyed great professional success, in 2020, they represented Hungary on the stage of the Womex Regional Showcase. The members of the Fifth Season are prominent representatives of the Hungarian music scene, who have already demonstrated their love of music in numerous productions (Buda Folk Band, Lajkó Félix, Dresch String Quartet, Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, Ifjú Szívek String Quartet or Ephemere).  

"Daniel's works show great control and versatility on all levels. Being equally at ease with the jazz and symphonic idiom, both his compositions and arrangements show complete awareness of what is relevant in today's orchestral music. His affinity with drama and his gift to encompass this in music make him a natural film composer." - Jurre Haanstra, composer  Daniel Mester travelled around the world to find his own musical universe, which accommodates the melodies of Anatolia, Indonesian scales and imaginary Hungarian folk songs. The wind musician began his musical studies as a classical clarinetist, later started to learn jazz saxophone playing. He graduated at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in Amsterdam, where he not only had the opportunity to perform in many parts of the world (South Korea, Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Morocco), but he also had the opportunity to learn about musical heritage outside of Western musical traditions. He composed a couple of filmscores, and currently studying Turkish classical and folk music is another inspiration for him, the impact of which is echoed in his own compositions. His long-cherished dream of founding his own trio came true with the calming down, looking back and looking forward caused by the pandemic stuation. He invited two talented musicians of the young Hungarian jazz generation, guitarist Péter Cseh and drummer Ambrus Richter to join this musical adventure game. www.mesterdaniel.com

The family concert series by the Danubia Orchestra continues with Mozart's works mixed with tales, stories and musical insight for kids aged 6-12.

Klasszikus remekművek nem-klasszikus tükörben Hámori Mátéval és vendégeivel Van átjárás a műfajok közt? Beszédbe elegyedhet egymással Bach hegedűversenye és Pál István Szalonna kalotaszegi tánca? Mit mondhat Mozartról egy jazz-zongorista? Bartók találkozik a népdallal és a looperrel – ez csak egy vicc kezdete? Mennyire szabad a zene, mennyire szabad a zenész és Ön, kedves közönség? Szabad a játék? Nem kell, aggódni, jó móka lesz. Semmi komoly. Bach Air-je mára közhely lett – mindenkinek ott cseng a fülében a lépdelő basszus felett ívelő gyönyörű dallam. Megdöbbentő, hogy ott is rálelünk erre a lépdelés feletti szabad éneklésre a maga különleges díszítéseivel, ahol valami egészen mást várnánk – a hangszeres magyar népzenében. Meglepő hasonlóságok, gyönyörű különbségek – ez vár arra, aki Bach D-dúr szvitjét nemcsak eredeti formájában, de Pál István Szalonna és bandájának népzenei reflexióival is szívesen meghallgatja.  

Filharmonia Hungary's family season ticket has introduced generations to classical music and made them fall in love with it. At the Storytelling Music concerts, Dr. Tamás Lakner guides the audience on a wonderful journey into the world of music. The interactive, playful concert is aimed at pre-school and school children, but parents are guaranteed to enjoy themselves too. Come and enjoy these wonderful musical moments with the whole family!

Founded in 2018, the Korossy Quartet aims to transmit the famous Hungarian string quartet tradition, and to present the broadest possible repertoire to Hungarian and foreign audiences. In 2021, the ensemble was awarded 5 different special prizes at the international Bartók World Competition, and a year later they were accepted into the class of Günter Pichler, first violinist of the legendary Alban Berg Quartet, at the Reina Sofia School of Music in Madrid. The Korossy Quartet's Bartók series, starting in autumn 2023, includes all of Bartók's string quartets in 6 concerts over 2 years, paired with a selection of works by the greatest composers of music history. Photo: Andrea Felvégi

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.

While Vivaldi is widely known as a composer, he was regarded as an exceptionally skilled violinist as well. In September 1703, he became maestro di violino at an orphanage called the Pio Ospedale della Pietà in Venice. Vivaldi was only 25 when he started working at the orphanage. Over the next thirty years he composed most of his major works while working there. The girls received a musical education, and the most talented among them stayed and became members of the Ospedale's renowned orchestra and choir. Shortly after Vivaldi's appointment, the orphans began to gain appreciation and esteem abroad, too. Vivaldi wrote concertos, cantatas and sacred vocal music for them. A selection of these works is presented by the Concerto Armonico Budapest and György Lakatos at BMC in a concert series which arrives to its 10th episode.

Klasszikus remekművek nem-klasszikus tükörben Hámori Mátéval és vendégeivel Van átjárás a műfajok közt? Beszédbe elegyedhet egymással Bach hegedűversenye és Pál István Szalonna kalotaszegi tánca? Mit mondhat Mozartról egy jazz-zongorista? Bartók találkozik a népdallal és a looperrel – ez csak egy vicc kezdete? Mennyire szabad a zene, mennyire szabad a zenész és Ön, kedves közönség? Szabad a játék? Nem kell, aggódni, jó móka lesz. Semmi komoly. A népzene és a népdal teljes természetességgel találta meg az útját a populáris kultúrába, Az angol betegtől a rapig, ami maga is egyfajta modern kori népzene – persze kevésbé zenei hangsúlyokkal, mint mondjuk a népdal. Ezen az estén Deva és a Danubia Zenekar két stílusból közelít a népdalhoz, a moderátor pedig maga Bartók Béla lesz, akinek zongorára és énekhangra készült népdalfeldolgozásai lesznek a zenei menüsoron.

Frédéric Chopin was connected to darkness in a thousand ways: he loved the night, as his dreamily beautiful nocturnes show, but he was also attracted to the metaphorical darkness, as can be heard in his disturbingly sombre pieces, his sometimes quite distorted harmonies and strange melodies. In 1861, more than twenty years after Chopin's death, the music critic Hippolyte Barbedette wrote: "Chopin was a sick man who enjoyed suffering and did not want to be cured; he poured out his pain in irresistible forms – the sweet melancholy of his language expressed his sadness. [...] Chopin's music is essentially unhealthy. That is why it is so attractive and so dangerous." The critic was, of course, not – or only partly – right, for Chopin's music, even his dark music, is often healing and comforting. Gábor Csalog's concert will explore Chopin's dark world, both attractive and dangerous, through a selection of nocturnes, etudes and dances, and through a discussion in the first half of the evening, in which music historian Gergely Fazekas will be the pianist's partner.

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.

Klasszikus remekművek nem-klasszikus tükörben Hámori Mátéval és vendégeivel Van átjárás a műfajok közt? Beszédbe elegyedhet egymással Bach hegedűversenye és Pál István Szalonna kalotaszegi tánca? Mit mondhat Mozartról egy jazz-zongorista? Bartók találkozik a népdallal és a looperrel – ez csak egy vicc kezdete? Mennyire szabad a zene, mennyire szabad a zenész és Ön, kedves közönség? Szabad a játék? Nem kell, aggódni, jó móka lesz. Semmi komoly. Mozart és a jazz – ez nem új történet. Ha mást nem is, Jacques Loussier révén sokan ismerik azt, milyen a klasszikus zene és a jazz kreatív találkozása. Ezúttal Mozart utolsó zongoraversenye kerül fókuszba, két irányból közelítve.

Az Alma és Fája sorozat első koncertjén a Kossuth- és Liszt Ferenc-díjas Kelemen Barnabás és fia, Kelemen Gáspár hegedűjátékát élvezheti a közönség a BMC színpadán.

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.

Filharmonia Hungary's family season ticket has introduced generations to classical music and made them fall in love with it. At the Storytelling Music concerts, Dr. Tamás Lakner guides the audience on a wonderful journey into the world of music. The interactive, playful concert is aimed at pre-school and school children, but parents are guaranteed to enjoy themselves too. Come and enjoy these wonderful musical moments with the whole family!

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.