A Short History

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2010/11 Subscription series

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A Short History

The Past and Present of Concerto Budapest

 

1907. Europe is enjoying the peaceful times at the beginning of the century, but the great powers are already preparing for war. The Hague Conference defines the general rules of warfare, and – with the Anglo-Russian Treaty – the Triple Entente is created. The arts, however, are flourishing. In Paris the first Cubism exhibition opens, and Ravel composes the Spanish Rhapsody. Rilke’s New Poems and Bergson’s Creative Evolution are published.

In Budapest Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály are appointed as professors at the Academy of Music. Three internationally outstanding figures of 20^th century Hungarian music were born in that year: conductor János Ferencsik and composers György Ránki and Miklós Rózsa.

In the same year, Minister of Trade Ferenc Kossuth gives permission to establish the Postal Orchestra, and the predecessor of Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra is founded in 1907.

After their debut in Budapest, from the 1920s the orchestra became well-known through their radio broadcasts. Its artistic development was enhanced after the Second World War. Regular subscription series and performances abroad started in the 1960s. From the 1980s the orchestra, while becoming more and more professional, was headed by conductors Ervin Lukács and Ádám Medveczky. From 1990 the ensemble – under the name Hungarian Symphony Orchestra and later Hungarian Telekom Symphony Orchestra – has been functioning within the framework of the Hungarian Telecommunication Music Foundation, which has been maintained since 1992 by the Hungarian Telecommunications Ltd., today called Magyar Telekom. The orchestra’s headquarters, called “Zeneház” (House of Music), at Páva utca 10-12, district IX, was built in 1995. This is where all the rehearsals are held and it is also the venue of youth and chamber music concerts, audio recordings and other cultural events. András Ligeti was appointed artistic director and conductor in 1997. Under his leadership the ensemble became one of the leading orchestras in Hungary and an essential part of Hungarian musical life. Consisting of young musicians, several of whom were of exceptional talent, the ensemble started to have a steadily increasing number of regular audiences. In 2007 the orchestra, renamed Hungarian Telekom Symphony Orchestra, celebrated its 100th anniversary.

 

It was also in 2007 that András Keller, a Liszt-Prize winner violinist and leader of the world-famous Keller Quartet was appointed to the post of artistic director and conductor. Under his artistic leadership highly acclaimed Hungarian musicians such as Dezső Ránki, Zoltán Kocsis, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Miklós Perényi, Dénes Várjon and Barnabás Kelemen have accepted the invitation to play with the ensemble. Distiguished foreign artists, such as Evgeni Koroliov, Juliane Banse, Gidon Kremer, Gilles Apap, Kim Kashkashian, Evelyn Glennie, Heinz Holliger, Alexander Lonquich and Alexei Ljubimov, have been our guests.

The orchestra received many foreign invitations during the past few years, and, among other places, they performed in concert halls in Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Germany and the United States with great success.

In December 2009, the orchestra changed its name again, to Concerto Budapest, thus allowing other sponsors to support them. The main patron of the new orchestra is György Kurtág, which guarantees the highest possible artistic quality.

Apart from a comprehensive traditional repertoire, Concerto Budapest pays special attention to contemporary music, often having concerts where the two are combined. Besides the subscription series and the family concerts, the orchestra also has regular chamber music evenings at Zeneház.

 

Concerto Budapest is the most dynamically developing and youngest large orchestra today in Hungary. Artistic director and conductor András Keller says:

 

“Good performance by an orchestra is actually based on high quality performance in a quartet. I invited to Concerto Budapest the most significant members of the young Hungarian quartet generation, as well as some young soloists and chamber musicians in order to create together an outstanding large orchestra.

Besides the Keller Quartet, well-known all over the world, I invited the musicians of the Auer, Akadémia, Somogyi, Nádor and Pulzus Quartets and the best artists from the Budapest Chamber Symphony Orchestra, as well as a member of the legendary Tátrai Quartet to represent the older generation. Some excellent wind soloists joined the group to make up a large orchestra.

The first guest conductor to enhance our work was Gábor Takács-Nagy, founder of the world-famous Takács Quartet.

We have set up a workshop that enables us to carry on with the tradition left to us by my teacher and inspirational maestro, Sándor Végh – leader of the world-famous Végh Quartet and founder of the Camerata Academia in Salzburg – in Hungary and the world.

This is how Végh Philharmony Orchestra was established within the framework of Concerto Budapest, and it is in this spirit that we continue to work with the greatest artists in the Hungarian musical scene: Dezső Ránki, Zoltán Kocsis, Dénes Várjon, Miklós Perényi, Barnabás Kelemen, as well as world-famous guest artists from foreign countries.”

  

Reviews and Opinions

 

“We can witness the renewal of the orchestra… It is a fact that the sound of the string section has entered a new dimension; I’ve never heard them play so beautifully. I could even risk saying that they surpass other orchestras. It seems that after the great pianists becoming conductors, it’s now the violinists’ turn to take up the baton: as did Gábor Takács-Nagy at MÁV Symphony Orchestra and András Keller here. I think this is very useful, as it produces a unified sound for the strings…”

Zoltán Kocsis

Kultúra.hu, 17 March 2008

 

"The orchestra … conducted by András Keller, performed at a very high level – with a good sense of formal proportions and a subtly balanced sound.” 

Neue Westfälische, 10 March 2009

 

"In the Beethoven Room we could experience the sophisticated artistic alliance when a musician like András Keller, an artist of constant musical renewal, and one of the best Hungarian orchestras play together.”

Stuttgarter Zeitung, 4 March 2009

 

“András Keller’s career is similar to that of Yehudi Menuhin, Sándor Végh or Vladimir Spivakov: originally a violinist, he became a conductor. The way he conducted the Liszt piece was just as precise as it was flexible.” 

Bonner Generalanzeiger, 6 March 2009

 

“András Keller has been my best student and colleague for thirty years, and, besides performing outstanding musical pieces, he is the most authentic interpreter of my compositions…I have been following for two years how he has been becoming a conductor                           and also how the orchestra has developed under his leadership. It may even happen that András Keller will be the best in his generation, or even ‘the’ Hungarian conductor.”

György Kurtág, 2009

 

2010/11 SUBSCRIPTION SERIES

 

FISCHER ANNIE SERIES

MOZART and Moz’Art

Five concerts centred around five aspects of Mozart’s genius – popularity, playfulness, scholarship, relationships and beliefs – highlighted by his music with brief introductions by eminent music historian András Batta.

Soloists: fresh graduates and young talents from the Liszt Music Academy.     

Thália Theatre

 

 

METAMORPHOSES SERIES

Three concerts on three consecutive days: travels around the world of the fin-de-siècle era with Zoltán Kocsis and Concerto Budapest, featuring pieces by Schubert, Johann Strauss II, Reger, Brahms, Liszt, Richard Strauss, Mahler, Wagner, Schönberg, Bartók and Dohnányi.

            Italian Cultural Institute

 

 

MASTER SERIES:

 

KARAJAN MASTER SERIES

Four concerts with popular pieces mainly from Karajan’s repertoire: two famous piano concertos, two flute concertos, four popular symphonies and a symphonic poem. The soloist and conductor of the last concert, on 30 January, is Sir James Galway, who used to perform together with Herbert von Karajan, the maestro that our series is named after.

Participants: Dezső Ránki, Dénes Várjon, Evgeni Koroliov, Sir James Galway

Conductors András Keller, Sir James Galway

            Palace of Arts 

 

RICHTER MASTER SERIES

Homage to some of the greatest Russian masters – Rachmaninov, Mussorgsky, Glinka Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky. Also featuring Péter Eötvös’s Two Monologues, related to Russian literature.

            Participants: Katia Buniatishvili, Boris Berezovsky, Miklós Perényi, Fülöp Ránki

Conductors: János Kovács, András Keller

            Palace of Arts

           

FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES:

 

“MANÓ” SERIES for children aged 5-9

            Four concerts to visit four magic places through music and pantomime.

            Zeneház

 

PINOKKIÓ SERIES for children aged for children aged 9-14

            Three concerts: solos, duets, trios and other delights

            Zeneház

 

DZSOPATÁN AND GÁSZTONFILD for children, parents and grandparents aged 9-99

Four concerts centred around some famous myths and tales, where the themes are presented through music, literature and dance. With his explanations György Lakatos bassoonist, the creator of the programme will help the audience understand the secret language of arts.

            Hungarian National Museum, Ceremonial Hall

 

For detailed programmes visit the concert menu.

 

CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES

 

Our chamber music series in “Zeneház” also continues.

The first concert of the series will be on

Friday 24 September at 19.00

The world-famous Keller Quartet plays Béla Bartók’s quartets.

 

The second chamber music concert will be held on 29 October.

Programme to be announced.

 

Tickets can be purchased on the premises, at the usual ticket offices or at www.concertobudapest.hu.

Students get a 10% discount.

 

We are located in district IX, at 1094 Budapest, Páva u. 10-12.Telephone 255 5770

 

For matters concerning international tours, artistic matters please contact Orsolya Kapitánffy

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For PR and communication matters please, contact Gabriella Constantin

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