Concert, music

It is always a thrill to reflect on the fact that, even though the vast majority of Richard Wagner's oeuvre consists of his operas and music dramas, and the singers who perform in them on the world's top stages are exceptional artists, the most popular parts of these works, which can also be played independently, are the orchestral sequences.

The overture to Berlioz's late opera Béatrice et Bénédict is an exciting and dynamic piece of music. Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is one of the most popular works of the 19th century: virtuosic and intimate at the same time.

The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge is an old acquaintance of ours, having already given two acclaimed Christmas concerts here at Müpa Budapest.

A Beautiful Confusion ZÓRA váratlan, de intenzív feltűnésének címe is lehetne akár. A kaliforniai születésű és részben ma is Amerikában élő Urbányi Zóra 2021-ben élénk visszhangot váltott ki Kollár-Klemencz László Iszom a bort című dalának feldolgozásával, ami után egymást követték saját szerzeményei.

Virtuosos is a unique talent show and talent management program that has been operating with unbroken success for ten years. It is now an internationally recognized television program that discovers and supports young classical musicians. Part of this mission is to provide opportunities for young people to perform in the most important concert halls. On this occasion, mentors and jury members from the Virtuosos will be on stage together with the young musicians.

Does the muse of inspiration matter? And what is a muse, exactly? What is the origin of music, lyrics and everything else that isn't created out of common sense, yet without which life would have no meaning?

Behind the ‘pop music in a time machine' concept are arrangements of familiar contemporary pop hits and golden-oldies that are swinged-, jazzed- and doo-wopped-up before being planted in Motown-sounding soul. This simple but wonderful idea is one that works perfectly.

Spanish musician Andrea Motis is a thrilling talent, equally at home in jazz, classical music, funk and electronica.

It was in 1982 that the experimentally minded American director Godfrey Reggio created his film Koyaanisqatsi, which went on to gain cult status among audiences receptive to new concepts.

One of the most celebrated organists of our time, Latvia's Iveta Apkalna trained in England and Germany after studying in her homeland, and today her playing captivates audiences all over the world. As far as Gábor Boldoczki is concerned, it is sufficient to say that he is one of the top trumpet players on the planet: a universal artist.

Program:
Works by Beethoven, Scarlatti and Shostakovich

The first edition of Jazz Side Story led to two consecutive sold-out shows at the Festival Theatre in 2018. Now, Nikoletta Szőke, Bálint Gájer and their musical associates are raising the stakes.

The second evening of the Ring of the Nibelung tetralogy is the most popular of the four works: Die Walküre captivates audiences with deservedly beloved opera hits like Siegmund's Spring Song from Act 1 and, from the third act, the Ride of the Valkyries, as well as Wotan's Farewell and the Magic Fire Music.

Age: 0-3 year

Honeybeast, who explore the boundaries of funk and funky pop and rock have enjoyed countless albums and hits. The 2014 track A legnagyobb hős (The Greatest Hero) was a particularly highlight, racking up 24 (!) million views.

The aptly named Angelica Girls' Choir, who are led by Zsuzsanna Gráf, and help nurture the legacy of Kodály and Bartók, have captivated Müpa Budapest audiences on several occasions.

The world-famous Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča is one of the most sought-after opera singers of our time. Her vocal and acting abilities are celebrated by audiences all over the world, from Salzburg and Vienna to Paris and New York.

Balázs János zongoraestje – „Polonéz és rapszódiák”

In each of their creative musical statements, the female performers who formed the group in Bamako ten years ago have spoken out for women's rights and the eradication of violence. Their rich, melodic music combines stylistic elements of pan-African traditions and contemporary pop songs.

The Vujicsics Ensemble, which plays South-Slavic music, has maintained the same line-up ever since their formation 50 years ago.

In almost every biography of the group's career, you can read that Quincy Jones has called them the "the baddest vocal cats on the planet”. This opinion would probably be shared by Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston, all of whom worked alongside Take 6.

Az elefántcsontparti Tiken Jah Fakoly Afrika egyik zenei ikonja, az ottani reggae egyik legnagyobb sztárja.

Ádám Fischer's career as a conductor, which began more than half a century ago, is linked to his homeland in many ways: the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian State Opera, Müpa Budapest and the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra are all important chapters in his work.

A fiatal amerikai orgonaművész, Bryan Anderson a Pennsylvania Államban megrendezett 2023-as Longwood Gardens Nemzetközi Orgonaverseny nagydíjasa. „Briliáns” és „első osztályú” - így méltatta játékát a kritika.

The Jazz Spring festival has always endeavoured to present the most promising female performers from the international jazz scene, regardless of whether the artists are singers, instrumentalists or both at the same time.

A magical meeting of two anniversaries on the Müpa Budapest stage: the Talamba Percussion Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a 21st-century arrangement of a piano cycle by Mussorgsky's piano cycle Pictures of an Exhibition as it turns 150 itself: following on the heels of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Isao Tomita with their versions, they are presenting their own take on the 19th-century masterpiece, this one revised for percussion and electronica, and featuring DJ Bootsie.

Since their formation in 2016, Slow Village - who feature three MCs and two DJs and perform old-school yet never anachronistic hip-hip - have reached the point where they can perform as a headliner in any club in Hungary and also make the night-time slots at summer festivals.

At their Müpa Budapest concert, they will play both ballads and more up-tempo songs, a total of twenty-four of their greatest hit, like they have never been heard before: in an acoustic, chamber music arrangement accompanied by two vocalists and a piano, violin, cello and flute.

Eliades Ochoa's performance at Müpa Budapest is sure to be one of the most exciting concerts of 2024. Although the Cuban singer/guitarist has been a famous musician in his native country since the 1970s, it was only at the turn of the millennium that the wider world first encountered his name, thanks to the Wim Wenders documentary on the Buena Vista Social Club.

András ‘Apey' Áron is one of the most well-known and most versatile songwriter-performers and bandleaders in Hungary. His name might be familiar from his work in the acclaimed, influential Hungarian rock and metal bands LAZARVS, Apey & the Pea, Trillion and - many years ago - Neck Sprain.

Zsombor Tóth-Vajna is an outstandingly talented member of the young Hungarian generation of artists dedicated to the historically informed performance of early music, both as a conductor and a specialist in early keyboard instruments, playing the organ, harpsichord, fortepiano and clavichord. He completed his studies at Budapest's Liszt Academy and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.

Age: 0-3 year

The world-renowned composer/conductor who passed away recently at the age of 80 after being awarded the Kossuth Grand Prize this year, once said that "jazz is a fundamental element for me”. At this concert in memory of his life and work, in addition to an early piece of electronic music and a late choral work, we will hear compositions of his that are closely linked to the sounds of jazz and improv performed by prominent artists from the Hungarian jazz scene.

Dee Dee Bridgewater's career is now in its sixth decade, and while she says she's put in a lot of work to find herself, there's no doubt that the jazz world sees her as an institution.