Concerto Budapest Announces New Season

After giving over 50 concerts in 2013, the orchestra headed by pianist András Keller will have more than 60 performances this year. As the third member of the "orchestra triad" of Hungary, besides the National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Concerto Budapest grew to be a significant participant in the domestic musical scene, as it has been said at the press conference of the ensemble held in Budapest on June 10. "Concerto is more than just an orchestra; it is an atelier. It is a community which exists beyond the orchestral work, ceaselessly seeking musical truths and solutions," András Keller music director pointed out.
 

András Keller (photo by Liszt Academy / Sándor Benkő)
 

András Keller indicated as one of the most important duties of the orchestra to introduce to the Hungarian audiences "those young international talents, who are likely to become outstanding artists but are still little-known in our country. In addition to this, we invite guest soloists whom the Hungarian public already knows and appreciates" he said. According to the music director, another urging task of the orchestra would be the connection of young Hungarian talents into the international music life; however, the present financing system unfortunately does not allow for extended foreign touring yet.

Miklós Bányai, managing director of the Concerto Academy Nonprofit Ltd., emphasized that within the triad of symphonic orchestras the Concerto Budapest produces high standard performances with the least expenditure by far. As he told the Hungarian news agency MTI, while in 2013 they had a budget of HUF 300 million, this year they manage HUF 570 million funds, which he considers as a significant progress, and it certainly provides for the maintenance of the orchestra; however this amount is not sufficient to finance major tours or developments. The situation is all the more troubling since the increased financial support for this year was granted as a non recurrent government funding, which makes next year's subsidy rate completely uncertain, he added.

András Batta, government commissioner and former president of the Liszt Academy, acknowledged that in the past seven, and especially the last couple of years Concerto Budapest had proceeded along a path which led it to become the resident orchestra of the Liszt Academy, and thus a significant contributor to the institution's "brand". András Csonka, cultural director of the Liszt Academy, talked about the close relationship between Concerto Budapest and the university, noting that the orchestra offers the students an unique opportunity for introduction and high-quality practice, and it accompanies the young musicians not only in their exam concerts but even further, assisting them at the beginning of their careers as fresh graduates.
 

András Keller and the Concerto Budapest at the Liszt Academy (photo by Gábor Fejér)

From the season ticket programs offered for the 2014/15 season, Zoltán Rácz, art director of the UMZE Chamber Ensemble, highlighted the New Dimensions concert series which they will give together with Concerto Budapest. In October the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy will host their joint performance of Messiaen's Des canyons aux étoiles (From the canyons to the stars) as a Hungarian première; their next concert in February 2015 features works by Zsolt Durkó, Árpád Solti, András Szőllősy and Sándor Veres, presenting one piece by each, and the series concludes in March 2015 with a concert given in honour of 90-year-old Pierre Boulez, whereby they will perform two works by the French composer for the first time in Hungary, said Zoltán Rácz, who will be conducting the concerts.

As one of the major "importers" in the Hungarian classical music scene, Concerto Budapest will perform in the new season with such distinguished musicians as Steven Isserlis, Thomas Hampson, Akiko Suwanai, Khatia Buniatishvili, Varvara Nepomnyashaya, Lera Auerbach, Thomas Ades and Gidon Kremer. And with regard to the "export", after touring in Germany and Spain in the last years, the orchestra will now play in France and China, among other destinations, as stated at the press conference.