New international success for Mária Kerner
The second year MA flautist student of the Liszt Academy won second prize at the Leos Janacek International Competition organized in Brno between 21-26 September 2014.
Of 141 applicants, 69 attended the competition. Compulsory pieces for the final were Mozart's Concerto in D major and Frank Martin's Ballad; Mária Kerner played the latter work with orchestral accompaniment. Third year BA student Berta Bánki also represented the Liszt Academy at the competition (our former student Vanda Szabó took third place).
Photo: Péter Herman
Mária Kerner started her studies at the Liszt Academy in 2010 under the guidance of Zoltán Gyöngyössy (+), János Bálint, Zsolt Romos and Erika Sebők, she took her Bachelor's degree in 2013, and she was awarded a Scholarship of the Republic for the 2014/15 academic year. Her competition successes include second place at the Anton Eberst International Flute Competition, Novi Sad, in 2009 (she won first prize at the same competition in 2011), second place at the 2010 Elek Tihamér National Flute Competition, and first prize at the Szabó Csaba Memorial Competition in 2012. She participated at courses given by András Adorján, Prof. Antoni Wierzbinski, János Bálint, István Barth, Zoltán Gyöngyössy, Gergely Ittzés, Jacques Zoon, Ildikó Kertész, Zsolt Romos and Dóra Seres. She acquired practical orchestral experience with the Pécs Railway Concert Wind Orchestra, in the orchestra of Erkel Theatre, and as an auxiliary member of Concerto Budapest, while she has been first flautist with the Budapest Operetta Theatre since September 2014. She was also present at the production of Magic Flute inaugurating the restored Sir Georg Solti Chamber Hall in autumn 2013.