MÁV Erdélyi/6. Zeneakadémia 21-22

From virtuoso pianist, Franz Liszt became an accomplished composer, and his much-loved symphonic poem Les Préludes is a testament to his mature voice. Nevertheless, his Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major is also a masterpiece, this time featuring Canadian solo pianist Kevin Chen. The soloist won first prize at the 2021 Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in Budapest and was previously the winner of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv. The cantatas by two esteemed composers, János Vajda and György Orbán, were commissioned by the Honvéd Ensemble on the centenary of the Great War as a warning against all wars of all times, as a joint "artistic ritual" for humanity and peace.

The names of Mussorgsky and Ravel became intertwined through the orchestral version of Pictures at an Exhibition. Although thousands of kilometres and decades separated them, due to their elegance and expressiveness, it is no far-fetched to consider them distant relatives. Between the enchanting soundscapes of Mother Goose and Musorgsky's stirring, moving tableaux, Ravel's "two-handed" Piano Concerto in G major, born exactly 150 years ago to the day, is performed by one of the composer's most unique and esteemed interpreters, the two-time Kossuth and Franz Liszt Prize winner Dezső Ránki. Our orchestra is conducted by Maxim Rysanov, a violist of the highest reputation, who steps on the conductor's baton ever more often.

The clarinet is one of the orchestra's most virtuosic instruments: it hums in the low register, squeals in the high, and is capable of fast roulades and wide dynamics. Especially when there are two of them, as in Mendelssohn's serene concert piece. The work is performed by two young virtuosi, Rebeka Takács and Benedek Herr, who are students of our orchestra's clarinetist, Pál Sólyomi. The concert will also feature excerpts from Grieg's incidental music to the drama Peer Gynt. Two movements (Morning Mood and In the Hall of the Mountain King) are in themselves popular. The conductor's podium at this youth concert will once again be taken by a promising talent: Nátán Sugár, a student pianist of the Department for Special Talents at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.