Muzsikás - Folk Music Concert
The most wanted concert program
This spectacular concert of Muzsikás also with outstanding singer and dancers give an outlook of the rich Hungarian traditions.
The concert program presents the most exciting elements of Hungarian
dance and vocal music from the Carpathian basin. The decades presenting this music to audiences all around the
world has proved that Muzsikas performances touches
audiences of all kinds - folk, classical, world music, jazz, dance,
Jewish or alternative rock.
The vocal performances with the richly ornamented style enchanted Bela
Bartok when he collected songs in remote villages. The
beautiful voice of the singers of Muzsikás (Maria Petrás or Hanga Kacsó) is equally impressive in lyrical ballads or
vivid dance songs.
The program also features the best
folk-dancers in Hungary with virtuoso or intimate and romantic couple dances of the
Hungarian tradition.
Some prestigeous venues where Muzsikás appeared with their folk music concert
Carnegie Hall, New York,
Royal Festival Hall, London,
Theatre de la Ville, Paris,
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam
Accademia Santa Cecilia, Rome
House of Blues, Los Angeles
BBC Proms Festival, London
Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong
From the reviews:
There
are many fine Hungarian bands but it sometimes seems that Muzsikás
is the only one that World Music has heard of for its festivals and
praise. There's nevertheless absolutely no doubt that they deserve
high status.
Folk
Roots
We
hear the same folk melody as it sounded 87 years ago, as it sounds in
a classical setting and as it sounds Hungary's finest active folk
troupe... From any angle, these are inexhaustible themes handled by
superb musicians.
The
Washington Post
Daily Star, Lebanon, about the Al Bustan Festival
Special guests
Mária Petrás traditional singer was
born in a small Hungarian "csángó" village in the region of Moldva. She grown up in an
untouched traditional surrounding. As a mother tongue she has learned
all the traditional songs, ballads, the Gregorian chants of the Latin
mass and apokriphal prayers of the csángó's with the authentic way
of presentation. Her singing is fully
genuine, she is one of the master of the best Hungarian revivalists
Hanga Kacsó, folk singer is the winner of the Folk music contest of the Cultural Channel of the Hungarian State Television. She is an excellent folk dancer, too and as a singer one of the most promising folk performer among the new young generation. Her debut with Muzsikas was at the Ashkenaz Festival, Toronto, Canada in 2016 followed by a North American tour included Montreal, Calgary and New York city.
Zoltán Farkas and Ildikó Tóth, dancers. Farkas, previously the soloist and choreographer of the Hungarian State Folk
Ensemble in 1984 established the
Kodaly Chamber Dance Ensemble as the artistic co-leader. Since
1992 he began to work regularly with Muzsikas, together with his partner, Ildiko Toth, as
the dance-soloists and choreographers. They performed together at numerous concert halls and festivals all around the World.
György and Ilonka Muszka, traditional folk dancers were born in a small traditional Hungarian village, Méra, Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania, Rumania. Their virtuoso and lyrical dances are fully genuine, as they has grown up in a community where the music and dance belonged to the everyday life of the people. They perform with Muzsikás since a decade in Hungary and several European countries.
Istvan Berecz folk dancer is the winner of the solo-dance category of the the Folk Music contest of the Danube Television, Hungary. He is the Young Man of the Year 2014 at Zugló district of Budapest, Dancer and coreographer of the National Theater of Hungary and the artistic director of the Fono Folk Center, Budapest. His debut with Muzsikas was in 2016 at Shangai International Festival of Arts.
Kálmán Balogh, the most virtuoso cimbalom player of Hungary comes
from a famous dynasty of Hungarian Gypsy musicians. A graduate of Liszt Academy of Music of Budapest, he has completed many successful
tours throughout the world with various ensembles, He plays mostly authentic folk music from Hungary
and from the Balkans, though during the last years he has played with jazz
groups, rock bands and a symphony orchestra, too. He
performs with Muzsikás since 1985.