Contemporary music in the Palace of Arts
27 May 2024
Since it was founded, the Palace of Arts has been striving for offering a wide variety of programmes that cover every genre possible, whether it might be music or performing art. In Hungary, where world famous composers such as Béla Bartók, György Liggeti or György Kurtág were born, it is natural enough that contemporary artists are also in the centre of attention.
This year, the Palace of Arts also celebrates the 200th anniversary of Ferenc Liszt’s birth with the series of events “Liszt! In every respect”. In addition to that, the audience can enjoy a wide range of programmes including some important pieces dedicated to contemporary music and many concerts among which today’s classical music is also represented besides the compositions of older eras.
In 2011, the Palace of Arts will not only host but also organize the 23rd Mini-Festival, being one of the most significant forums of contemporary music in Hungary. As a special guest of the festival, London Sinfonietta – a prominent ensemble of the genre – will arrive to Budapest on 29 January, on the invitation of the Palace of Arts. On 8 February, in the final part of the New Hungarian Musical Forum 2011 Competition organized by BMC and the Palace of Arts, judges will select the winner out of eight young composers. In this competition which will be open to public, entries will be played by the UMZE Chamber Ensemble and Concerto Budapest in Béla Bartók National Concert Hall.
The music of our times is also an integral part of the concept of Symphonic Discoveries, born as a continuation of Symphonic Panorama. When putting together the programme of the series presenting Hungarian symphonic orchestras with the help of outstanding soloists, Palace of Arts encouraged performers to include in their repertories as many Hungarian pieces composed after 1900 as possible.
Contemporary music will not only appear in the concerts and series of events specifically focusing on it but also in a number of the season’s programmes. One of them will be the organ recital of Chartres Grand Prix Winners on 6 February. On this occasion, Dong Ill-Shin and Saki Aoki will make the Palace of Arts’ organ sound; another equally amazing musical event will be the concert of László Fassang and Amadinda Group on 26 January.
As it can be seen from the programmes described above, organ is a popular instrument for today’s composers. It is no coincidence because, in parallel to technical developments, composers may take advantage of unprecedented opportunities in terms of sound. Register combinations, which can also be stored digitally, have opened new perspectives to both musicians and composers discovering the organ. That is to say, the ‘queen of instruments’ appears in a brand new form thanks to contemporary music.
An outstanding composer of our times, Steve Reich celebrated his 70th birthday in 2006 in Béla Bartók National Concert Hall. As a further step of this cooperation, this is where he presented three years later Mallet Quartet, a piece he composed upon the invitation of Palace of Arts and Amadinda Percussion Group. What is more, Béla Bartók National Concert Hall hosted Kurtág Festival, organized for the 80th birthday of György Kurtág in 2006, and on February 20, 2011, the same hall will present the concert organized in honour of the 85-year-old György Kurtág. Ligeti concerts, held by UMZE and Zoltán Rácz for the birthday of the latter every year since 2006 will take place this year on 23 May.
26.01.2011
