Works by three "Bs” appear on the bill of fare this evening, but these are not the initials of the three German composers who feature most frequently on concert programmes. Bartók is represented with one of his last works, the piano concerto written for his wife. With its classical proportions and nostalgic tone, the Piano Concerto No. 3 is perhaps his most easily accessible piece. Completed in 1945, this composition of an amazingly broad spectrum of moods and characters provides the vehicle for an extraordinarily talented and multi-faceted artist to present himself to the Hungarian public. At the grand age of just 16, Julian Trevelyan won second place in the prestigious Long-Thibaud-Crespin Competition in 2015 (where first prize was not awarded), and it was with a compelling performance of this Bartók work that he also won a special prize.
The work by contemporary Hungarian composer Gyula Bánkövi is also linked to Bartók, as the composition - which won third prize at the Composers' Competition of the New Hungarian Music Forum in 2015, as well as a special Müpa prize - was inspired by Ferenc Juhász's work Örvénylések Bartók Béla körül (Joy Around Béla Bartók). As one critic put it, "the melodic tendrils created an unusually rich musical tableau abounding in beautiful moments and with a vibrant surface.”
The second half of the concert features the Symphony No. 2 by Borodin, one of the pre-eminent representatives of the Russian national Romantic style. Finally completed 130 years ago and now considered as his finest work for orchestra, the piece will be interpreted by an orchestra of youthful energy under its artistic director, the excellent young conductor Máté Hámori. In a programme preceding the concert, members of the orchestra present a series of children's and chamber music recitals.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest