Performer: Concerto Budapest

Concerto Budapest is one of the most progressive and versatile symphonic orchestras based in Budapest, Hungary. It has a rich, more than 100 years of history, and as a result of the current artistic leadership, it is full of dynamism of its young musicians, whose playing is characterized by the passion, energy and commitment they give to their performances of repertoire ranging from well-loved masterpieces to newly composed works of the twenty-first century. Through its ambitious and innovative program and special sound, it provides a new colour to the international musical palette.

In 2007, on its 100th anniversary, András Keller, world-renowned Hungarian violinist, pedagogue, and the founder of the Keller Quartet, was appointed as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the orchestra. Under his leadership, the orchestra underwent a major period of artistic growth and development, as the foremost young chamber musicians have joined him.

In the recent years highly acclaimed soloists are returning guests of the orchestra, such as Gidon Kremer, Krzysztof Penderecki, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Boris Berezovsky, Heinz Holliger, Isabelle Faust, Steven Isserlis, Sir James Galway, Dezső Ránki, Dénes Várjon and Miklos Perényi and Evgeni Koroliov.

Concerto Budapest' repertoire ranges from virtuosic, large-scale symphonic works from Mussorgsky, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky or Shostakovich to classical concertos from Mozart or Beethoven, or contemporary pieces from Thomas Adès, Lera Auerbach, György Kurtág, Krzysztof Penderecki, and László Vidovsky, among others.

Concerto Budapest has become a well-respected player on the international music scene, performing to great acclaim in major cities of Europe, Asia and the United States.

In 2016 Concerto Budapest toured with Martha Argerich, Radu Lupu and Gidon Kremer’s Kremerata Baltica in Europe’s most prominent concert halls, also in Istanbul and Abu Dhabi. In 2017 the collaboration resulted in a full merge of the two ensembles, creating the „Dream Orchestra”, with maestro András Keller conducting and Gidon Kremer performing in a grandiose series of concerts in Asia with great success and high international publicity.