As the first Hungarian folk ensemble accepted by the classical music scene, they combined traditional music with the classical compositions of Bartok, Kodaly, Kurtag and Ligeti in joint concerts with renowned calssical musicians. They achieved to fuse 20th century Hungarian classical and traditional Hungarian folkmusic, hereby, saved for the future generations, the heritage of Bela Bartok, the greatest Hungarian composer and collector of traditional music. Their long-lasting partner musicians were a viola-player, bagpiper, vocalist-violinist, Sándor Csoóri Jr., one of the founders of the group, and a female folk vocalist Marta Sebestyen. Nowadays, they perform together with a fabulous female vocalist, Maria Petras and a folk dance couple, Zoltan Farkas and Ildiko Toth. MUZSIKÁS‘ musical collaborations include solists like Alexander Balanescu, Roel Dieltiens, Jeno Jando, Mihaly Dresch, string quartets chamber like Takacs Quartet, Keller Quartet, Bartok Quartet; choirs and symphonic orchestras such as Pro Musica Girls' Choir, Tomkins Vocal Ensemble and The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, The London Sinfonietta Orchestra and The Danubia Symphony Orchestra; and folk musicians. MUZSIKÁS’ music appears in the film of the Oscar winner director Costa Gavras, "Music Box" that also received the first prize at the Berlin film festival in 1989. They have provided the music for a contemporary dance piece titled "Dancing Room" which was performed in several theaters in England and filmed by BBC. Amongst various prizes, they were awarded the most respected Hungarian State award for artists, the Kossuth Prize, the Prima Primissima Award and in 2008 they received the prestigious WOMEX Award for World Music as well. In 2011 they appeared at the Royal Festival Hall in the concert-series of Infernal Dance organised by Philharmonia London Orchestra honouring the great composer Béla Bartók. In the 2012 concert season they received standing ovation at the Carnegie Hall with their program, The Routes and Roots of Bartók, together with the renowned pianist, András Schiff.
article posted by:Silvia Winkler, Fonó Music Hall