Liszt Fest International Cultural Festival

Along with Plácido Domingo, Víkingur Ólafsson, and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the Liszt Fest International Cultural Festival will bring incredible performances from the Neue Oper Wien presenting Jörg Widmann’s opera, as well as from Ravi Coltrane, Hiatus Kaiyote, the Janoska Ensemble, the Rajkó Orchestra, Michael Volle, Studio 5, Kálmán Oláh, and many more. The eagerly awaited autumn event series kicks off on October the 7th 2022, offering unmissable cultural delights, premieres, exciting fusions of genre, brilliant soloists, orchestras celebrating their anniversaries, and leading artists from Hungary and abroad.

Tickets for the newly announced events of the Liszt Fest are now on sale.

What can visitors to this year’s Liszt Fest expect? To begin with, a favourite with Hungarian audiences and a legend of the opera world, Plácido Domingo, will perform some of the most iconic songs of zarzuela. This genre of Spanish musical theatre beautifully merges past, present, and future, paying homage to centuries-long traditions, while still offering audiences a contemporary and relevant experience. Also appearing is eminent saxophonist, bandleader, producer, and composer Ravi Coltrane, who has recorded six albums of his own, as well as contributing to the records of such jazz legends as Joe Lovano, David Liebman, and Jack DeJohnette. He will be filling the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall with life and music on October the 18th. Meanwhile, the three Bratislava-born Janoska brothers and their bassist brother-in-law, Julius Darvas, have a unique way of performing masterpieces by musical greats, from Mozart to The Beatles, in a manner that renders them both contemporary and distinctive. Given their incredible talent, it’s no surprise that they regularly perform with some of the biggest stars of the world today, and on October the 11th they will be on stage and ready to wow the crowd of the Liszt Academy.

Finally, the Neue Oper Wien will present the first opera by the renowned composer and great clarinettist, Jörg Widmann, entitled Das Gesicht im Spiegel (The Face in the Mirror). Based on a libretto by Roland Schimmelpfennig, the performance explores thought-provoking and provocative ethical issues related to modern biotechnology, presenting the audience with a gripping emotional drama that poses a central question: is it possible to fall in love with a clone?

Liszt’s legacy and spirit, and the outstanding quality and richness that characterize his oeuvre, are faithfully reflected in the festival that bears his name. Organised by Müpa Budapest, Liszt Fest showcases the world-famous Hungarian composer’s genius across a wide range of genres, but the experience would not be complete without the iconic works of the master himself. For this we turn to, among others, the brilliant, celebrated Icelandic pianist, Víkingur Ólafsson. He has many ties to Hungarian music and, while attracting worldwide attention with his recordings and concerts, has already enchanted many a Hungarian audience. On October the 22nd he will perform Ravel’s fresh and sparklingly witty Piano Concerto in partnership with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, while the orchestra will also pay its own tribute to Liszt Ferenc with a rendition of Les Préludes. Similarly, Kálmán Oláh has always had a penchant for classical music, including Bach, Chopin, Bartók, and Kodály, and this time, as both composer and performer, he explores a realm that is particularly close to his heart, drawing inspiration from the compositions of Liszt for his concert on the 19th of October. Meanwhile, the multi-award winning Rajkó Orchestra, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, will also take to the stage for a truly special event: joining forces with the eminent pianist, János Balázs, the orchestra will bring its own, unmistakable “Rajkó style” to their performance of Liszt’s prodigious rhapsody, the Hungarian Fantasy, promising an unforgettable experience.

Liszt Fest International Cultural Festival07-22 říjen, 2022