Two very different, yet mutually nourishing, musical universes will meet this evening on the stage of Müpa: Söndörgő, one of the most exciting Hungarian representatives of Balkan and South Slavic musical traditions, and the world-famous Balanescu Quartet, which masterfully brings together contemporary classical music and creative improvisation that knows no borders. The backbone of the concert is the music of Béla Bartók, but in a new light: the minimalist, avant-garde sensitivity of the Balanescu Quartet and Söndörgő’s sweeping tambura music create a unique soundscape.

 

The works heard during the evening build a bridge between classical and folk music, past and present, the Balkans and Central Europe. In addition to Söndörgő’s own compositions, Bartók’s folk music collections come to life in contemporary chamber music transcriptions, and the sound of the tambourines from the southern region is placed in a context that is rarely heard on the Hungarian stage.