In its first concert at Müpa Budapest after the venue reopens, the MÁV Symphony Orchestra will play emblematic compositions by Bartók, Schumann and Tchaikovsky, featuring Gergely Bogányi as soloist and András Ligeti as conductor.
All three of Bartók's stage works explore the natural history of relations between men and women. Following on the heels of the deeply pessimistic Bluebeard's Castle and the fairy tale-like The Wooden Prince, The Miraculous Mandarin introduces a love requited, albeit one that costs the lover his life. Tchaikovsky's last work was the Symphony in B minor, which he called "Pathetique", the première of which he survived by only eight days. It is said he sensed his impending death - and the music does indeed suggest this, but the composer's statements show just the opposite, a readiness to live. As a little break between the two dramatic pieces, we will get to listen to Schumann's beautiful piano concerto. We are delighted to welcome at the piano Gergely Bogányi, who studied at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and later at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, won first prize at the 1996 Budapest International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, and in 2010, on the occasion of the composer's bicentenary, performed all of Chopin's piano works in two days at Müpa Budapest. András Ligeti, the conductor for the evening, was accepted to study in the violin department of the Liszt Academy at the age of seventeen, and then also completed his conducting studies. In 1980, he continued his conducting studies at the Vienna Music Academy on a Solti scholarship with the famous professor, Karl Österreicher. In 1991, he worked with Claudio Abbado in preparing the world première of a new piece composed by György Kurtág, which led to his subsequent appointment as conductor of a number of premières of contemporary music. He has regularly been invited to perform abroad, and was principal conductor of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for eight years. He later became music director of the Telekom Symphony Orchestra, and in 2005, contracted with the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra and the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. As an associate professor, he conducted the orchestra of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and later taught conducting courses.

Presented by: MÁV Symphony Orchestra