It has become a tradition at the Margaret Island Theatre for the spectacular performance of the National Philharmonic Orchestra to open the summer classical concert season. Every year, they are joined by a guest artist of unparalleled talent, who takes their audience on a musical journey. This year will be no different: on 3 June, the eve of National Unity Day, the musicians, together with violinist Kristóf Baráti, will deliver an unforgettable concert. György Vashegyi, Chief Music Director, will conduct the orchestra.

The world-famous National Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the most prestigious symphony ensembles in our country. It captivates audiences with its exceptional professional sensitivity, understanding and experiential interpretation of classical music, and is a guarantee of quality in itself. The attraction of the now traditional opening concert on Margaret Island is further enhanced by the fact that the orchestra will be conducted by György Vashegyi, the Kossuth and Liszt Ferenc Prize-winning conductor and Chief Music Director of the National Philharmonic.

Talent and instinctively elevated style of playing

The guest at the concert is Kristóf Baráti, a pianist who has won both the Kossuth Prize and the Liszt Ferenc Prize. He is capable of conjuring up a beautiful "singing" sound from his Stradivari violin, which can convey every emotional vibration. There are no technical obstacles for him whatsoever. He performs even the most challenging sections of the most demanding violin concertos with impressive accuracy and confidence. He regularly performs at international festivals and in concert halls. He has also given masterclasses in Chicago and at the Sorbonne in Paris. He currently plays the 1703 'Lady Harmsworth' Stradivari, courtesy of the Stradivari Foundation in Chicago, which enables him to fully develop his artistry.

The daily newspaper La Libre Belgique previously wrote about him: 'Friendly and unique. Throughout the competition, we were able to admire his pure, instinctively elevated style of playing, based on his immense talent, and his simple yet sophisticated musical taste". 

This world-travelling artist has performed with excellent orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Russian National Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Radio France, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and the Brussels Philharmonic. He has also worked with distinguished conductors such as Masur, Temirkanov, Belohlávek, Steinberg, Fischer, Kocsis and Varga. In 2011, he received the highest musical honour, the Liszt Ferenc Prize. Three years later, he received the Kossuth Prize, the most prestigious award that the Hungarian state can bestow, from the President of the Hungarian Republic.

The opening concert on Margaret Island promises to be a musical marvel

The first part of our programme is devoted to Beethoven. We will start with the Egmont Overture, followed by a violin concerto featuring a wonderful solo by Kristóf Baráti. After the interval, we will perform Galántai Dances by Zoltán Kodály and Symphonic Minutes by Ernő Dohnányi. We will then conclude with Les Preludes by Ferenc Liszt,” said György Vashegyi.

He also added, 'The most important thing is the artistic quality: everyone is touched when they hear the concert. I am happy to see many new faces at our concerts lately. Some of them seem unsure how to behave in such a place and when it is appropriate to applaud. I am convinced that Kristóf Baráti’s performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto at the opening concert on Margaret Island will captivate even those who are unfamiliar with the piece.”

Source and photo: Margaret Island Open Air Theatre