Imre Kőszegi belongs to the first generation of musicians in Hungary who were allowed to approach modern jazz as a self-contained genre, independent of entertaining dance music. His playing was most influenced by bebop and free jazz. A self-taught artist, he is one of the most important drummers and teachers in the Hungarian jazz scene, with a career spanning now more than six decades, having played with such Hungarian and foreign stars as Aladár Pege and Dezső Lakatos “Ablakos”, Jenő Balogh “Csibe”, György Vukán, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Gusztáv Csík, Frank Zappa, Teddy Wilson, Kenny Wheeler, Art Farmer, Frank Foster, Charlie Mariano, Steve Grossman, Gary Bartz, Lew Tabackin, Trilok Gurtu or Michael “Patches” Stewart. Throughout his career, he has performed in the most important concert halls, festivals and clubs in Europe and Hungary and has received a series of awards. A living legend of Hungarian jazz, he is still very active today, often playing with younger musicians, whom he consciously chooses to renew his formations and pass on his experience. This time, he brings the first band bearing his name.

Montreux competition winner Nikoletta Szőke is one of the most popular jazz singers in Hungary. In addition to concert halls and festivals in Hungary, she has performed with great success in New York, Tokyo, Brussels, Copenhagen, London and Berlin, singing with Michel Legrand, Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling and Gregory Hutchinson, among others. She has released seven solo albums to date, with her latest album Moonglow produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Helik Hadar. Since the beginning of her singing career, Nikoletta Szőke has been a committed advocate of accessible vocal jazz; in 2006, she paid tribute to one of her greatest idols, Ella Fitzgerald, with her first national tour. In this concert, she will perform the standards made famous by Ella, her most iconic songs, with arrangements typical of the golden age of jazz.  

Miquèu Montanaro, composer, flutist and accordionist, sets out on a unique journey from Provance through the Mediterranean to the farthest reaches of the world, integrating elements of distant musics into his own pieces. He often collaborates with musicians from the younger generation to enrich the musical dialogue through the exchange of ideas based on different world and life experiences. His partner in the Amazonas Duo is the Brazilian João Pedro Teixeira, a student of Hermeto Pascoal. Their free-spirited, joyful and virtuosic ensemble arrives in Budapest immediately after a three-week tour in Brazil. In the second half of the evening, the music of the "Open Trio" will be framed by flutes and drums, which the musicians will choose according to the timbres they dream up for the concert, with the violin floating between them, following individual ideas.

Sofia Jernberg and Alexander Hawkins first performed together at Amsterdam's Bimhuis in October 2016, under the name Musho – an Amharic word meaning 'Sad Song'. Jernberg's work frequently takes her to the outer edges of vocal technique, including performances in contexts ranging from Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire to Mats Gustafsson's The End. Alexander Hawkins has been described as 'unlike anything else in modern creative music', and alongside his profile as a bandleader and composer, is a frequent collaborator in duo with Tomeka Reid, Nicole Mitchell and Angelika Niescier. In this duo, they draw on their shared affinity for the music of Ethiopia, having both honed their languages in the company of musical elder statesmen from that country: Jernberg with Hailu Mergia, and Hawkins with Mulatu Astatke. Musho moves quietly and seamlessly between abstract exploration and the immediacy of traditional Ethiopian song.

The experimental music project Kada ad Libitum, founded in 2005, uses mostly broadly interpretable structures and sets of rules instead of songs, and creates new content from the possibilities of these structures and rules in each concert and recording situation. Its members come from different musical cultures, so the constantly moving ensemble cannot really have genres or typical styles - instead, each person plays in the way that is authentic to him or her and influenced by the musical event being created. Following their triple CD, Távolbanézés, they last released a studio concert recorded with analogue techniques in 2018 on vinyl, entitled in vivo. Returning with a line-up that changes from time to time, the collective will soon be releasing a new album, from which they will now give the audience a musical taste.

Ragnarök Trio is a NO/NL based project led by Icelandic guitarist Thorkell Ragnar. Formed in Rotterdam in 2022, the trio plays original music with a free improvisational approach and strives to create an abstract and energetic world of sound. The music, written by Thorkell, can be described as raw and sincere and is strongly influenced by punk, rock and various 20th century compositional concepts; serialism, symmetry and free atonality. The group recorded their debut album in December 2023 to be released in the autumn of 2024.   Thorkell Ragnar · Ragnarök Trio

Mihály Borbély, who is equally at home in the fields of folk and world music, jazz and contemporary music, and who is extremely popular both in Hungary and abroad, is one of the leading figures of Hungarian jazz as a performer and composer. The folk music heritage of the Carpathian Basin and the Balkans is strongly present in his works, organically combined with elements from the various jazz tendencies or even from the music of the twentieth century classics. His playing combines exciting melodic turns with subtly translucent and powerful rhythms, while lyrical phrases enter into dialogue with energetic gestures. They welcome American trumpeter-composer J Kyle Gregory as their guest, who came into contact with the Hungarian jazz scene during his studies in Hungary, and has played several gigs with the Borbély Quartet during his occasional visits to the country. In another joyful encounter, we will witness moments born out of a true musical friendship: lyrical compositions and energetic pulsating pieces, original compositions and jazz evergreens will be on their programme.  

Chamber music artpop is the most reliable expression to describe the specific genre of Mozes & Kaltenecker, a group with a strong jazz background. The duo of singer-pianist Tamara Mózes and keyboardist Zsolt Kaltenecker has a unique ability to combine the characteristics of popular genres and jazz, thanks to the performers' broad vision and versatile inspiration. Their debut album Futurized was released in October 2022 on BMC Records, followed by a deluxe edition including two new tracks in November 2023. The editor of leading French jazz magazine Citizen Jazz described the duo of Tamara Mózes and Zsolt Kaltenecker as a “wonderful discovery”: “This music is full of meaning, blues, grooves, lots of effects and wild improvisations.” The Hungarian duo has enjoyed great success at numerous concerts and festivals abroad, notably in Belgium, such as the Gaume Jazz Festival. In April 2023 they were invited to the Jazzahead! festival in Bremen, one of the most prestigious events on the European jazz scene. In Bremen, they not only gave a concert, but also appeared on a live broadcast of the popular Open Jazz radio show by French music producer Alex Dutilh.  https://www.mozeskaltenecker.com/ 

Modern Art Orchestra’s Legendary Albums series presents the most important and unique albums of jazz history. By learning and playing these compositions and arrangements, the musicians are paying tribute to the jazz legends and are undergoing an intense process of musical improvement. The band absorbs the material of the original recordings, sticking to the arrangements, forms and compositional features. As improvisation is at the heart of jazz, solos are invented by the players at the moment. Due to the respect shown towards the original conceptions of the legendary composers and the level of craftsmanship known from Modern Art Orchestra, the Legendary Albums series both brings you the essence of jazz tradition and guarantees a fresh musical experience.

Susanne Lundeng is one of Norway's most highly regarded folk musicians. She has her musical roots in the folk music of Northern Norway and has a distinctive sound as a fiddler, composer, singer, and musical freethinker. She was awarded a Spellemannspris (Norwegian Grammy) in the folk music category for her recording of fiddle tunes from the county of Nordland. ​ With an ambivalent relationship to the art form and the old traditions that follow, Susanne has developed her sound over time and has received great acceptance within the international scene. In her interplay with renowned jazz musicians Nils-Olav Johansen and Per Oddvar Johansen, she explores the music through improvisational conversation. In her lyrics and melodies, Susanne Lundeng portrays the drama of life itself and its impact on both people and the landscape. Her music has been described as profoundly melancholic, subdued, tender, and stormy. Recently she released her 13th album, Følge. Her musical language lies faithfully in the depths of the Northern Norwegian prime rhythm, a pulsating three-four beat with power and intensity and the poetic and musical lines of folk tunes. Here, elongated, painterly musical images with the fiddle as narrator and small sensual observations in the lyrics are permanently close at hand. Susanne has also received prominent awards such as The Norwegian Grammy Award, Gammeleng-prisen, Nordlysprisen, Europa-Preis für Volkskunst, Folkelarmprisen 2014, Folkelarmprisen 2015, NOPAs tekstpris 2018.  

Ágnes Lakatos and Kálmán Oláh's duo album Soaring, released in 2022, is a true musical soaring, which is realized in exciting improvisational dialogues, in the artistic expression of the nuanced freedom given by the jazz genre. The duo is made up of two of Hungary's best-known jazz musicians, who in this band perform compositions by Abbey Lincoln, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Thelonious Monk, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Kirkland, Chick Corea, Herb Ellis, Johnny Frigo and Sting, among others.

Incorporating Latin American serenity and sweet melancholy, Cafuné's repertoire is made up of special pieces of traditional South American guitar music. The world of pulsating samba and soft bossa nova is reminiscent of the jazz clubs of the sixties. In its acoustic sound, the band aims to continue the tradition of Dilermando Reis, Augusto Garoto, Baden Powell and Luiz Bonfa. This sound is further enhanced by the voice of Anna Pataki, who interprets this style with rare naturalness in Portuguese and Spanish. They released their second album, Inspiração last year, containing internationally less-known pieces of Brazilian music, uniting sparkles, elegance, virtuosity, freedom, melancholy and joy.  

Ill considered are a band comprising of musicians interacting with each other to create freely improvised music, based loosely around simple pre-written themes or composed on the spot. Deep grooves and plaintive melodies ranging from whispered chants to monstrous climaxes, the group react to the mood of the audience and the sonics of the room to create music that is unique to the moment. Idris Rahman, Emre Ramazanoglu and Liran Donin are based out of London, UK, but bring a distinctly international sound. Ill Considered continue to astound with their energetic and touching music, fusing free improvisation with a deep understanding of groove. At the cutting edge of contemporary UK improvised music, their voice is completely based on creating compositions in the moment. Their dynamic jams host a range of influences from Electronic/ Drum & Bass to Afrobeat and Spiritual jazz, but always with groove at its core. Essential to Ill Considered’s ethos is visual artist and filmmaker Vincent de Boer’s contribution, considered a full member of the band and part of the intense audiovisual interactive shows they can also perform, using innovative technology to allow the audience to influence the band’s improvisation in real time.  

Dániel Kinczel's trio takes the listener into the world of the pianist-composer's works, which were born as a love child of cool jazz and impressionist music, but also inherited some blues features. In the band's performance, adventurous chord structures and forms are combined with the crystallized principles of the jazz tradition to provide an exciting playing field for improvised musical dialogues. And at the heart of these pathfinding yet deeply rooted compositions is the eternal melody that lays down the law in spiritual space.  

The D.A.S. Trio has been active since 2014. Their repertoire consists of compositions by the members, which are characterised by an energetic, virtuosic performance style. In addition to composition, improvisation plays an important role in their psychedelic jazz-funk songs. The unique atmosphere of their concerts is greatly enhanced by the harmony between the musicians and the creative musical dialogue that results. Over the years, Ábel Nagy, Ádám Sárdi and Adonisz Fábry have received numerous awards both inside and outside the band. They have appeared on the stages of many national and international clubs and festivals throughout their career: they are regular performers at the Opus Jazz Club, and have played at venues such as the Csík Jazz Festival, the Jazz Dock in Prague, Golem and the Jamboree in Spain. On this evening they will present their second album Netto Tetris, which will be released on the day of the concert, and they will also invite guest artist Kejdi Barbullushi.   D.A.S. Trio · In Kek Lo

With their outside-of-genres, song-centric compositions, Subtones has become a favourite concert band on the Hungarian jazz-pop scene in just a few years. In order to connect even more directly with the Hungarian audience, their award-winning album Lángolj features only Hungarian-language songs with lyrics written by Mátyás Szepesi and Péter Závada. Subtones, founded in 2019 by trumpeter Gábor Subicz, is one of Hungary's most exciting supergroups. The arrival of vocalists Vera Jónás and Flóra Kiss has pushed the band towards vocal forms. "Right from the beginning, when this line-up was born, it became clear to me that I wasn't driven by a desire to communicate. With Subtones, I want to make music that I enjoy listening to. People often ask whether Subtones plays jazz or something else. For me, jazz is a mindset: you have to leave as many possibilities open as possible, while excluding playing music just out of habit. I love it when I don't know what other people are going to play, and those are my favourite moments when we kick the chair out from under us. There are so many different elements to our music, we play on quite a variety of stages, from TV studios to jazz clubs to festivals, and I feel that our music is relevant everywhere. With Hungarian lyrics we want to get closer to the audience. I feel that in a local context, English lyrics are a bit of a hiding, a mask. In our own mother tongue, the effect is much more instinctive, the song flies directly into the listener's ears", says Gábor Subicz, band leader and mastermind behind Subtones.  

Ég alatti 5 has been playing energetic music since 2015. The backbone of their repertoire is formed by their own compositions, which in style and drive are reminiscent of the hard-bop and modal jazz of the 1960s, yet unique in character. Sometimes inspired by natural influences and folk music, they strive to create their own organic sound. The friendship between the members and the rhyming compositions of Udvardi and Baló give free rein to the flow of live music.  

Inspired by the beauty and vastness of the universe, the band Alpha Trianguli starts its journey into the infinity of sound worlds. Motivated by the curiosity of the four musicians to let themselves fall and be carried away, the band sounds sometimes earthy and energetic – as if approaching a planet – sometimes calm, floating, wondering. At the same time, the interplay of the Vienna-based quartet gives the impression that it is a micro-cosmos itself: around the gravitational field of the double bass, its attracting and driving force, the rhythms of the drums circulate and provide pulse and periodicity. The magical, wide sound of the vibraphone fills the spaces created by the interplay, sparkling like the sublime firmament. From it the earthly, warm tone of the trombone resounds like a voice, into space, as it were, like a wake-up call to the audience. For while the destinations of the quartet's journey lie in the unknown, the necessary direction of our everyday activity has long been known. In the end of 2023, the band released their first album Entering Zero Gravity on the Swiss label Unit Records. The program of the same name has already been presented in numerous concerts in Austria, Germany and the USA.  

Akár a bop, akár a népzene, akár a blues a kiindulópontja a Modern Art Orchestra darabjainak, a végén mindig ugyanoda érkeznek: rá lehet ismerni a zenekar saját hangjára a különböző stílusokban. A MAO számára a műfaji nyitottság és a különleges hangszerösszeállítás olyan alap, ami már a névadással elkezdődött a 18 évvel ezelőtti indulásidején. Azóta kicsiszolták a csak rájuk jellemző nagyzenekari hangzást koncertek százain, lemezek tucatjain és rengeteg ősbemutatón. Ezek keresztmetszete szólal most meg a tavaszi bérlet koncertjein, amely nem egy-egy szerzőre koncentrál, hanem egy stílusideál, egy jazzhagyomány ihlető erejére. Ősbemutató is lesz a tavaszi sorozatban, a darabok nagy része viszont már elhangzott, de általában csak egyszer, viszont a mostani elrendezésben új asszociációkat, új összefüggéseket fognak tudni általuk megmutatni. MAO plays the Blues Ami a népzenére vonatkozik, amikor a MAO által őrzött és továbbvitt hagyományokról van szó, igaz a bluesra is, akármelyik jelentésére gondolunk ennek a sokértelmű fogalomnak. Kezdjük a végén: ennek az estének a repertoárjából szemezgetve Ávéd János szaxofonos, a zenekar egyik állandó hangszerelője Messiaen ihletéséből komponált blues formát, Cseke Gábor kompozíciója egy Ligeti-darabra épül, de ezt Thelonious Monk világába átplántálva szólaltatja meg. Tehát egészen a kortárs zenéig lehet húzni azt az ívet, amely a bluesból indul ki. A szűkített harmóniák, a kimért ritmika, az életérzés, amely nem csak szomorú, hanem dacos is egyes megszólalásokban, mind olyan viszonyulások, amelyek a MAO jazz-zenekar blues játékában is felbukkannak.

Patrik Sebestyén started his career as a classical trumpet player in various symphony orchestras, and only turned to jazz in his twenties. The members of his sextet are among the youngest and busiest talents on the Hungarian jazz scene, boasting numerous competition results. They released their debut album Colors of Fortune in 2021, featuring two standards alongside original songs and compositions by band members inspired by the classic period of American jazz in the 1950s and 1960s. Their latest album, Wandering in Memory Palace, was released in 2023 and features mainstream-inspired compositions mixed with classical music, as well as Patrik's latest musical experiments. All of the tracks are linked to memories, so the listener suddenly finds themselves in a wondrous palace of memory, inviting them to wander and contemplate. For this concert, the band will take to the stage with three wind instruments, expanded into a septet, presenting earlier songs in a new guise as well as fresh compositions.  

Original compositions blend with the improvisational spirit of jazz to create a captivating musical journey on a concert of Baló Sámuel Trio. Formed in the spring of 2020, this trio brings together the talents of pianist Sámuel Baló, bassist Márk Miskolczi, and drummer Ambrus Richter. With a shared passion for spontaneity and creativity whilst searching for sincerity and energy in music, they captivate audiences with their dynamic performances, individual compositions and on the spot music-making. Baló Sámuel Trio's repertoire predominantly features Samuel's original compositions, which draw inspiration from modal jazz, hard bop, free/avant-garde jazz and Hungarian folk music. Their music strikes a unique balance between tradition and innovation. With an emphasis on freedom and spontaneity, each performance becomes a journey of exploration, allowing ample room for improvisation and musical dialogue amongthe band members.

Today, the unity of musical styles is only apparent or only exists at a very great distance... What is important, what brings us together, are the human connections when the various paths, whether for a shorter or longer period, meet and cross. It is these encounters that create genre, style, quality. It is perhaps this sense of quality that binds the five musicians together. Having explored the myriad trends of jazz and classical music, the need to develop their own language and their own voice becomes the most important common programme in this band. In the spirit of Wittgenstein, they seek and find the true reality of music-making on the borderland between written and free music, where the boundaries of constraint and the freedom of imagination meet. The evening's programme will be shaped by personal impressions from progressive jazz, classical and contemporary music, reflecting the performers' diverse sources of experience.

Pianist-composer Lóránt Péch founded his trio in 2023 with the aim of performing his own compositions in combo arrangements. These compositions, forming the backbone of the band's repertoire, combine the stylistic elements of modern and traditional jazz, sometimes infused with classical music influences. In this concert, they will perform their own compositions as well as well-known standards that showcase their versatility and commitment to the jazz genre.

What happens if you cross a violin with a tárogató? We get the first member of the Glissonic family of instruments, the Glissotar. Winner of both the Grand Prize and the Audience Prize at the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition 2022 in Atlanta, this unique instrument is the brainchild of Dániel Váczi, developed in collaboration with designer Tóbiás Terebessy. The main novelty of the Glissonic family of instruments is that instead of holes, the pitch can be controlled with a longitudinal slot and a magnetic strip, so that – like on a violin string – long glissandos, tremolos and microtonal tones can be played, and the instrument can also be used to produce unusual, special effects. Dániel Váczi exploits the potential of this new instrument with his trio. His partners are two great figures of the Hungarian free and experimental jazz scene, Máté Pozsár, with whom Dániel also plays in the Decolonize Your Mind Society band, and Zsolt Sárvári Kovács, with whom Dániel has been playing in various bands for twenty-five years. After Rebus, the trio has now released their second album Interplanetary Posts, consisting of free improvisations. https://danielvaczi.hu/https://glissonic.com/   Dániel Váczi Glissonic Trio: Interplanetary Posts by Dániel Váczi (Glissotar) Máté Pozsár (Piano, Rhodes, Analogue Synth), Zsolt Sárvári Kovács (Drums)

The Attila László Fusion Circus is the latest formation of guitarist, composer and teacher Attila László, founded in 2019. The band features a three-part wind section in addition to the rhythm section, expanding the arrangement possibilities of the bandleader's dynamic jazz-rock compositions. As each member of the band is also an accomplished soloist, Fusion Circus' concerts are an exciting blend of colours and rhythms, a fusion of sounds. Attila László has played with jazz greats such as Anthony Jackson, Bob Mintzer, Randy Brecker, James Moody, Tommy Campbell, Billy Cobham and Peter Erskine. He has led his own bands since 1975. In the 1980s, together with Tony Lakatos, he founded the Things band, which pioneered the introduction of fusion jazz in Hungary. As a composer, arranger and guitarist, he has worked with Charlie on concerts and recordings for over 28 years. He is credited with the musical concept of the Charlie Jazz formation in the 2000s, and played a key role in the albums that marked Zsuzsa Cserháti's musical comeback.  

This time Salamon Tűzkő's young but experienced ensemble of musicians will perform with one of the most renowned post-bop representatives of contemporary jazz, the American trumpeter Jim Rotondi. Rotondi is a professor of jazz trumpet at the University of Music in Graz, and so they met Salamon and went from teacher and student to colleagues. Throughout his career, Rotondi has played with the originators of the style, including Ray Charles, Curtis Fuller, Lou Donaldson, Joe Chambers, Lionel Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Eric Alexander and Bob Mintzer, among others, as a touring and recording partner. The concert programme will be largely defined by individual yet authentic interpretations of standards and the blues world, offering a real treat and a great experience for fans of the genre.

For over 20 years Grencsó and Jordan have savored their international connection. From the early performances together at Gödör at Deák tér, Jelen near Blaha Lujza tér, and Trafó in Budapest, they have inspired each other into a whirlwind of improvisation. Since then, outside of Budapest, they have performed from Győr to Szeged and from Magyarkanizsa to Dunaszerdahely. They have recorded twice on the BMC label (Homespun in Black and White, and Local Time). Both musicians thrive in an atmosphere of free exploration, and they shape their sounds in a way to summon the spirits. Those spirits may come quietly, or they may come ferociously, but the summoning is what matters. Grencsó plays saxophones, clarinet, flute, and wind instruments of all kinds. Jordan plays alto saxophone and adds his poetry to their presentations. Jordan, based in California, leads his Music at Large ensemble there and they have released four recent CDs, with Critical Mass (Innova 073) the latest.  

The Piastrella Trio was founded in 2022 at the Béla Bartók Conservatory, Budapest. The band leader, pianist Dávid Szabó, formed the band with two of his dear friends. Their repertoire is predominantly influenced by fusion and modern jazz music, and the young musicians are inspired by great composers such as Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, and Jesus Molina. The trio also adds their own compositions and reinterpretations of jazz standards to their concerts, and this evening, they welcome two guest artists on stage as well.

Klára Hajdu is an outstanding singer-songwriter and teacher of the Hungarian jazz scene. She has performed in clubs and festivals in many cities in Europe and the USA. Her own quartet has been a renowned jazz ensemble for more than a decade and a half, and its members are all leading figures on the Hungarian scene. Their four albums to date are played on radio stations from Europe to Mexico, streamed in more than 30 countries and available on the shelves of Japanese record stores. This evening, the ensemble will be joined by Milán Szakonyi, one of Hungary's most distinctive vocalists. In addition to having sung for 10 years in one of the country's most popular jazz ensembles, the Balázs Elemér Group, he is a pillar of the Hungarian popular music scene. He and Klára have been creating music together for eight years, including on the quartet's previous albums. The band is currently working on their latest album, on which Milán will be the guest again, so in addition to the quartet's best-known songs, this concert will also offer an insight into the material of the album to be released this autumn.  

The second album of Bendegúz Varga's band, Chasing Your Dreams, released on Tom-Tom Records, is the follow-up to Goldmund, with perhaps an even more sophisticated sound and a clearer commitment to experimental contemporary jazz. The compositions and arrangements of the band leader and members are carefully crafted, with consistent emotional and atmospheric characteristics, and their playing is of a high quality and sensitivity. The material on the album is varied yet coherent, and offers an accessible musical world even for those new to the jazz genre. The bandleader plays in Júlia Karosi's band, but has also been a member of bands led by Károly Gáspár, Attila Rieger and Kristóf Bacsó for many years. He founded his own band in 2015; his current bandmates include János Ávéd, who has been voted saxophonist of the year in Hungary several times, and Ádám Bögöthy, one of the scene's most sought-after bassists. The guest artist for this evening is virtuoso pianist Árpád Tzumo, a graduate of the Monk Institute in the US.  

Mário Rafael is one of the most talented pianists of the young generation of Hungarian jazz. The music of his trio transcends stylistic categories, and in their compositions collective improvisation plays a major role alongside lyrical melodies. Their latest album, Out Of Zone, is inspired by contemporary sounds, as Mário has long had a desire to bring their music to a wider audience. Mário Rafael graduated from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, and moved to Toronto, where he worked as a studio musician. He has worked as a session pianist for several artists and has composed many songs for albums by national and international artists. He founded his own trio in 2014; their compositions include groovy compositions as well as works inspired by Hungarian and Roma folk music elements. His fellow musicians also graduated as jazz musicians, but they also consider contemporary popular music as a constant source of inspiration, which is reflected in their bold and extensive use of electronic effects.  

Zsigmond Gerlóczy, a twenty-eight-year-old pianist from Budapest, is a versatile, inquisitive musician. Since the age of eight, he has been a dedicated ambassador of free, yet thematically cohesive improvisation. Since the age of nine, he has been giving entirely improvised solo piano concerts, reflecting a myriad of musical impressions. World music, baroque, Viennese classicism, post-romanticism, bebop, funk, pop – Gerlóczy seeks to highlight the universal values of music from all these musical dialects, showing that the often untrodden paths reveal old-new truths. In November 2023, Gerlóczy released his first solo piano album, consisting of improvisations, Narrow Path, which has been praised by many of the world's leading pianists and musicians, welcoming him to the forefront of the ever-renewing, ever-evolving jazz world, always open to new sounds and approaches. In March 2024, he visited his childhood idol, the reclusive Keith Jarrett, in his New Jersey home, where he found a lifetime of inspiration. From there, he travelled to Los Angeles to record his first album of vocal tracks with Israeli producer Davy Nathan, which will arrive on streaming services this summer. On 28 June, he will be improvising, but characters from his debut album of the same name will also appear during the evening. Although some sections of Narrow Path are from the improvisation sessions Gerlóczy recorded at the BMC (and French guitarist Antoine Boyer recorded on video), this full-length solo show will be his first public performance at this venue.  

Raquel Kurpershoek Jaldón, born in 1998, became known after winning talent contests from 2016. She learned Cuban, Brazilian, and Indian music in Rotterdam and flamenco singing in Spain. She also studied sign language. In 2020, her documentary Traslasierra about flamenco and the deaf won awards internationally. Raquel released her first album Nizami in 2022, which won prizes at the Andrea Parodi World Music Festival. The album is based on 12th-century Persian poet Nizami's The Seven Wise Princesses, telling stories of love through different musical styles. Raquel's music mixes cultures, reflecting her background in Amsterdam and Spain. Recently, she won the Young Researchers Prize in Art in Spain. Her work promotes inclusivity and celebrates diverse cultures through music and education.