Kristóf Bacsó is one of the leading figures of the Hungarian jazz scene as a saxophonist and composer, it is enough to mention that he has released four albums as a composer in recent years, ranging from trio, quartet or quintet lineups to compositions for big band. Bacsó's latest album, Imaginary Faces, was released by BMC Records, and the audience will also be able to hear pieces from this album, but the quartet's repertoire consists mainly of new compositions, which incorporate stylistic elements of contemporary jazz, Hungarian folk heritage and contemporary classical music in a highly sophisticated way, creating a unique musical concept on a new level. Bacsó's bandmates, Dániel Szabó, István Tóth and Dániel Ferenc Szabó are also among the key figures of the Hungarian jazz scene. https://www.kristofbacsomusic.com/  

Sharp5, a band of young Hungarian musicians, was originally formed for a one-off event, but during rehearsals it became clear that the members could work together with incredible harmony and fluidity, so they decided to embark on a longer journey together. Their repertoire includes their own pieces, contemporary compositions and jazz history gems that they create and choose in line with the expression of their emotions. Their sound is inspired by a wide range of jazz masters from home and abroad, including Attila László, Krisztián Oláh, Joshua Redman, Chick Corea and Pat Metheny.

Although the Weisz brothers have been playing together in different bands since they were children, they gave their first joint recital in the marble hall of the Hungarian Radio in the spring of 2013, founding their band. The premiere of their new material in 2016 also took place there, followed by further concerts, also at Opus. The band's sound is a triad of jazz, classical music and folk music, based on a rather honest and unique sound. They are characterised by a fresh and free approach to the performance of their compositions, often playing in trio or duo. The orchestration is also very varied, sometimes light, sometimes experimental or contemporary, occasionally with a touch of grotesque humour. The compositions in the band's repertoire are created with a deep musical refinement, and the great dynamic differences make the sound even more colourful, combined with individual solos.

The Bende – Lamm Guitar Quartet's special feature lies not only in its unusual line-up of two guitars and a rhythm section, but also in its modern jazz sound and repertoire. Their pulsating rhythmic drive and the spontaneous melodies of the two solo instruments, sometimes intertwined and sometimes complementing each other, lead the listener into a unique musical world. In addition to their original compositions, their repertoire includes lesser played standards such as Falling Grace, All Or Nothing At All, and Peace. A former scholarship holder of Berklee College Of Music, Zsolt Bende has toured extensively in the US and Europe since his student days. He has collaborated with such prominent musicians as Lionel Loueke, Lage Lund, Avishai Cohen and Ferenc Németh. He is a lecturer at the Birmingham and Manchester Conservatoires. His most recent album is Cycle of Change, released by Hunnia Records. Dávid Lamm is an extremely versatile jazz guitarist, songwriter and singer. In addition to two albums – 1st the 1 (...then the other) and Invisible – he has participated in numerous national and international productions. He has played with such outstanding musicians as László Dés, Rhoda Scott, Nikoletta Szőke, Zoltán Csanyi, Béla Lattmann, Alegre Corrêa and Boris Gammer. In May this year he premiered his latest music at Müpa Budapest, with guest appearances by David Friedman and László Dés.  

The János Nagy Trio+ presents its latest album at this concert. Unreal Book reimagines mainstream jazz classics mixed with modern compositions. The talent of the bandleader-composer, the dynamism of the trio and their guests guarantee that this evening will be an unforgettable experience for all those who love virtuoso improvisations and melodies full of emotion. János Nagy, composer and jazz pianist, founded his trio in 1994. The group played with world-renowned saxophonist David Murray at the 2001 Mediawave Festival, and with Dewey Readman in 2002. The bandleader has performed at numerous festivals at home and abroad, and has played with musicians such as Al Di Meola, Alex Acuna, Bernard Maseli, Dave Samuels, Dominique DiPiazza, Kim Plainfield, Krzysztof Scieranski, Garry Willis, Mike Stern and Paco Sery.

Ádám Móser says about tango: "Tango for me has always been about the meeting of cultures, just like chanson. It is about the tension born along the fault lines of traditions and its release. Passion, life and death. Tango is as much about Eastern Europe as it is about Argentina, New York or Odessa. In the chanson, we find the Balkans and Paris. My music revolves around the freedom of improvisation. French, Jewish, Argentinian, Balkan and circus music are mixed with contemporary elements. When I play, my music always ends up becoming a story that tells the story of freedom without words." ¡Villedyvoch is the most recent band of Ádám Móser. After his solo project and the ¡Nosnach duo, it is a new version, a station and a densification of the musical universe that Ádám calls French-Balkan-Klesmer-Tango. All three line-ups will be heard during the evening. After the solo accordion, which introduces us to the musical world, he will be joined by Endre Kertész in ¡Nosnach: familiar-unfamiliar melodies, stories told by instruments. An ankle, a lock of hair, a sigh. A shrug of the shoulders, a smile. Old images. Goodbye at dawn, meeting, embraces. Nights, streets, lodgings. And finally, ¡Villedyvoch, where Ádám takes the lessons of his previous projects further and breaks new ground. A similar world in a completely different constellation. In the trio, alongside Endre, he evokes the past and tradition with Bartek Zsolt, creating a new balance and at the same time a new world. His compositions mix Jewish music, Piazzolla, contemporary chamber music and jazz in endless improvisations with the atmosphere of Paris, New York and Odessa in the 1930s.

Trio à la Kodály's name reflects their mission: to present fresh interpretations of Zoltán Kodály's works. They aim to preserve tradition while showcasing Hungarian music, including folk, from a modern perspective. Theirperformances include collective improvisation, emphasizing the importance of interpreting both Kodály's original pieces and the trio's new compositions as a vibrant, live musical fabric. Their renditions on Kodály's themes pay tribute to his work and musical spirit, blending past and present in a unique and dynamic way.  

The musical world of Rozina Pátkai's album Minka is the straight continuation of the artist's intermedia experiments (sound images, montages, performances) and the EM90 orchestra's album Bad word order, composed from the poems of Miklós Erdély. Rozina, with the help of guitarist, electronic musician and sound engineer Bence Dóczi, has moved from bossa nova to electronic music, a never resting sound world, and has found her way back from the Portuguese musical tradition to her mother tongue: the poems of Sándor Weöres, Endre Ady, Szilárd Borbély, Frigyes Karinthy, Mihály Víg, Árpád Tóth, Lajos Áprily and, last but not least, Minka Czóbel, whose first name became the title of the group’s first album. After their second album on poems by János Pilinszky, the band has now created ever-changing but always intense soundscapes from the poems of Sándor Petőfi, with an atmosphere that draws mainly from electronic dance music, free jazz and contemporary music. This time again, János Ávéd, Rozina's regular musical collaborator, also plays a key role, and the concert will be rounded out by the contributions of musicians with a wide range of musical skills and experience.  

Niki Vörös has been active in the Hungarian jazz scene since 2005. Besides clubs and festivals in Hungary, she has performed in London, Athens, Belgrade, Warsaw and Bamberg. After two successful albums and 17 years of working together, she and her quartet have formed a new band under the name Vörös Niki New Project. The band has been renewed in both sound and repertoire: moving away from the mainstream jazz influences of the past, the bandleader has crafted her own compositions, combining elements of blues, rock and jazz. The songs are characterised by the singer's distinctive, passionate performance style, expressing unconcealed emotions, complemented by the energetic, unique playing style of outstanding Hungarian musicians.

This trio, founded by Attila Gyárfás, draws from the tools of free improvisation, contemporary classical music and traditional jazz, and its members are active representatives of the Hungarian improvisational music scene. A key element of the band's sound is the modern analogue synthesizer played by Máté Pozsár, which, in addition to creating a nearly infinite amount of timbres, is capable of switching between radically different sounds in the blink of an eye. Contrasting with the vibrations shaped by circuits and generated by the speakers is the acoustic sound of the drum kit and Ernő Hock's upright bass, but the musicians' attention and imagination allow the three instruments to boil into unity. Most of the trio's repertoire is made up of compositions by Attila Gyárfás, based on the improvisational skills of the three musicians, but using the sampler controlled by Máté Pozsár, they also evoke recordings from jazz history to which the members of the band are closely connected.

The world of Mr. Moodburn is a fusion of jazz, rock and various film music inspired genres. Their music combines composed and improvised elements, captivating atmospheres, spontaneity and crazy solos. The members of the band have already proven themselves in many renowned productions, but here they can unleash their creativity without compromise. All their songs are accompanied by live session videos, shot in a location that matches the mood of the song, with cinematography by Sándor Bikali. On the evening of 22 August, the band will expand into a quartet with Gábor Subicz, leader of the highly successful Subtones band, who will take the trio's music to the next level with his trumpet. The band admits that from the very first moments of working together, they felt as if Gábor had always been the fourth member of the band – an alchemy they are finally showing the audience. The concert will feature tracks from the trio's album Dystopia Radio, released at the end of 2023, as well as material from their forthcoming new album.  

Barnabás Négyessy, guitarist and composer, studied at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest with Bálint Gyémánt and Gábor Juhász, and is currently studying at the University of Music in Graz. In the autumn of 2022 he formed his quartet, whose programme consists mainly of their own compositions and arrangements of some of the best-known songs of jazz history. Their songs are characterised by intimate, melancholic melodies and often energetic passages. Their repertoire draws mainly on the musical world of Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Bill Frisell, and Wayne Shorter. They also strive to combine different styles, organically shaping them into a unique, homogeneous sound. Their compositions are influenced by modern jazz, experimental free improvisation, rock, pop, contemporary minimalist music, classical and folk music. Their playing style and improvisational language give equal role to all the instruments, allowing the members to build on each other's ideas. The band now arrives with a fresh concept: in addition to giving an overview of their work and their defining musical impressions, for the second half of the concert they invited celebrated Hungarian guitarist Bálint Gyémánt to present a quintet arrangement of their earlier and new compositions.

De Beren Gieren is a post-contemporary jazz trio in which minimalism and bursting energy go hand in hand. It may be no coincidence that this band is based in Belgium, the home ground of surrealism and techno. De Beren Gieren consists of musicians highly active in the European music scene, but it is within this band their versatility flow freely. Its music is multi-layered, improvised and visionary. Corresponding acts could be Visible Cloaks, Radiohead, Erik Satie and Jon Hassell. Well, expect at least Beren music. Pianist Fulco Ottervanger composes most of the tunes, shining a childlike clarity, yet without ever pointing to a specific genre. It challenges the band to conceive a never-heard combination of sounds and parts supporting those sing-along melodies, often resulting in cinematic structures with a kaleidoscopic quality. Bass player Lieven Van Pée and drummer Simon Segers, join Fulco in a shared effort of control and letting go, tying the three together in a unique band. Live concerts of De Beren Gieren are an ongoing adventure full of beauty, dynamics and group interaction. What Eludes Us is an ode to what escapes us. And what we consciously want to look away from. For their 7th full album, De Beren Gieren even ignored the unimaginable beauty of the Norwegian fjords by sneaking into a dusty recording studio in the harbor of Bergen. Together with the celebrated and mysterious producer Jørgen Træen, who silently watched over the imperfections and interference as the driving force behind the skilled and lively playing of this electro-acoustic jazz trio. The result turns out to be compelling music with deceptive rhythms, clear melodies and uninhibited electronics in a way that also surprises themselves. How did that happen again?

Despite the classic lineup of drums, bass and guitar, Abstract is not a mainstream band. Their distinctive music blends a variety of styles and genres with great flexibility, constantly evolving beyond the commonly agreed artistic concept, following its own path: from post-rock to avant-garde twists, the audience is exposed to a wide range of colours, while the basis for musical adventures is provided by song-like themes, and the attitude of jazz is always palpable. Abstract have been playing in clubs and on stages in their home country since 2018, and their experimental spirit is evident in three recordings: they recorded their first album Where are we going? at the end of 2018, released their second album A Fine Line In Between in 2021, and in 2022 they released a live album Live '20. Now they present a programme called The Grey Fox Ran Across the Prairie, which, with its narrative, story-like themes, captures the listener's imagination without becoming programme music. That's not the intention of the creators - rather, the music invites the listener into a colourful and exciting game of free association.  

Pianist and composer Krisztián Oláh is a leading figure in the Hungarian jazz scene. In his music, classical compositional techniques and elements as well as contemporary jazz play an equally important role. Dominika Ács started out from classical and then contemporary music, then forged her own Gesamtkunstwerk-inspired, performative world. The duo's programme is shaped by the works of Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. They perform works by composers who were also influential for Bergman, such as Bach, Schubert, and Mahler. Dominika Ács and Krisztián Oláh combine the music of their great predecessors with works by contemporary composers and jazz musicians, as well as their own improvisations and compositions. The concert will also feature excerpts from Bergman's writings to give the audience a more complete picture of the genius filmmaker's world, both unique and universal.

Hungarian-Polish cultural relations have for long embellished the historical friendship of the two nations. The newest chapter in this story will be a project which connects Chopin and Bartók, as their works provide the starting point to build an imaginary bridge across the ages between them by way of adapting their music and improvising on them. All participating jazz musicians look up to the classic composers as idols and for inspiration. Polish pianist Kuba Stankiewicz, a Berklee graduate earned a lot of success in the United States and has played with the best Polish musicians from Namysłowski to Anna-Maria Jopek. He confesses to have always been a romantic soul, no wonder one of his albums, recorded in Los Angeles with Peter Erskine, elaborates Victor Young standards. He also published a record devoted to a song cycle of Chopin with singer Inga Lendowska. His first album with by Kornél Fekete-Kovács was released six years ago, and he also contributed to the global invitational composition cycle of MAO, called Art of Virus, which was performed in Hungary live two years ago. Their collaboration this time is again generously supported by the Felczak Foundation. The trumpet-player, leader of the Modern Art Orchestra, Kornél Fekete Kovács and the Polish pianist plan to rely on their earlier adaptations of the great national composers, but the program in the Opus Jazz Club will be a completely new one. Some Chopin songs (Op. 47) will be presented in instrumental versions, and melodies of Bartók from the Microcosmos cycle and his violin duets will also be newly arranged. The third player of the quintet, also handing out scores of his own Bartók-adaptations, will be arranger of MAO and the leader of its sax section, Kristóf Bacsó. The Quintet will be rounded up from the MAO rhythm section, namely by dynamic drummer László Csizi and by the master bass player József Barcza-Horváth.  

The Szalóky Classic Jazz Quartet, formed to play American jazz from the 1930s and 1940s, began as a casual group performing monthly in clubs. Over time, they moved to concert and festival stages, even representing Hungarian jazz in Qatar. Their name reflects their focus on the pre-swing jazz style, though their repertoire includes later compositions. Their eclectic performance style draws inspiration from Ruby Braff, Charlie Christian, Bobby Hackett, Barney Kessell, Benny Goodman, and Louis Armstrong. While the members have played at Opus Jazz Club before, this marks the Quartet's debut at the venue.

Mihály Dresch founded his String Quartet a few years ago to create an exciting mix of genres this time from a folk music perspective, of course with the trademark Dresch sound. Their first studio album, entitled Forrásból, was released in 2017 by the Fonó Records, which was born as the first imprint of new musical qualities created at the intersection of jazz and Hungarian folk music traditions. "With his saxophone, fuhun and surprisingly powerful vocals, Mihály Dresch took on the primate role of folk music in the traditional sense - with naturalness. An album that was a great fit in the Dresch oeuvre was created in both the dance house and the concert hall" - Attila Retkes wrote about the record in Gramofon magazine. The second album of the formation, Ongaku, was released in 2021. Mihály Dresch said about the record: "In Japanese, ongaku means music. In Chinese, this character differs with one single sign from character of 'medicine'. On the occasion of a rehearsal, when this composition had not yet received a final name, we felt the atmosphere of the oriental cultures. These two concepts can be easily connected with Hungarian thinking as well. The relationship between music and the soul is not a novel idea, its beneficial effects have already been recognized by the ancient Greeks. I hope this album approaches these two meanings".  

The group, founded in 2002, developed a special sound for its composed and improvised chamber music by combining instruments, rather uncommon in jazz, like the Bulgarian gadulka, or Dániel Váczi's own brainchild, the glissotar, with the more traditional setting of guitar, saxophone, double bass and drums. The name Ektar comes from the Indian word 'ek-tar' which means one string. Indeed, the five musicians play and improvise in such harmony as if they were all playing on a single instrument.

The trio led by the father of modern jazz piano, Bill Evans (1929-1980) forms a pinnacle of jazz history unlike no other, especially in the outstanding line-up of Scott La Faro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. They regarded each other as equal as no other group ever before them. The fourth LP of the trio is based on the recording they made in 1961 at the Village Vanguard, New York, a part of which had been released earlier. Evans lived his post-Miles Davis era, but he was still only 31 years old, his bandmates even younger. The title tune, an original of the pianist, which he composed for his niece, is in 3/4, however that is not the only feature resembling European classical influence. Impressionistic harmonies are also a staple of Evans. His evident, but quite accessible modernism does not conceal his deeply romantic soul. The depth of his emotions as well as their expressive articulation speak to the heart of the audience, not just that of the ladies therein, but also that of the tough guys. 

The Visegrad Jazz Exchange is a new project of the V4 countries, initiated by the Jazz Po Polsku Foundation, to promote artistic cooperation between musicians and music institutions. The members of the project band, formed especially for this occasion, are all leading representatives of the current jazz scene in the four countries. The ensemble will play 4-4 concerts in each country this year, and they also give masterclasses to young musicians: in February they visited the Czech Republic, in May they toured in Slovakia, in September they will come to Hungary, including Opus in Budapest, and in November they will conclude their tour in Poland. They perform a repertoire specially prepared for this occasion, inspired by the culture of each country. The project is co-financed by the International Visegrad Fund, and organised by the Jazz Po Polsku Foundation, with the support of the Slovak Jazz Society, TIM Production and Czech Jazz Art.

In the eclectic programme of Zita Gereben and her orchestra, the songs have the characteristics of R’n’B, pop, blues and, of course, jazz. The Hungarian singer-songwriter founded her band in 2009; so far, they have recorded three albums of their own compositions, and are planning to release their fourth album this year. Zita Gereben has worked with numerous Hungarian bands, and her forays into the world of motion pictures proved equally successful. Her orchestra unites talented and renowned Hungarian musicians, who bravely address the most different musical styles and the freedom of improvisation, resulting in a truly original sound.  

Tony Lakatos is one of the most respected saxophone players worldwide. He performed as a saxophone soloist in numerous jazz, pop and rock concerts, and appeared on about 350 recordings as a leader or as a sideman. He has been living in Germany since 1981. In his second home Spain, he met the great Italian piano player Fabio Miano, and for many years, they have been good friends and musical partners. For this event, they formed a quartet with two stellar local musicians to play their own compositions besides some standards. Their music stays close to the so called straight-ahead jazz with bebop and hard bop elements, a characteristic swing, and Latin feel.

The music of Tariqa is an organic and unique fusion where Moroccan Gnawa and Hungarian folk music meet to reveal a new musical domain. Saïd Tichiti, a native of the Moroccan Sahara, brings the pulsating rhythms of gnawa trance rituals, the mystical melodies of Arabic maqam, and the invigorating energy of chaabi. Péter Bede and Ferenc Kovács, masters of jazz and Hungarian folk music,contribute their rich styles to this musical alchemy. Ádám Mészáros and András Halmos, seasoned musicians from various formations and adept practitioners of afrobeat and improvisation, add even more colors to this musical kaleidoscope. Tariqa's immersive concerts are ritual experiences where the audience becomes a participant, not just a listener. In today's isolation, there is a growing need for such transcendent communal experiences that can bring collective healing. No concerts are alike; each performance is a new and unrepeatable journey. As William Burroughs put it, Gnawa is "the world's oldest, 4000-year-old rock 'n' roll," and thistradition is reborn in a new form through Tariqa's art.   Crossbreed by Tariqa

The blending of Bossa Nova and jazz is a story going back to over half a century and opened up a whole new world way beyond the meeting of the pioneers, Carlos Antonio Jobim, Stan Getz and others. Since then many jazz recordings have been made in the Brazilian rhythm and sound, which is quite different from swing, for instance Soul Bossa by Quincy Jones, to name only a famous big band example. Many arrangers of composers from the MAO camp have come up with such pieces, providing dance rhythms of the bossa nova, samba, rhumba and even the beguine. On the albums of MAO, numbering almost two dozen, many tracks show inspiration from the „Latin” world. Such as We Have Matt, published on Dedications, as well as the composition of Gábor Subicz, called Fountain, but many other composers and arrangers of the band, including orchestra leader Fekete-Kovács Kornél could listed here.

A „ballad” played by jazz musicians and singers is supposed to be slow and is typically about romantic feelings. What the leader of MAO, Kornél Fekete-Kovács adds regarding their choice of ballads for this program is that so much could be grouped here, anything that is rather introvert  and fits the mood of the season. The repertoire of the big band contains a lot of traditional, and quite many unusual ballads. This time, we’ll be enjoying a set in some way similar to the „Ballad” recordings of Charlie Parker and other groundbreaking players. A typical example could be Under the Waterfalls, penned by the leader of the orchestra, which was first performed by the legendary Benny Golson in concert featured by MAO. Matching the concept of providing a cross section, slow movements will be played on their own from larger suites usually played in their entirety, such as the ones by Attila Korb, Gábor Cseke, Szabolcs Oláh and others.