Over the last several years we could play in the most
prestigous venues and festivals of the world: Royal Festival Hall (London), Town Hall
(New York), Theatre de la Ville (Paris), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam),
Carnegie Music Hall (Pittsburgh), Santa Cecilia (Rome), Barbican Center
(London), Carnegie Hall (New York), Hammamet Festival, Hong Kong Art Festival, Aspen Music Festival and many,
many other. The story how we got invitations from these places started in 1992.
I still remember the meeting with Joe Boyd,
the founder of the Hannibal Records in London during the time of shooting
the film "Dancing Room". Joe, who "discovered" Márta Sebestyén and
Muzsikas (among many others) faced me with a strange idea:
"I fed up with the fact that you are coming
regularly to London but you play always in small places!"
We must try a prestigeous place, I thougt about the Queen Elisabeth Hall.
"How much would it cost to come for just one concert to London?"
Then he introduced the guy came with him, David Flower, a concert promoter.
We started the calculation: four musicians, plus Márta, two dancers,
plus an old cimbalom player from Transylvania, Arpad Toni,
airfares, hotel rooms, a good PA system,
a minimal fee just to eat while we are in London....
We added the sum. "How big sale you need to cover all the cost?"
Renting the hall, promotions,
posters, sound man, etc. David said we need at least 75% selling
to be at least at zero. The risk was far too big.
OK, said Joe, the risk is for Hannibal Records. We pay if you loose.
That is how the big adventure started. Never ever Hungarian folk
group played a solo concert in such a big place.
We prepared a great concert. Long enough for those who gave us the
honour to come to see us.
The time passed, the day arrived. I could not say that we were
not nervous. All afternoon sound check, light tests, then a really
pofessional photographer took pictures us for the future, so we had
no time of worrying. We would had a good reason to worry:
Only a very few tickets (less than 50) were
sold in advance. I felt the cold fear of the disaster...
The concert started at 8 pm, Márta escaped from the dressing room
to see what was happening, came back pale and whispered me that there
was only a few people! No audience! I asked her to keep the secret, why to make
the others more nervous. We will make the concert anyway for the 50 friends.
Unless she promised not to go away, at 5 to 8 pm she escapad again. Then she
came back with the unbelivable news: SOLD OUT! AND AT LEAST 300 PEOPLE
ARE WAITING IN FRONT OF THE HALL IN THE STREET HOPING OF TICKETS!
The concert is an other story. After the concert we were sitting in
the dressing room, try to get relaxed, not beliving it had happened
with us. Then Joe braked the silence:
Good! The next is the Royal Festival Hall!
Daniel Hamar
We decided to set up a page where we will put all the information
about our memorable concerts. Obviously it is never complete,
we try to refresh it regularly. It will take time to collect
the information, papers, posters, previews, reviews, pictures, etc.
Muzsikas
2000
| | | |
|
Mar. 19.
|
Hungary,
|
Budapest
|
Great Hall of Liszt Music Academy, Budapest Spring Festival
|
Márta Sebestyén and the dancers: "Bartok, Kodaly and the traditions"
Special guest: Roel Dieltiens, Belgium (cello)
Mar. 23.
|
Belgium
|
Antwerpen
|
Concerhall of the Zuiderpershuis
|
Márta Sebestyén and the dancers: "Bartok, Kodaly and the traditions"
Special guest: Roel Dieltiens, Belgium (cello)
Apr. 30.
|
USA
|
Los Angeles
|
Schoenberg Hall, UCLA
|
The Bartók album
Muzsikás Marta Sebestyen and the dancers
May. 5.
|
USA
|
New York
|
Symphony Space Music Theater
|
The Bartók album
Muzsikás Marta Sebestyen and the dancers, special guest:
Alexander Balanescu (violin)
jun. 28
|
France
|
Aix-en-Provance
|
Festival International D'Art Lyrique
|
concert with young solist from Music Festival
Oct. 21.
|
Sweden
|
Stockholm
|
Great Hall of the Music Academy
|
The Bartók album
Muzsikás Marta Sebestyen and the dancers, special guest:
Alexander Balanescu (violin)
2001
| | | |
|
Jan. 30.
|
Germany,
|
Berlin
|
Kammermusicsaal
|
Joint concert:
Bartok, Kodaly and the traditions
with Marta Sebestyen and Arpad Toni, Rumania (cimbalom) and
the solists of Berlin Phylharmonic Orchestra
Mar. 28.
|
Hungary,
|
Budapest,
|
Great Hall of Liszt Music Academy, Budapest Spring Festival
|
Márta Sebestyén and the dancers: "Bartok, Kodaly and the traditions"
Special guest: Jenö Jandó,Hungary (piano)
Mar. 30.
|
Finland
|
Tampere
|
Konssertitalo
|
Bartok and the traditions Joint concert, Muzsikas, Marta
Sebestyen, the dancers and
Tampere Symhonic Orchestra
Jun. 30.
|
USA
|
Aspen CO
|
Harris Concert Hall, Aspen Music Festival
|
Bartók, Kodály and the traditions
Muzsikás and the Takács String Quartet
Aug. 14.
|
France
|
Perigo Noire
|
Summer Music Festival
|
Muzsikás with the dancers and Roel Dieltiens, Belgium (cello)
Dec. 31.
|
France
|
Paris
|
Theatre de la Ville
|
Muzsikás and Marta Sebestyen with the dancers, special guest:
Arpad Toni, Rumania (cimbalom) traditional village musician
2002
| | | |
Mar. 2.
|
USA
|
New York
|
Center for Yewish History,
|
concert of Jewish-Hungarian tradition with Márta Sebestyén
Mar. 25.
|
Hungary,
|
Budapest
|
Great Hall of Liszt Music Academy, Budapest Spring Festival
|
Márta Sebestyén and the dancers: "Bartok, Kodaly and the traditions"
Special guest: Keller String Quartet
Apr. 17.
|
Italy
|
Torino
|
Great Hall of the Music Academy
|
Bartok concert with Márta Sebestyén and the dancers
May 1.
|
Yugoslavia
|
Beograd
|
Kolerac Concert Hall
|
Concert with Márta Sebestyén and the dancers
May 18.
|
Switzerland
|
Ittingen Kartause
|
Bodensee Music Festival
|
Bartok and the traditions, with Márta Sebestyén and the dancers
special guests: Gabor Takacs-Nagy (violin),
Zoltan Tuska (violin), Denes Varjon (piano)
June 20
|
Italy
|
Milano
|
San Lorenzo Festival
|
concert with with Márta Sebestyén and Zoltan Farkas (dance)
July 26.
|
Belgium
|
|
SFINX Festival
|
concert with the dancers and Alexander Balanescu (violin)
July 28.
|
Holland
|
Amsterdam
|
Great Hall of Concertgebouw
|
concert with the dancers and Alexander Balanescu (violin)
Sept. 17.
|
Italy
|
Rome
|
Romeurope Festival, Villa Medici
|
with Márta Sebestyén
and the dancers
Nov. 24.
|
Italy
|
Triest
| |
concert with Alexander Balanescu and Zoltan Farkas
Dec. 11.
|
Spain
|
Malaga
|
Teatro Cánovas
|
concert of Muzsikás and Márta Sebestyén and Zoltan Farkas
Dec. 22.
|
Hungary
|
Budapest
|
Great Hall of Liszt Academy
|
Muzsikás Christmas with Márta Sebestyén, the dancers and
special guests: local farmers from the village
Szaszcsavas (Transylvania), their male choral
2003
| | | |
|
Jan. 22.
|
Italy
|
Aosta
|
Teatro Giacosa
|
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
Alexander Balanescu (violin) and Zoltan Farkas (dance)
Jan. 24.
|
Italy
|
Rome
|
Auditorium of Santa Cecilia
|
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
Alexander Balanescu (violin) and Zoltan Farkas (dance)
Febr. 28.
|
Hong Kong
|
Hong Kong
|
City Concert Hall, Hong Kong Arts Festival
|
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
and the dancers
Mar. 26.
|
USA
|
Pittsburgh PA
|
Carnegie Music Hall
|
Bartók, Kodály and the traditions
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
and the Takács String Quartet
Mar. 29.
|
USA
|
Ann Arbor MI
|
Rackham Auditorium
|
Bartók, Kodály and the traditions
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
and the Takács String Quartet
Mar. 30.
|
USA
|
Ann Arbor MI
|
Rackham Auditorium
|
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
and the Kalman Balogh (cimbalom)
Mar. 31.
|
USA
|
New York
|
Metropolitan Museum of Art
|
Muzsikás concert with Márta Sebestyén
Apr. 05.
|
Hungary
|
Budapest
|
Great Hall of Liszt Music Academy
|
Bartók, Kodály and the traditions concert series
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén and the dancers
special guest:
Pro Musica Girls Choir (Nyiregyhaza, Hungary) conductor:
Dénes Szabó
Apr. 10.
|
USA
|
Los Angeles CA
|
Royce Hall, UCLA
|
Bartók, Kodály and the traditions
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
and the Takács String Quartet
Apr. 12.
|
USA
|
Santa Barbara CA
|
Campbell Hall, UCLA
|
Bartók, Kodály and the traditions
Muzsikás with Márta Sebestyén
and the Takács String Quartet
2004
| | | |
|
Feb.
2.
|
Hungary
|
Budapest
|
Liszt
Music Academy Great Hall
|
Muzsikás
with Marta Sebestyen and the Bartók String
Quartet read more...(in Hungarian)
|
Feb.
10.
|
USA
|
New
Haven CT
|
Yale
University read
more...
|
Muzsikás
with Marta Sebestyen and the Takács String
Quartet "Bartók, Kodály and the
traditions" read more about
the program
|
Feb.
11.
|
USA
|
Washington
DC
|
Freer
Gallery of Art read
more...
|
Muzsikás
with Marta Sebestyen and the Takács String
Quartet "Bartók, Kodály and the
traditions" read more about
the program
|
Feb.
13.
|
USA
|
New
York NY
|
Carnegie
Hall read
more...
|
Muzsikás
with Marta Sebestyen and the Takács String
Quartet "Bartók, Kodály and the
traditions" read more about
the program
|
Feb.
15.
|
USA
|
Chicago
IL
|
Old
Town School of Folk Music read
more...
|
Muzsikás
with Marta Sebestyen
|
Mar.
7.
|
Scotland
|
Glasgow
|
Tramway
Theatre read
more
|
Muzsikás,
Marta Sebestyen, the dancers and the BBC Scottish Symphonic
Orhestra conductor: Ilan Volkov read
more
|
Mar.
18.
|
Lebanon
|
Beirut
|
Crystal
Garden Al Bustan Festival read
more about the festival
|
Muzsikás
with Marta Sebestyen read
more about the program "Bartók and the
traditions" read
more
|
Mar.
22.
|
Hungary
|
Budapest
|
Budapest
Spring Festival Liszt Music Academy Great Hall
|
Muzsikás,
Marta Sebestyen the dancers and the Tomkins Chamber
Choir read more...
|
Apr.
1.
|
Portugal
|
Porto
|
Porto,
Rivoli Teatro Municipal read
more... Interceltic Festival
|
Muzsikás,
Marta Sebestyen and the dancers
|
Apr.
2.
|
Portugal
|
Lisbon
|
Centro
Cultural de Belém read
more...
|
Muzsikás,
Marta Sebestyen and the dancers
|
Apr.
3.
|
Portugal
|
Montemor-o-Novo
|
Teatro
Curvo Semedo
|
Muzsikás,
Marta Sebestyen and the dancers
|
May
6.
|
Spain
|
Elche
|
Gran
Teatro del Elche
|
Muzsikás
with Márta Sebestyén and the dancers
|
May
7.
|
Spain
|
Gíjon
|
Teatro
Jovellanos
|
Muzsikás
with Márta Sebestyén and the dancers
|
May
8.
|
Spain
|
Tenerife
|
Auditorio
de Tenerife
|
Muzsikás
with Márta Sebestyén and the dancers
|
May
26.
|
France
|
Paris
|
Cite
de la Musique Concert Hall read
more...
|
Muzsikás,
Márta Sebestyén and the Orchestre
Philharmonique de Radio France conductor: Péter
Eötvös "Bartók, Kodály
and the traditions" read more
|
Jun.
9.
|
Germany
|
Ulm
|
International
Danube Festival Ulmer Munster read
more...
|
Muzsikás,
Márta Sebestyén and the Tomkins Chamber
Choir "Bartók, Kodály and the
traditions" read more
|
Jul.
3.
|
Poland
|
Krakow
|
Jewish
Festival Szeroka Street read
more...
|
Muzsikás
and Márta Sebestyén
|
Sept
11.
|
Japan
|
Nara
|
Yakushiji
Temple XVII. Otobutai Music Festival read
more...
|
Muzsikás
and Márta Sebestyén
|
Oct
11.
|
Hungary
|
Budapest
|
Liszt
Music Academy Great Hall
|
Muzsikás
with Márta Sebestyén and the Danubia
Symphonic Orhestra conductor: Domonkos
Héja Concert
Program Information
of the joint program (in Hungarian)
|
Oct
15.
|
Slovenia
|
Ljubljana
|
National
Filharmonia Great Hall
|
Muzsikás
with Márta Sebestyén and the Bartók
String Quartet read
more...(in Hungarian)
|
Nov.
20.
|
U.K.
|
London
|
Royal
Festival Hall final program of the Magyar
Magic read
more...
|
Muzsikás
feat. Márta Sebestyén with Julian Joseph
and Magic Feet read
more...
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