On November 25, the Dunakeszi Concert Winds and the Dunakeszi Youth Symphony Orchestra gave a very successful concert to a full house, now for the 10th time. The usual performances have now merged with many surprises and outstanding soloists in tribute to the work of George Gershwin, who was born 125 years ago. The host of the evening was Erika Martikán, the conductor of the orchestras was Balázs Szilágyi Szabolcs.
The Dunakeszi Concert Winds started their festive concert with an overture written to celebrate the centenary of George Gershwin and his brother Ira Gershwin. Then we could hear the opening of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s Nutcracker Suite and Glenn Miller’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’ performed by a big band made up of members and friends of the concert brass.
Built with a virtuoso saxophone and trumpet solo, ‘In The Mood’ was followed by ‘Take the A-train’, the best-known composition of American composer and pianist Billy Strayhorn. The opening aria of Porgy and Bess, “Summertime” Blues March, which has been covered in at least 25,000 versions, was played in a swing opening style, and as the closing number of the first part of the concert, we could hear a mix of the most famous tunes of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
After the break, members of the Dunakeszi Youth Symphony Orchestra joined the Dunakeszi Concert Winds on stage, led by Katalin Kátai. As the first number of the combined orchestra, the Sunrise from Ferde Grofé’s ‘Grand Canyon’ suite was performed.
Gershwin: Blues in his composition ‘An American in Paris’, the soloist was Márton Csongár, a young clarinetist from the Academy of Music. Márton has been playing the clarinet for 8 years, his father and teacher quickly noticed his talent, and for the third year he is a student of the Extraordinary Talents Trainer at the Ferenc Liszt University of Music. In 2021, the first prize was won by the XIX. Carlino International Clarinet Competition in the Junior B category, and this year the XIX. In the Junior Soloist category of the Saverio Mercadante International Clarinet Competition, he achieved II. placement.
The fantastic performance was followed by Porgy and Bess’ love duet, “Bess, you is my woman now” and Porgy’s banjo song, I got plenty o’nuttin.
The highlight of the evening was Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’. The piano solo was played by Cecília Ungár, who reached the semi-finals of the 2017 televised classical music talent show, Virtuozok. Cecília began her studies at the Ferenc Farkas Elementary Art School in Dunakeszi, dr. As a student of Erzsébet Domoszlai. He is currently studying for a master’s degree in classical piano at the Liszt Ferenc University of Music. He performed at the Budapest Music Center, the Palace of Arts, the Budapest National Museum, and the Mozart House in Vienna. In November 2021, as part of the György Cziffra commemoration year, he was able to perform with his teacher in London’s Covent Garden and Eszterházy Castle. Andrea Zsukk played the clarinet solo.
The sponsors of the evening were: Dunakeszi City Municipality, the National Cultural Support Manager, the National Cultural Fund, Bethlen Gábor Alapkezelő Zrt. and VOKE József Attila Cultural Center.
Sigh Andrea
Photo: Krisztián Tóta
