Beethoven 200 – “The Emperor”

Featuring: János Balázs (piano), Lilla Horti (soprano), Szilvia Vörös (alto), Attila Fekete (tenor), Miklós Sebestyén (bass), Hungarian National Choir (choirmaster: Csaba Somos), Concerto Budapest

Conductor: András Keller

In 2027, the international music world will commemorate a major Beethoven anniversary.

On the 200th anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest geniuses in the music history, the Cziffra Festival and Concerto Budapest invite audiences to a special jubilee gala in the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy, with Concerto Budapest Orchestra conducted by András Keller.

The concert starts with the overture to King Stephen, whose Hungarian-inspired motifs and slow verbunkos provide a unique connection between Beethoven and Hungarian culture. This is followed by the magnificent Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, the “Emperor”, composed amid the turmoil of the Napoleonic Wars. From its majestic opening to the otherworldly serenity of its slow movement, the concerto remains one of the great masterpieces of the piano repertoire which will be performed by Kossuth Prize-winning pianist János Balázs.

The programme culminates in the monumental Symphony No. 9. Leading from struggle to joy, Beethoven’s masterpiece has become a universal hymn to human unity and freedom, and continues to speak to audiences with elemental power two centuries later also.

The Cziffra Festival’s prestigious professional awards will also be presented as part of the gala.

A gala concert of the Cziffra Festival, presented in collaboration with Concerto Budapest.

Supported by: Prime Minister’s Office, Bethlen Gábor Fund