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Thursday, 22 September, 19:30
Synagogue, Szabadka - The Musical Treasures of the Carpathian Basin
(Trg Jakaba i Komora 6, Subotica 24000, Serbia)
Programme:
Greetings from Szeklerland, Transylvania
Jewish melodies from Subcarpathia
The music of the Counts Bánffy Hungarian folksongs:
Ne búsuljon senki menyecskéje (No brides should grieve)
Kocsi szekér, kocsi szán (Coach and sleigh)
A csitári hegyek alatt (Under the hills of Csitár)
Melodies from Vajdaság (Vojvodina)
Feast at Kalotaszeg (Transylvania)
Evening song
Performed by:
Erika Miklósa (opera singer)
István Pál “Szalonna” és Bandája (“Bacon” and his Band)
The guest artist of the extremely successful band, well-known among lovers of traditional folk music, will be opera singer Erika Miklósa, one of the greatest stars of the Hungarian music scene. The Kossuth Prize-winner soprano is openly proud of her Vajdaság roots and happily obliged when asked to perform at the concert. We can hear authentic folk music in the programme as well as folksong arrangements. István Pál “Szalonna” and his band selected the material of the concert from various regions of the Carpathian basin. Those who attend the concert on 22 September in the beautifully restored synagogue in Szabadka will have an exciting experience.
Performers
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Erika MIKLÓSA was an athlete as a teenager. Owing to an accident, she had to give up, so she turned to singing as a hobby. After less than three years, at the age of 19, she was engaged by the Hungarian State Opera House as the youngest singer ever. Her first appearance abroad was in Brussels in 1992, then she sang The Queen of the Night in the same year in Mannheim. Miklósa soon conquered all the major stages in the world with this role: she was the most sought after singer as Die Königin das Nacht from London to Paris, from Munich to New York. She has sung this role more than 500 times so far. After studying at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, she was the recipient of student scholarships at the Philadelphia Academy of Vocal Arts, and the Milan Scala. She was a member of the Hungarian State Opera House until 1999, where she sang a string of roles from Adele (Die Fledermaus) and Gilda (Rigoletto) to Constanza (Die Entführung aus dem Serail). Since 2004 she has regularly appeared at the New York Met. In addition to the classical operatic roles, she enjoys performing in musicals and operettas; she has been the principal singer of a great many gala concerts. She concerns herself with causes of health, sports, charity and fostering talent. In 2011 she was the Hungarian ambassador of philanthropic work, and in 2012 she was awarded an International Fair Play Prize. During her career she has travelled through the world but she has always lived in Hungary, where she calls a small village in Fejér County her home. She was awarded the Kossuth, Liszt, and Prima Primissima Prizes. On August 20 2022 she received the highest award of Hungary: the Order of St. Stephen.
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Folk musician, first violinist István ‘Szalonna’ Pál is one of the best folk first violinists of our time, and one of the most sought-after folk musicians. He is at home in the folk music of all the regions of the Carpathian Basin.
He was born in Visk (Vyshkove) in Subcarpathia, in the foothills of the Máramaros mountains. His parents Katalin Jancsó and Pál Lajos are music teachers, and to this day are active musicians in the land where they were born. He began studying music in the music in the music school at Tiszapéterfalva, then continued in the neighbouring village with Gyula Murzsa, where he could learn the craft according to the old traditions of Gypsy music. He completed secondary studies at the Reformed College Grammar School in Debrecen. In 2007 he graduated as a teacher in voice-music and folk music from the College in Nyíregyház. In 2012 he completed a teaching degree as a folk string instrument teacher at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.
He was second violinist in the Galga orchestra, and then the Fonó orchestra. Since 2002 he has worked in the orchestra of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, where in a couple of years he became the leading first violin in the orchestra, and is currently the artistic director.
He formed his own band (Szalonna and his band) whose repertoire ranges from the finest melodies of the Carpathian Basin to folk music arrangements. The ensemble has performed in many places in the world, in Europe, America, and Asia. They have released three important CDs.
As well as making music, he collects much folk music from Transylvania and Subcarpathia, takes part in teaching talented young musicians, and he is also active as a composer.
He has been awarded many prestigious prizes in recognition of his work: in 2010 he received the Silver Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, in 2013 he won the Hungarian Heritage Prize, in 2015 the Liszt Ferenc Prize, and in 2019 he became Artist of Merit of Hungary.
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