Muzsikás 50 / BARTÓK TAVASZ 2023

The members of the band: Mihály Sipos – violin, zither, voice, László Porteleki – violin, koboz, tambura, voice, Péter Éri – viola, kontra, mandolin, recorders, voice, Dániel Hamar – double bass, gardon, drum, voice

Featuring: Hanga Kacsó, Mária Petrás – voice, Sándor Csoóri Jr – violin, viola, Balázs Fülei – piano, Kálmán Balogh – cimbalom, István Berecz, Zoltán ‘Batyu’ Farkas, Ildikó ‘Fecske’ Tóth – dance, Pro Musica Girls’ Choir (choirmaster: Dénes Szabó), Corvinus Közgáz Folk Dance Ensemble (artistic director: Irén Deffend)

In the spring of 1973, three young men, Mihály Sipos, a mathematician, Dániel Hamar, a geophysicist, and Sándor Csoóri Jr, who was still a student, decided to start a band on the model of old Hungarian peasant string bands, where the solo violin was accompanied by a viola and a double bass. “Village folk would call these musicians muzsikások. This gave us the idea to name our band Muzsikás.” Said the band in 1978: “The most important thing in our music is to make it as little different as possible from the playing of the muzsikások, considering how this colour has been completely absent. We seek to disseminate, popularize this kind of music.” Having come to their 50th year, it seems they found a task to fill their time. The anniversary concert attempts to recall most stages of this journey of half a century.