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Seventy young pianists from 14 countries are competing in this year?s contest, including 23 Hungarians.
The participants, all under the age of 32, may compete only with pieces composed by Liszt, but they are free to choose which ones, thus the programme is built on each pianists? own affinity and taste, said György Igric, managing director of Filharmónia Budapest Nonprofit.
The contest has three rounds: the first is on September 9-13, the second on September 14-15 in Liszt?s former apartment in the Old Music Academy, and the third in the Palace of Arts on September 17-18. The Palace of Arts will also be the venue for the presentation of the prizes and a gala concert on September 19.
The contest?s jury includes the Russian Eliso Virsaladze, Rolf-Dieter Arens from Germany, William Fong from the UK, the Korean Ich-Choom Moon, and the Hungarians Klára Hamburger, Károly Mocsári and Péter Nagy. The music historian and pianist Charles Rosen was also to have been a jury member but could not participate because of illness.
Liszt piano competitions are also taking place in Utrecht and Weimar, as well as in Budapest. All of the winners will perform at a concert in Budapest?s Károlyi Palace on October 22, the 200th anniversary of the Liszt?s birth.
Speaking about other programmes with which the Budapest Philharmonic is involved, Igric said the orchestra would perform a series of concerts featuring works by five contemporary Hungarian composers ? Sándor Szokolay, Lajos Huszár, László Király, János Decsényi and Levente Gyöngyösi ? between September 29 and October 5.
In keeping with tradition, this season?s programme will also include a performance by a foreign guest, the Ensemble Vocal Soli Tutti from France, who will perform works by defining composers of the 20th century: Messiaen, Xenakis and Górecki.
At a concert in the Millenáris Theatre on October 21, guest artists from Switzerland and France will work with the orchestra to perform works by the Hungarian composer György Kurtág and his son György Jr.
The Budapest Philharmonic will perform four concerts with the Saint Ephraim Male Choir featuring sacred music of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Saint Stephen Basilica.
The orchestra will also travel to cities and towns around Hungary as part of its ?countryside? series.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
