Kelemen played for about half an hour in the walkway under the square as part of an experiment organised by Adrienn Lantos, a college student writing a dissertation on the assessment of classical music in contemporary Hungarian culture.
The concert was similar to one played by Bell, incognito, in the Washington subway in 2007. In the experiment, the brainchild of a columnist at the Washington Post, More than a thousand people saw Bell, but just one recognised him. He took a little more than 32 dollars from the gig, excluding a twenty given by the person who recognised him.
Kelemen wore street clothes for the performance, just like any other busker, but his concert was perhaps better documented than Bell's. Members of the press, some "disguised" more well than others, drew the attention of passersby, as did the flashes of the photographers. Still some onlookers who participated in a survey at the scene expressed surprise when they were told to whom they were listening.
Kelemen took 5,500 forints from the gig, about 28 dollars at current exchange rates, but more than 40 dollars adjusted for price differences between Hungary and the United States.
Kelemen said he came away "quite well" from the concert, explaining that "nobody pays me for practicing".
Author: Éva Kelemen / Photo: Dániel Kováts
