Budapest – Hong Kong Express: Barnabás Kelemen, Katalin Kokas and Musicus Soloists Hong Kong
05.23.2024
(23 May 2024) Hong Kong’s leading chamber ensemble Musicus Soloists Hong Kong (MSHK), will make their debut in Hungary this summer, led by their Artistic Director and world-renowned cellist Trey Lee. On 1 June 2024, the Budapest – Hong Kong Express concert takes place in the House of Music Hungary (Magyar Zena Haza). Joining them on stage this time are Gramophone Classical Award-winning and celebrated local artists Barnabás Kelemen (violin solo/guest leader) and Katalin Kokas (viola).
MSHK is a chamber orchestra made up of an exceptional group of international prize-winners who represent Hong Kong on the global stage. Artistic Director of Musicus Society and MSHK Trey Lee said, “MSHK members all pursue flourishing careers around the world, and when they come together for concerts, in many ways they hark back to the culture of travelling folk bands in Hungary and Europe. We can’t wait to embrace that spirit and meet local musicians and new audiences in the beautiful, contemporary House of Music Hungary.”
Top young musicians from Hong Kong to perform in Hungarian cultural landmark
Taking place in the architectural marvel in Budapest’s City Park, designed by Japanese star architect Sou Fujimoto, the concert evening entitled Budapest – Hong Kong Express includes works by Locatelli, Weiner and Bartók, showcasing the Baroque concerto grosso format and the essence of the Hungarian musical tradition found in Weiner and Bartók’s contrasting divertimentos. The audience can also look forward to a special set within the program that combines MSHK’s vibrant and youthful energy with two local folk music specialists on violin (Miklós Király) and cimbalom (Sándor Kuti) to celebrate the inspiration for much of Bartok’s music.
Event Link and Tickets
Performers
FIRST VIOLIN | Barnabás Kelemen^, Aaron Chan, Hannah Tam, Jeremy Hao, Matthew Chin
SECOND VIOLIN | Anthony Poon, Gáspár Kelemen^, Blues Zhang, Nina Wong, Jonathan Leung
VIOLA | Katalin Kokas^, Lee Yat, Annis Ma
CELLO | Trey Lee*, Jia Nan
DOUBLE BASS | Dominic Law
^Guest Artist *Artistic Director MSHK
The concert is sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong), The Tung Foundation and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin.
The presenter reserves the rights to change the program and substitute artists should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Philippa Allan (Real Arts), pa@realarts.eu
Béla Simon (Budapest, Hungary): +36 30 588 6547, bela.simon4@gmail.com
MSHK is a chamber orchestra made up of an exceptional group of international prize-winners who represent Hong Kong on the global stage. Artistic Director of Musicus Society and MSHK Trey Lee said, “MSHK members all pursue flourishing careers around the world, and when they come together for concerts, in many ways they hark back to the culture of travelling folk bands in Hungary and Europe. We can’t wait to embrace that spirit and meet local musicians and new audiences in the beautiful, contemporary House of Music Hungary.”
Top young musicians from Hong Kong to perform in Hungarian cultural landmark
Taking place in the architectural marvel in Budapest’s City Park, designed by Japanese star architect Sou Fujimoto, the concert evening entitled Budapest – Hong Kong Express includes works by Locatelli, Weiner and Bartók, showcasing the Baroque concerto grosso format and the essence of the Hungarian musical tradition found in Weiner and Bartók’s contrasting divertimentos. The audience can also look forward to a special set within the program that combines MSHK’s vibrant and youthful energy with two local folk music specialists on violin (Miklós Király) and cimbalom (Sándor Kuti) to celebrate the inspiration for much of Bartok’s music.
| Program | Pietro Antonio Locatelli Concerto a quattro Op. 7 No. 1 Léo Weiner Divertimento No. 1 in D, Op. 20 Béla Bartok Rhapsody No. 1, Sz. 86 Béla Bartok Divertimento for String Orchestra, Sz. 113 |
| Date and Time | 1 June 2024 (Sat), 7:30pm |
| Venue | Concert Hall, House of Music Hungary |
Performers
FIRST VIOLIN | Barnabás Kelemen^, Aaron Chan, Hannah Tam, Jeremy Hao, Matthew Chin
SECOND VIOLIN | Anthony Poon, Gáspár Kelemen^, Blues Zhang, Nina Wong, Jonathan Leung
VIOLA | Katalin Kokas^, Lee Yat, Annis Ma
CELLO | Trey Lee*, Jia Nan
DOUBLE BASS | Dominic Law
^Guest Artist *Artistic Director MSHK
The concert is sponsored by Bank of China (Hong Kong), The Tung Foundation and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin.
The presenter reserves the rights to change the program and substitute artists should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Philippa Allan (Real Arts), pa@realarts.eu
Béla Simon (Budapest, Hungary): +36 30 588 6547, bela.simon4@gmail.com
About Musicus Soloists Hong Kong (musicussoloistshk.org)
Musicus Soloists Hong Kong (MSHK) is Hong Kong’s leading chamber ensemble. Directed and initiated by renowned cellist Trey Lee, it is a fluid, inventive collective featuring the city’s best emerging artists. Each a talented soloist in their own right, MSHK’s musicians are alumni of various North American and European education institutions and laureates of global competitions. MSHK combines the gifts of these young musicians with the wealth of experience of preeminent international artists both in Hong Kong and abroad to offer up cross-cultural musical interpretations.
Playing concerts as both large and small ensembles, MSHK performs a wide repertoire ranging from Baroque to modern masters such as Arvo Pärt. Since launching in 2022, the ensemble has already collaborated with such names as German violinist Florian Donderer, the London Chamber Orchestra and French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie. In November 2024, MSHK will premiere a newly commissioned piece by Korean composer Seung-Won Oh at the iconic Salle Gaveau in Paris.
MSHK is one of the key pillars of Musicus Society. It furthers the Society’s vision of promoting cross-cultural collaboration of music between leading local and international artists, and is a sign of its commitment to nurturing Hong Kong musical talent.
About Musicus Society (www.musicussociety.org)
Musicus Society was founded by a group of music lovers in 2010 as a registered charity under the vision of renowned cellist Trey Lee, with a mission to promote cross-cultural collaboration of music internationally. Apart from the annual Musicus Fest, which provides a meeting point for artists from across the world, the Musicus Heritage Community Concert Series brings world-class artists to local heritage sites. Moreover, the Musicus Inspires! educational program aims to nurture aspiring young musicians in Hong Kong, as well as to introduce classical music to students from all social backgrounds. Musicus Society is financially supported by the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
About Barnabás Kelemen
Violinist Barnabás Kelemen has conquered the most famous concert halls in the world with his virtuoso technique and dynamic, passionate playing style. Versatile and open-minded, he is an outstanding soloist and chamber musician, an artistic director of festivals, and a teacher at renowned institutions.
A frequent guest of the world’s eminent ensembles, Kelemen performs Early Baroque, Classical, and Romantic works with just as much authenticity as twentieth-century pieces. He is additionally a devoted advocate of contemporary music, with world or Hungarian premieres of works by Kurtág, Ligeti, Schnittke, Gubajdulina, Steve Reich, and Ryan Wigglesworth to his name.
He regularly performs at the world’s most prominent concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Royal Festival Hall, the Palais de Beaux Arts, Suntory Hall, and the Berliner Philharmonie. In addition to working with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Kelemen has worked with conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Jurowski, Michael Stern, Zoltán Kocsis, Péter Eötvös, and Iván Fischer.
About Katalin Kokas
Violin and viola virtuoso Katalin Kokas is one of the most outstanding figures in Hungary in the field of classical music. Solo concerts, chamber music, and teaching all play prominent roles in her life.
Kokas has worked with such illustrious artists as Zoltán Kocsis, Miklós Perényi, Michael Stern, Pekka Kuusisto, and the Chilingirian Quartet. Among many others, she has played with the Bratislava Chamber Orchestra, the Israeli Chamber Ensemble, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, and orchestras from Asia, Europe, North and South America, and South Africa.
A founding member of the Kelemen Quartet, she has performed with the quartet with such major musicians as Joshua Bell, Ferenc Rados, and József Lendvai. In 2011, they were awarded first prize at the Fourth Beijing International Music Competition for string quartets and second prize, Audience Prize, and the Musica Viva Prize at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, which assured the ensemble concerts in Australia for years to come.
Musicus Soloists Hong Kong (MSHK) is Hong Kong’s leading chamber ensemble. Directed and initiated by renowned cellist Trey Lee, it is a fluid, inventive collective featuring the city’s best emerging artists. Each a talented soloist in their own right, MSHK’s musicians are alumni of various North American and European education institutions and laureates of global competitions. MSHK combines the gifts of these young musicians with the wealth of experience of preeminent international artists both in Hong Kong and abroad to offer up cross-cultural musical interpretations.
Playing concerts as both large and small ensembles, MSHK performs a wide repertoire ranging from Baroque to modern masters such as Arvo Pärt. Since launching in 2022, the ensemble has already collaborated with such names as German violinist Florian Donderer, the London Chamber Orchestra and French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie. In November 2024, MSHK will premiere a newly commissioned piece by Korean composer Seung-Won Oh at the iconic Salle Gaveau in Paris.
MSHK is one of the key pillars of Musicus Society. It furthers the Society’s vision of promoting cross-cultural collaboration of music between leading local and international artists, and is a sign of its commitment to nurturing Hong Kong musical talent.
About Musicus Society (www.musicussociety.org)
Musicus Society was founded by a group of music lovers in 2010 as a registered charity under the vision of renowned cellist Trey Lee, with a mission to promote cross-cultural collaboration of music internationally. Apart from the annual Musicus Fest, which provides a meeting point for artists from across the world, the Musicus Heritage Community Concert Series brings world-class artists to local heritage sites. Moreover, the Musicus Inspires! educational program aims to nurture aspiring young musicians in Hong Kong, as well as to introduce classical music to students from all social backgrounds. Musicus Society is financially supported by the Art Development Matching Grants Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
About Barnabás Kelemen
Violinist Barnabás Kelemen has conquered the most famous concert halls in the world with his virtuoso technique and dynamic, passionate playing style. Versatile and open-minded, he is an outstanding soloist and chamber musician, an artistic director of festivals, and a teacher at renowned institutions.
A frequent guest of the world’s eminent ensembles, Kelemen performs Early Baroque, Classical, and Romantic works with just as much authenticity as twentieth-century pieces. He is additionally a devoted advocate of contemporary music, with world or Hungarian premieres of works by Kurtág, Ligeti, Schnittke, Gubajdulina, Steve Reich, and Ryan Wigglesworth to his name.
He regularly performs at the world’s most prominent concert venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Royal Festival Hall, the Palais de Beaux Arts, Suntory Hall, and the Berliner Philharmonie. In addition to working with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Kelemen has worked with conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Jurowski, Michael Stern, Zoltán Kocsis, Péter Eötvös, and Iván Fischer.
About Katalin Kokas
Violin and viola virtuoso Katalin Kokas is one of the most outstanding figures in Hungary in the field of classical music. Solo concerts, chamber music, and teaching all play prominent roles in her life.
Kokas has worked with such illustrious artists as Zoltán Kocsis, Miklós Perényi, Michael Stern, Pekka Kuusisto, and the Chilingirian Quartet. Among many others, she has played with the Bratislava Chamber Orchestra, the Israeli Chamber Ensemble, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, and orchestras from Asia, Europe, North and South America, and South Africa.
A founding member of the Kelemen Quartet, she has performed with the quartet with such major musicians as Joshua Bell, Ferenc Rados, and József Lendvai. In 2011, they were awarded first prize at the Fourth Beijing International Music Competition for string quartets and second prize, Audience Prize, and the Musica Viva Prize at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, which assured the ensemble concerts in Australia for years to come.