Organized by the Bard College Conservatory of Music the annual festival "Signs, Games & Messages" celebrating the life and work pioneering Hungarian composer György Kurtág takes place between February 23-25, 2024 at Annandale-on-Hudson. The festival offers a series of captivating performances that bridge the traditional and contemporary, featuring the talents of Bard Conservatory faculty members, students as well as Hungarian guest artists.
Experience the legacy of György Kurtág, where each note and silence paints universal emotions of the human experience.
PROGRAM
- Prelude Concert: The Art of the Cimbalom
Friday, February 23, 6:30PM
Venue: Bard Conservatory, Conservatory Performance Space
Kickstart the festival with the mesmerizing sounds of the cimbalom. The concert features works by Bach, Couperin, Péter Tornyai and Kurtág.
- Program I: The Hungarian Lineage
Friday, February 23, 8PM
Venue: Bard Conservatory, Conservatory Performance Space
A piano recital that delves into Hungary's rich musical heritage, featuring works by Kurtág, Liszt, Ligeti and Bartók.
- Program II: The Art of Homage
Saturday, February 24, 3PM
An afternoon of performances by Bard students if all ages and faculty.
Venue: Bard Conservatory, Conservatory Performance Space
- Program III: Bach, Kurtág & Mozart
Saturday, February 24, 7PM
Guest artists present a fusion of classic and contemporary, showcasing the dialogues between Bach, Kurtág and Mozart.
Venue: Chapel of the Holy Innocents
- Program IV: Kurtág and the Chamber Music Tradition
Sunday, February 25, 4PM
A celebration of Kurtág's influence on chamber music, featuring Bard students and faculty.
Venue: Bard Conservatory, Concervatory Performance Space
About the Hungarian guest artists
The three-day festival featuring multiple talented Hungarian guest artists, such as Hungarian pianist extraordinaire Gábor Csalog, cimbalom player András Szalai, violinist Eszter Kökény, violinist, viola player and composer Péter Tornyai, and cellist Tamás Zétényi.