129 W 67th St, New York, NY 10023
Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring up-and-coming Hungarian classical musicians organized by the Liszt Institute New York and the Cziffra Festival taking place at Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center on May 23, 2025 at 7PM!
Hear pianist extraordinaire Alexa Stier and award-winning clarinetist Noémi Sallai in an exciting program showcasing Hungarian and international masterpieces that will surely captivate the audience.
Embark on a musical journey through the heart of Hungarian identity, where tradition meets innovation and folk melodies intertwine with virtuosic expression. This richly textured recital celebrates the soul of Hungarian music, from Béla Bartók’s haunting folk arrangements and explosive Piano Sonata to Gergely Vajda’s mesmerizing LightshadowTrembling for solo clarinet. Rarely performed gems like György Kurtág’s evocative Játékok miniatures and Béla Kovács’s fiery tribute to de Falla highlight the program’s emotional depth and stylistic variety.
The evening also pays homage to Hungarian romanticism and modernism with works by Rezső Kókai, whose Hungarian Dances radiate nostalgia, grief, and joy. Italian flair and German Romanticism round out the program in the dazzling operatic fantasy by Luigi Bassi and the poetic turbulence of Schumann’s Piano Sonata No. 2.
This is more than a concert — it is a dialogue between past and present, tradition and imagination, performed by artists whose virtuosity and sensitivity bring these voices to life.
PROGRAM DETAILS
- Béla Bartók (1881-1945): Three Hungarian Folksongs from Csík, Sz. 35a
The Peacock. Rubato
At the Jánoshdia fairground. L'istesso tempo
White lily. Poco vivo
- Gergely Vajda (1973 - ): Lightshadow Trembling for solo clarinet
- György Kurtág (*1926): Selections from “Játékok” (Games), Volume V.
Jubilate
The Little Squall (for Zoltán Kocsis)
Bells for Margit Mándy
- Béla Kovács (1937 - 2021): Hommage á DeFalla for solo clarinet
- Béla Bartók: Piano Sonata, BB 88, Sz. 80
Allegro moderato
Sostenuto e pesante
Allegro molto
- Luigi Bassi (1833-1871): Concert Fantasia on Motives from "Rigoletto" for Clarinet and Piano
- Robert Schumann (1810-1856): Piano Sonata no. 2, op. 22
So rasch wie möglich
Andantino. Getragen
Scherzo. Sehr rasch und markiert
Rondo. Presto possible, Prestissimo, quasi cadenza
- Rezső Kókai (1906-1962): Four Hungarian Dances for Clarinet and Piano
Recruiting Dance
Folk Dance
Mourning Dance
Fresh
Please note that the event is free of charge, but registration is required!
ALEXA STIER - PIANO
Hailed for her “colorful, flexible and expressive playing” (Res Musica), pianist Alexa Stier has performed extensively in Europe, the United States and in South America. Alexa is a prizewinner of the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition, the Orléans International Piano Competition, and the George Enescu International Piano Competition. She appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (UK), the New Britain Symphony Orchestra (USA), and the Kelvin Ensemble (UK). Alexa’s most notable appearances include solo recitals and chamber music collaborations at Lincoln Center, (New York City) the Time:Spans Festival (New York City), the Liszt Cultural Institute (New York City), Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts (Chicago), Edinburgh Fringe Festival (U.K), Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (U.K.), Teatro del Sale (Firenze, Italy), and at the Zaldumbide Rosales Foundation (Quito, Ecuador). As a Hungarian pianist hailing from Romania, Alexa regularly represents her cultural heritage at embassies across the USA and South America. Alexa is the founder and artistic director of the ContemporArt Chamber Music Festival and non-profit organization, which offers free concerts and music education to her hometown community. Alexa holds diplomas from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Yale School of Music, where she is currently a doctoral candidate, studying with Boris Berman and Wei-Yi Yang.
NOÉMI SALLAI - CLARINET
Hungarian clarinetist Noémi Sallai, praised for her „smooth fluency” by The Milbrook Independent, was selected as the sole clarinet fellow in Carnegie Hall's prestigious music program, Ensemble Connect for the 2018-2020 season. A multiple prize winner in national and international competitons in Italy, Hungary, Slovenia and the United States, Ms. Sallai has spent her summers at the Crescendo Summer Institute, the Sarasota Music Festival and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and appeared as a clarinetist in renowned groups such as the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Binghamton Symphony Orchestra, The Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony in C, the Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, the New Juilliard Ensemble and the Axiom contemporary music ensemble. As a soloist and avid chamber musician she has appeared on some of the world’s leading stages and concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Alice Tully Hall and David H. Koch Theater. Ms. Sallai holds a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School of Music and a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Bard College. Ms. Sallai currently serves as the Cultural Attaché of the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Center New York.