223 E 52nd Street, NY 10022
The Liszt Institute New York is thrilled to continue its Hungarian Emerging Artists Concert Series, bringing talented Hungarian musician in the spotlight and providing an opportunity for them to introduce themselves to the American audiences.
On July 14, 2024 from 5:30PM outstanding Hungarian trumpet player, Bence Samodai and Hungarian pianist extraordinaire, Alexa Stier will be showcasing some of the most beautiful works written for trumpet and piano, including Johann Sebastian Bach’s D-Major Concerto for trumpet at the Consulate General of Hungary in New York.
PROGRAM
- Albinoni - Bb-Major Concerto
- Felix Mendelssohn - Scherzo á Capriccio in F-sharp minor
- Antonio Vivaldi - Vedro con mio diletto
- Robert Schumann - Selections from Carnaval, op. 9
- Gilson Santos - In Fluencia, Gota
- Dutilleux - Piano Sonata III.
- Béla Bartók - Romanian Folk Dances
The event is free but registration is required.
About the Artists
Bence János Samodai - Trumpet
Bence János Samodai is a prestigious Hungarian prize winner trumpet player, acclaimed for his interpretive maturity, expressive depth and technical clarity with awards and accolades. From 2020, he is a lecturer at the Béla Bartók Faculty of Arts of the University of Szeged and a doctoral student and researcher at the University of Pécs. As a soloist, he toured the concert halls of Toronto, Florida, Berlin, Potsdam and Budapest. As an orchestral musician, he was a member of the Ferenc Liszt Chamber Orchestra, the Wiener Akademie Orchester, the Wrocław Baroque Ensemble and the Hannoversche Hofkapelle. He has currently recorded four solo and chamber music albums. Since graduating from the University of Szeged Music Faculty with First Class Honours, he has been in demand as both a freelance orchestral musician and soloist.
In 2019, Bence was honored as a recipient of the International Competition for Young Trumpet Players in Stara Zagora. Recent 1st prizes include the 11th Varasdy Frigyes National Trumpet Competition in Budapest and the 42nd National Brass and Percussion Instrumental Competition in Debrecen. He is currently completing his Doctoral Study in the University of Pécs. Engaged in all aspects of trumpet performance, in 2019 he was invited to perform as solist with the Tirgu Mures Philharmonic Orchestra, serving under the batons of Theo Wolters. Additionally, as a substitute musician, Bence has appeared with the Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra and plays regularly in that capacity with the Szeged Symphony Orchestra.
Alexa Stier - Piano
Described as “simply phenomenal” (New Britain Herald),Romanian-Hungarian pianist Alexa Stier has performed extensively in the United States and across Europe. She appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (UK), the New Britain Symphony Orchestra (USA), the Kelvin Ensemble (UK), the “Dinu Lipatti” Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), and Transylvania State Orchestra (Romania). Alexa has received first prizes in many international competitions, such as the Sheepdrove Piano Competition (UK) and the Virtuoso & Belcanto Concerto Competition (Italy).
Alexa is also a dedicated performer of contemporary music. She has premiered over twenty new works, and worked with composers such as Katie Balch, Electra Perivolaris and Lila Meretzky. She was awarded Third prize, Audience Prize, and the Prize for the best interpretation of a commissioned work at the Olivier Messiaen International Piano Competition (France, 2023). Alexa was the recipient of the “Maurice Ohana” Special Prize at the Orléans International Piano Competition dedicated to the music of the twentieth-and twenty-first centuries (France, 2021).
Alexa is the founder and artistic director of the ContemporArt Association and Chamber Music Festival based in her hometown, Satu Mare, Romania, which aims to contribute towards the cultivation of chamber music and contemporary music through a series of concerts and workshops designed for young musicians. You can find more information on ContemporArt here: Contemporart.org
Alexa completed her Master of Music degree in 2021 at the Yale School of Music, where she is currently a candidate of the Doctorate of Musical Arts program, studying with Boris Berman and Wei-Yi Yang. During her studies at Yale School of Music, she received the “Elizabeth Parisot Prize” awarded to “outstanding pianists in the Yale School of Music”, the “Alumni Prize”, and the “Friedmann Thesis Prize”. In 2019 she earned her Bachelor of Music degree with First Class Honors at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she studied with Fali Pavri. In 2017 Alexa was a student at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, (Budapest, Hungary), through the Erasmus exchange scheme under the guidance of Prof. Jenő Jandó. As a recipient of the “Constantin Silvestri” Academic and Musical Scholarship for young Romanian musicians offered by The Mary Erskine School, Alexa completed her high school studies in Edinburgh, Scotland.
From the fall of 2023, Alexa is a piano pedagogy fellow and faculty member at the New School for Music Study in Kingston, New Jersey.