Starring: Lajos Sárközy Jr. and her orchestra, János Balázs (piano)

Boundless emotion, freedom and superhuman technique: these are the characteristics of György Cziffra’s piano playing, which will be celebrated at the Museum of Imola. The Emilia Romagna Festival will commemorate two days from 10 to 11 July to this unique figure among world-famous pianists, who was born 100 years ago. Award-winning Hungarian pianist János Balázs will present Cziffra’s legacy: a rarely heard improvisational face of classical music. An exhibition will showcase the Hollywood movie-like life of György Cziffra, the virtuoso pianist who started in the bars of Budapest and became a world renowned superstar. A series of concerts recall his superhuman improvisational skills, with guest appearances by distinguished Hungarian musicians, in the spirit of “freedom of music”.

The mini-festival in Imola on 10 and 11 July will give a complete picture about Cziffra. Visitors will be able to get a complete picture of the master: two concerts, an exhibition, a discussion will recall Cziffra’s work. The mini-festival is the brainchild of Hungarian pianist János Balázs, who has been taking care of Cziffra’s immortality for nearly a decade: for the sixth year running, he has organised an international festival in Budapest and has created an international series of events to mark the centenary, which will now come to Imola in July.

The concert will recall improvisation on the stage. Though the concert programme is classical, the Ensemble will also include a special instrument of traditional gipsy music, the ‘cimbalom’. ‘The audience can have a once in a lifetime experience to see an acclaimed concert pianist János Balázs improvising together with this band and also in his solo programme.

Programme:
Bartók: Romanian Dances
Haydn: Gypsy Rondo
Hubay: Csárdás No.3
Sárközy: Fierce Dance
Liszt: Medley (Liebestraum – Hungarian Fantasy – Hungarian Rhapsody No.2)
Legrand: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Saraste: Zigeunerweisen
Puccini-Balázs: Lauretta arias
Ponce-Balázs: Estrellita
Brahms-Cziffra-Balázs: 5th Hungarian dances
Liszt: Hungarian rhapsody No. 6
Strauss-Balázs: Reminiscence paraphrases