Classical:NEXT 2026 opens in one of Europe’s most magnificent concert halls: the historic Liszt Academy in Budapest. The opening concert brings together Hungary’s rich musical heritage and its vibrant contemporary voice in a program that spans works by Franz Liszt to Péter Eötvös.
This special evening traces a powerful artistic arc through Hungarian music history. From Liszt’s visionary Romanticism to Bartók’s deeply rooted folk inspirations, from the concentrated brilliance of György Kurtág to the bold, theatrical sound worlds of Péter Eötvös, the program reflects both tradition and innovation at the highest level.
The concert features an outstanding lineup of artists, who are known on Hungarian and international podiums equally, including pianists Gábor Farkas and Ildikó Rozsonits, violinists Barnabás Kelemen and Katalin Kokas, cimbalom virtuoso Miklós Lukács, cellist Ditta Rohmann, trombonist László Gőz, conductor Kornél Fekete-Kovács, and the Modern Art Orchestra.
Together, they will create an opening night that celebrates artistic excellence, cultural identity, and the spirit of Classical:NEXT’s 2026 host city.
Gábor Farkas
Ferenc Liszt: Ave Maria (The Bells of Rome), S. 182
Ferenc Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 in C-sharp minor
Ildikó Rozsonits
Béla Bartók: Piano Sonata, BB 88
I. Allegro moderato
Barnabás Kelemen & Katalin Kokas
excerpts from Béla Bartók: 44 Duos for Two Violins, BB 104
Barnabás Kelemen & Miklós Lukács
Béla Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances, BB 68
Miklós Lukács
György Kurtág: Splinters Op. 6c
Ditta Rohmann
Péter Eötvös: Two Poems to Polly
Kornél Fekete-Kovács & Modern Art Orchestra, featuring László Gőz
Péter Eötvös-Kornél Fekete-Kovács: Paris–Dakar
dedicated to László Gőz
