Gergely Ittzés & Hiroko Sasaki A Zeneakadémia saját szervezésű programja

Liszt Prize laureate Gergely Ittzés is not only a superb master of contemporary flute play but a researcher and tutor in the field, and indeed he even composes for the instrument. He is equally at home in the classical repertoire and the world of modern experimental pieces; he holds master classes all over the world, and his art is documented in 15 recordings. The Japanese Hiroko Sasaki debuted in Europe when she was 16, since when she has become a recognized performer in international concert life both as soloist and chamber musician (she is a frequent guest in Canada, Japan and the United States). Her piano style is fascinating; authoritative critics enthuse over her refined sense of proportion and radiant performance style.
On this occasion, the tight-knit duo present a collection of pieces created at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries.
What is common to the compositions is that each one attempts to go beyond the formulaic mode of musical Romanticism; they dare to take new roads, sometimes with an Impressionist, sometimes Expressionist approach. This commitment is illustrated by the fact that, asides from the inescapable classic Debussy, the two artists’ programme includes obscure yet extremely fine works by very rarely performed composers: the Dutchman Pijper, the German Karg-Elert and the Frenchman Pierné.