János Balázs Piano Recital A Zeneakadémia saját szervezésű programja

“We had never heard anything like it before, never been confronted by such a passionate, demoniac genius; at one moment he dashes like a whirlwind, and in the next he drenches in soft beauty and pleasing sound.” This is how Russian critic Vladimir Stasov described the concert by Liszt in St. Petersburg on 8 April 1842. Liszt, who by then was a pianist virtuoso of European renown, captivated his Russian audience with arrangements and one of his own compositions. 175 years later, the exact same programme is revived on the stage of the Grand Hall, Liszt Academy. This time the artist is János Balázs, winner of numerous international competitions, among them the Liszt Competition (the youngest ever to do so). His greatest role model is György Cziffra, whom many considered to be the reincarnation of Liszt, and it is perhaps no coincidence that he stands closest to the art of Ferenc Liszt, whose works frequently appear on the programme of János Balázs. This recital is an ideal opportunity for the 29-year-old to now become the reincarnation of Liszt, evoking that concert in April 1842.