Best of Budapest & Hungary

For the second time this year, the Masters & Pieces concert will take place at the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest. On 12 September, the world-famous American jazz pianist Rhoda Scott, who plays the Hammond organ, will perform with Hungarian artists, violin virtuoso Roby Lakatos, cymbal virtuoso Jenő Lisztes and singer Gigi Radics.  

     The event is part of the 26th Jewish Cultural Festival, which celebrates the rich heritage and meeting of Hungarian and Jewish cultures, said the organizing Green Stage Production agency.

    The Jewish Cultural Festival aims to be an important factor in the cultural tourism of the capital, to play a significant role in the newly established tourist offer of the Jewish Quarter of Budapest and to contribute to its revitalization. In recent years, the festival has become a recognized and prestigious event in the capital's artistic life, with a program of concerts of light and classical music, literary and children's programs, with national and international performers every year.

    Rhoda Scott, the world-famous Hammond organ queen and a regular performer in Hungary, is one of the most authentic representatives of American gospel music. She first performed at a club in Harlem at a very young age and quickly discovered that she had a special talent for blending spiritual sounds with jazz. By 1962, she had formed her own trio and graduated from the Manhattan School of Music with a degree in music theory. Her talent was recognised by the famous jazz pianist Count Basie, who invited her to his club in Harlem, where she met Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles. Her style was greatly influenced by the Parisian music teacher Nadia Boulanger, whose students included Quincy Jones, Astor Piazzolla and Michel Legrand.

    Considered the creator of unorthodox Gypsy fusion music, violin virtuoso Roby Lakatos has performed in the world's most famous venues, from Carnegie Hall to the Vatican and to London's Albert Hall. His international fame is primarily due to the unique sound and style of his violin playing; he has revitalized Hungarian Gypsy music by pairing classical, Balkan and Orthodox Jewish music with jazz.