This concert places the spotlight on Bartók’s revered output in the genre of concertos, as well as on the role and significance of the artists who inspired these compositions. In the case of the Piano Concerto No. 1, the composer naturally tailored the solo part to his own unique abilities as a performer, so it was really only for the orchestra and the audience that this work premiered in Frankfurt in 1927 turned out to be “up to a point difficult, perhaps even very difficult.” The Viola Concerto, on the other hand, dates from towards the end of his life. Commissioned by William Primrose, a respected master of the instrument, and confronting Bartók with exciting problems to solve, its genesis was tragically interrupted by his death, meaning it would only be through the subsequent collaboration of his friend and colleague. Also exhibiting genius in the level of thoughtful consideration he put in, Bartók composed every aspect – in terms of its form, character and exceptional difficulty – of his Second Violin Concerto with the requirements and abilities of Zoltán Székely in mind. For this concert, András Keller has invited three extraordinary soloists – Fülöp Ránki, Máté Szűcs and Barnabás Kelemen – to each perform one of the concertos.