Hungarian Gems Series: Fiddlers

Söndörgő and Lali Sárközi’s Ensemble

With the joint concert of Söndörgő and Lali Sárközi's Ensemble, Concerto Budapest's Hungarian Gems Series promises the encounter of two highly characteristic figures of the Hungarian music scene. Their commitment to South Slavic music makes Söndörgő – founded in Szentendre – unmistakably unique: their instrumental setup with their signature instrument, the tambura, as well as wind and percussion instruments and the accordion enables them to play even the densest musical layers of the Balkan. With their virtuoso, compellingly refreshing performance style and highly popular music and records, they are considered one of the most admired Hungarian bands all over Europe. Lali Sárközi and his band greatly champion the preservation of a centuries-long music culture that is now fading away: Hungarian "nóta" and restaurant music.  As the youngest member of a seven-generation family of musicians, Lali Sárközi acquired all nitty-gritty and secrets of a fiddler. Today, his art is celebrated worldwide. He and his ensemble regularly play in restaurants. In fact, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, then on tour in Budapest, reserved tables the restaurant where he played to be able to marvel at his skills.