EUROPEAN TRAVELS OF THE CHILD MOZART

Gergely Tóth-Vajna, Zsombor Tóth-Vajna - harpsichord, fortepiano

Featuring: Gabriella Ács - vocals

Bach: Sonata in A major for four hands, Op. 18/1
Haydn: Sonata for harpsichord in D major Hob. XVI: 4
Haydn: 3 songs from the first volume of “Deutsche Lieder”
Bach: F major Sonata for Four Hands, Op. 18/2
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Mozart: excerpts from London Notebook
Haydn: Sonata for harpsichord in C major Hob. XVI: 3
Händel: selections from Water Music for four hands
Händel: Xerxes - Ombra mai fu
Händel: Julius Caesar - V'adoro pupille
Händel: Rinaldo - Lascia chi'o pianga
Mozart: Sonata in C major for four hands, K. 19d

Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's adult works can be heard relatively often by concert-attending audiences, the early works of the child Mozart, the first evidences of his genius, are rarely staged. He was only four when his father started teaching him piano pieces. According to his brother Nannerl, Mozart learned a complete sonata in an hour and a minuet in half an hour. He was learning so fast that by the age of five he had composed smaller piano pieces that he presented to his father, who put them on paper. According to Nannerl, Wolfgang was never forced to sit in front of the piano to practice or compose. Several documents prove that his father was extremely pleased and enthusiastic about his son's talent. In 1762, the Mozart family's European tour began, bringing the young composer to almost every major music center and royal court in the continent.

The concert is a reconstruction of one of the Mozart brothers' performances in London, with singer Gabriella Ács playing the role of Nannerl.

Period keyboard specialist and conductor is Zsombor Tóth-Vajna is an outstanding talent of the young Hungarian musician generation. He graduated from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest and the University of Miskolc with honors in harpsichord and organ studies, then went on to study at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, where he graduated in organ, harpsichord, fortepiano and clavichord. In addition to his music studies, he also holds a degree in medicine from Semmelweis University, Budapest, where he is currently doing a PhD research program.

The young keyboardist, doctor and conductor Gergely Tóth-Vajna started playing the piano in the city music school in Miskolc, later he also trained on percussion and string instruments. Afterwards, he studied organ at Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music. He has long been interested in orchestral conducting. He learned from masters like Riccardo Muti, Daniele Gatti or Péter Eötvös. He is currently pursuing his higher education in Budapest under the guidance of Gábor Hollerung. He graduated summa cum laude from Semmelweis University's Faculty of Medicine in 2014. He is a candidate in paediatrics at the Bókay Pediatric Clinic. Together with his brother, Zsombor, their mission is to promote four-handed keyboard music under the name Piano e Forte Duo.

Tickets: 1600 Ft, Student tickets: 800 Ft