Berlin-Budapest Express: András Németh - Balázs Istvánfi Duo

The first-ever Berlin-Budapest Express will kick off the summer with a two-day, predominantly electronic music festival, showcasing artists and forward-thinking music from Berlin and Budapest (and other places). On the opening day, Friday 2 June, the UK bass Hyperdub star Loraine James and one of the greats of industrial techno, Powell, will take to the stage; while on Saturday 3 June we will see the Budapest premiere of German contemporary composer Sven Helbig as well as one of Berlin's most exciting electronic musicians, Grischa Lichtenberger. Both days will close with free open-air concerts: on Friday, the traditional Németh András-Istvánfi Balázs bagpipe band will perform, and on Saturday, Norbert Oláh and his band will play traditional gypsy café music. The Berlin-Budapest Express is organised by the House of Music Hungary in cooperation with the Berlin-based cultural organisation Digital in Berlin. The idea behind the weekend, as simple as it sounds, is to connect two culturally vibrant European capitals – preferably with a train journey in the classical sense – and to create a forum for cross-genre exchanges and innovative musical activities.

Day tickets and combined season tickets are available.

András Németh - Balázs Istvánfi Duo

As simple as it sounds, the idea behind the Berlin-Budapest Express weekend is to connect two culturally vibrant European capitals – preferably with a train journey in the classical sense – and to create a forum for cross-genre exchanges and innovative musical activities. The opening day of the Berlin-Budapest Express event will close with a free concert on the Open-Air Stage by Balázs Istvánfi and András Németh who are among the most renowned masters of their instruments. They are both teachers at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and have received several awards as performers. They have been playing together in various formations for almost twenty years, during which time they have created a unique musical language that includes contemporary and classical elements alongside authentic Hungarian folk music. Listeners' attention is focussed by their performance style and the unique sound of the instruments they play, making their concerts both a musical and spiritual experience.