New Third Stream – Improvisations on Classical Music

The Chaos String Quartet, comprised of Susanne Schäffer (first violin), Eszter Kruchió (second violin), Sara Marzadori (viola) and Bas Jongen (cello), has already experimented with coupling the string quartet – both as a genre and as an instrumental configuration – with musical improvisation: their project Free the Franz had them, together with István Grencsó, delivering radical reinterpretations of the works of Schubert. This time around they are teaming up with Máté Pozsár, one of the most active and renowned pianists in the Hungarian jazz scene, to play selected masterpieces from the quartet literature, ranging from the Viennese Classics (Haydn and Beethoven) to Shostakovich and György Ligeti.

One of the aims of the five musicians at this concert is to introduce the concept and aspirations of the ‘third stream’, the name of the stylistic trend towards integrating jazz and classical music together, to Hungary, where it is still largely unfamiliar. There to discuss this movement and much else with the performers during the performance will be composer Samu Gryllus.