Percussion Duet Recital by Zoltán Rácz & Benjamin Mohácsi

This programme is held in Hungarian.

On 26 March, we can look forward to a truly memorable evening as the founder of the Kossuth Prize-winning Amadinda Percussion Group and doyenne of the Hungarian contemporary music scene, Zoltán Rácz, takes to the House of Music stage alongside one of the most promising talents in percussion, the 21-year-old Benjámin Mohácsi. Their show will feature the works of György Ligeti and Steve Reich alongside two compositions from the Argentinian-born Mauricio Kagel, including one that will be performed in front of an audience in Hungary for the very first time. In addition to their duets, the pair will each provide a solo performance of the works by Frederic Rzewski and David Lang.

“It is not easy to identify the thought, the spark that creates a concert programme. With our concert, the spark came from Continuum, György Ligeti’s virtuoso harpsichord piece that he composed in the 1960s. For 24 years, I have been planning to perform this work on two marimbas. I would have loved to have shown this version to the composer, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible prior to Ligeti’s death in 2006. When Benjámin Mohácsi and I decided to learn this work, in a matter of moments we had an entire programme, featuring some major pieces from the repertoire of contemporary percussion. In addition to the works of the Americans Steve Reich, David Lang and Frederic Rzewski, there will also be a performance of two compositions from the Argentina-born Mauricio Kagel, whose work I feel a close affinity with. Performing his brilliant and dazzlingly witty work L’art bruit will feel like paying an old debt. It will be a great pleasure for me to perform this superb programme with the 21-year-old Benjámin Mohácsi, who is one of the most outstanding talents of his generation. Thanks to his young age, we can tell people our percussion duo has an average age of 42. If I weren’t appearing in the show myself, I would definitely be listening to the concert. I can heartily recommend it to anyone.”/Zoltán Rácz/