Valentin Magyar & The Korossy Quartet

This programme is held in Hungarian.

Valentin Magyar and the Korossy Quartet (Csongor Korossy-Khayll, Éva Osztrosits – violin, András Kurgyis – viola, Gergely Devich – cello) present two of the greatest masterpieces of chamber music literature at their album release concert: César Franck's piano quintet from 1879, and Dmitri Shostakovich's piece from 1940 belonging to the same genre. The musical language of these two composers could hardly be more different at first hearing: Franck is characterized by the rich and intricate harmony of Romanticism, while Shostakovich uses a much more refined, transparent structure. However, the use of classical forms connects the pieces - for example, Shostakovich's quintet begins with a Prelude and Fugue movement - as well as their heavy, serious character.

Valentin Magyar began playing the piano at the age of five in his hometown of Balassagyarmat, and at fourteen was admitted to the special talents class at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. He is currently a master's student at the Academy of Music, with teachers Gábor Farkas and Dénes Várjon, and is also studying with Kirill Gerstein at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin. He is a regular participant in concert series and festivals in Hungary and abroad and is also active as a chamber musician, performing with outstanding artists such as Kristóf Baráti, Boris Berman, Jacques Rouvier, Christoph Poppen, and Claudio Martinez-Mehner. His first CD, Sentimental Moments, was released by Hungaroton in April 2024.

The Korossy Quartet, formed in 2018, aims to carry on the renowned Hungarian string quartet tradition and introduce a wide repertoire to both domestic and international audiences. Their efforts are supported by renowned artists such as Günter Pichler, András Keller, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Péter Kováts, Katalin Kokas, Barnabás Kelemen, Márta Gulyás, or Eberhard Feltz. They have been invited to numerous festivals at home and abroad, including the Heidelberger Frühling Festival, Auer Festival, Quartettissimo Festival, or the Budapest Festival Academy.