Armel Opera Festival Presents Young Virtuosos From Hungary Free Concert

Young Virtuosos From Hungary - TAMÁS KÖKÉNY, DOUBLE BASS AND FRIENDS is being presented by the Armel Opera Festival. This special concert is FREE on Wednesday, March 1 at 8:00 pm at Well Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall). The program is being performed by Tamás Kökény (contrabass), Zoltán Sándor (violin), Kármen Stephany Boateng (piano), Apor Szüts (piano, zongora), and Bettina Tóth (harp). The varied program will include some concert classics by some of Hungary's famous composers, and those of other world renowned composers as well as some songs from contemporary motion pictures. The FREE Tickets are available only in person at box office, max 4 per person.

Tamás Kökény was born in Budapest in 1999. At the age of 3 he started to play the violin. He commenced his studies at Józsefváros Music Academy at 6, then continued at Weiner Leo Music Academy. At 13, he exchanged the violin for the double bass. He is a student of the Bartók Béla Conservatory. In the summer of 2015 he collaborate with the internationally acclaimed artists: violist Yuri Bashmet and the conductors Alondra De La Parra and Daniel Harding. Tamás has participated in the first and second series of the talent show Virtuózok. Fort he first he did not make it to the finals, however, in the second series he came out as not only the winner in his age group but also as number 1 virtuoso of the entire competition. He plays 12 instruments including the dulcimer, the violin and the double bass. Since the latter stands the nearest to his heart, he wishes to pursue his studies and music career as a double bassist.

Zoltán Sándor was born in 1996 in Budapest. Inspired by his musician father, at the age of 8 he began to play the violin. At 12 he was admitted to the Special School for Exceptional Young Talents at Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, where he currently pursues his studies. He has performed a duo with Nigel Kennedy, and was a soloist of The National Philharmonics. He gave a solo concert in the Tokyo Concert Hall and in the Osaka Symphony.. Some of his awards include: Zoltán Kodály International Violin Competition, Galanta; National Violin Duo Competition for the 125th Anniversary of Béla Bartók's birth, Budapest; Dezs? Rados Violin Competition, Budapest; Alba Regia Competition for Chamber Music, Szekesfehervar; International Zathureczky Memorial Competition; and the Jauno Zvaigzn?šu Festival, Latvia.

Stephany Kármen Boateng was born 1998 in Nagyatád, Hungary. She commenced her piano studies at the age of 6 and she was awarded first prize at her first competition, in 2005. Since then, she has achieved national and international success. She was won at the International Béla Bartók Piano Competition in Vienna; György Ferenczy Piano Competition of National Art Schools; International Mozart Piano Competition in Rome, and International Chopin Piano Competition for Young Pianists.

Apor Szüts was born in 1993 in Budapest. He comes from a family of musicians - his great-grandfather was Imre Ungár, a Kossuth and Liszt Prize winner pianist and his grandfather was István Ungár, a music pedagogist. He is also a composer and the conductor of the Mandák Choir of the Cantor Training Institutet. He founded and conducts the ApOrchestra Symphonic Orchestra. Apor has participated in several competitions as a pianist and composer winning numerous awards.