Wednesday pick: Dénes Várjon brings a Hungarian flair to Keyboard Concerts
Denes Varjon performs Wednesday, April 10, at the Fresno State Concert Hall.
The Philip Lorenz International Keyboard Concerts series welcomes the esteemed Hungarian pianist Dénes Várjon at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, in the Fresno State Concert Hall.
Here’s a rundown:
The musician: Várjon won first prize at the Piano Competition of Hungarian Radio, at the Leó Weiner Chamber Music Competition in Budapest and at the Géza Anda Competition in Zurich. He is professor at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest
His reputation: Várjon has recorded for the Naxos, Capriccio and Hungaroton labels with critical acclaim, and he has appeared with many of the world’s leading concert orchestras. Andreas Werz, artistic director of the Keyboard series, sings his praises. “He is following the footsteps of the great András Schiff as one of today’s most gifted Hungarian musicians,” Werz says.
The program: It includes works by Beethoven, Brahms, and Schumann as well as a rare performance of selections of Kurtág’s Játékok (“Games”).
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Fun fact: Várjon also performs frequently with his wife Izabella Simon playing four hands and two pianos recitals together. In the past decade they organized and led several chamber music festivals, the most recent one being “kamara.hu” at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest.
Tickets: $25 general, $18 seniors, $5 students.
Parking: A parking code will be made available upon entering Lot P1 (corner of Shaw and Maple).
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