Bartek Zsolt

clarinetist

Zsolt Bartek was born in 1982 in Pécs, Hungary. He started his musical studies in Budapest, where playing the recorder and the clarinet. After finishing music school he continued his clarinet studies in the Bartók Béla Conservatorium (1996-2001), and later on in the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, where he received his diploma 'summa cum laude' as a professional clarinetist and teacher (2007). During these years his professors were Gyulai Endre, Miháltz Gábor, Dittrich Tibor.

He attended several masterclasses as an active participant with such masters as Kurtág György, Henk Guittart, Rados Ferenc, Hadady László , Balogh József, Szeverényi Ilona, Déri György, Gyöngyössy Zoltán, Hargitai Imre, Hegedûs Endre, Rozmán Lajos, Szabó Antal és Vajda József. Since 2007 he has been performing very actively either as a soloist, chamber music player or orchestra member in Hungary, England, Brazil, Lithuania, Germany, Russia, Armenia, Switzerland, Serbia. He performed at many important venues and festivals like the Hungarian Radio, Palace of Art (Budapest), Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, a Bartók Festival Szombathely, Making New Waves Festival Budapest.

He is one of the founding members of the Balassa Clarinet Quintett, Voce d'Amore Clarinet Orchestra, Teatro di Musica Orchestra and Ventoscala Orchestra. In 2009 he performed together with Ágens in Hungary. In 2009 he joined the Barefoot Musicians artists' group, where he regularly plays together with Éva Bodrogi soprano singer and Katalin Koltai guitarist.

As an orchestra player he performed with such conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Fischer Sivan, Gál Tamás, Christopher Hogwood, Kocsis Zoltán, Helmuth Rilling. He performed on several recordings of Hungarian composers and also played film music like in Steven Spielberg: Munich and Pálfi György: Taxidermia.

Zsolt Bartek is a recognized player at the Hungarian contemporary music life. His unique musical personality and wide instrumental knowledge (playing clarinets, recorders, saxophone and several other related instrument) brings him that many composers invite him to play premiers on their work. Besides receiving many dedications he played first performances of compositions of the following Hungarian composers: Alpár Balázs, Meskó Ilona, Zombola Péter, Dinnyés Dániel, Dragony Tímea, Leszkovszki Albin, Futó Balázs, Kerékfy Márton, Tornyai Péter, Horváth Balázs, Horvát Bálint, Dargai Marcell, Bella Máté, Kedves Csanád, Szigeti Máté, Matkó Tamás, Kákonyi Árpád, Cser Ádám, Oláh Dezsõ, Wettl Mátyás, Derecskei András, Sztojanov Georgi, Maróti Emese, Horváth Márton Levente, Karosi Bálint, Gyöngyössy Levente.

Zsolt Bartek is also interested to play in interdisciplinary performances, therefor he played in several modern theatre shows in Hungary like Bástyasétány 77 (Radnóti Miklós Theatre) and Nádas Péter: Találkozás (Bárka Theatre)<./p>

Christopher Michael Orton

recorder player

Described in performance as "thrilling and exciting", "electric" and even "shocking", Christopher Orton is recognised widely as one of the leading recorder players of his generation. From early on in his career, Christopher was bestowed many international prizes and awards for his unique talent as a performer. Awards include 1st prize in the 2007 Moeck/SRP International Solo Recorder Competition, (the first British winner since the competition became an international award after 1995), the first BBC Performing Arts Trust Award made to a recorder player for L20,000, 2nd prize at the 10th International Competition of Contemporary Music in Poland 2006, a Prix de Jury and Gaudeamus prize for performance of a Dutch work at the 9th International Competition of Contemporary Music (2005), The Birmingham Conservatoire/Symphony Hall Recital Competition (2004), Silver Medal presented by the Worshipful Company of Musicians (2004), the first ever John Hosier Trust Music Award (2004) and the Anthony Cross Memorial Prize (2004). He has also been awarded scholarships by the Wolfson Foundation, the SRP Walter Bergmann Fund and the Walter Deakin Trust.

Christopher studied recorder, viola and composition at Birmingham Conservatoire from 1999-2004, graduating with a 1st class BMus (hons) and the highest distinction in the Advanced Post Graduate Solo Diploma. He studied in the composition class of Thomas Simaku, and recorder with Ross Winters. He also studied in regular masterclasses with Dan Laurin between 2001-2004, and completed his studies with the internationally renowned soloist Anneke Boeke in Amsterdam. Whilst at the conservatoire Christopher was awarded many prizes in both composition and performance, and was the first recorder player to reach the finals and subsequently win the Symphony Hall competition in 2004, and also was the youngest recorder player to win the Recorder Department prize in his second year of study.

Christopher performs the entire range of repertoire available to the recorder, spanning over seven centuries. Research and performance interests include the Italian Trecento, music of Medieval Spain and Germany, Renaisance divisions and diminutions and 20th/21st century repertoire. Christopher is particularly active in the field of contemporary music, and performs in a duo with Magdalena Nasidlak (piano, Poland) and also with Hungarian guitarist Koltai Katalin. To date Christopher has received 15 works dedicated to him, and actively encourages young composers to consider writing for the recorder. Currently a number of composers from the UK, Greece, Poland and Hungary are writing new pieces for him to perform in 2008. Christopher has performed as a solo recitalist in Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and as a concerto soloist with orchestras in the UK and Italy. He has performed and been interviewed live on BBC Radio 3 "In Tune" programme, and performed and interviewed on BBC 1. He has also performed for BBC programmes including "Restoration" series.

Christopher is an active teacher, working in schools throughout Manchester.

Eszter Krulik

violin player

Eszter Krulik was born in Budapest, Hungary. She started to play the violin at the age of seven.

After completing her studies at the Béla Bartók Conservatory – where also studied composition as well – she spent one year at the Universitat fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna under the direction of the leader of Wiener Filharmoniker, prof. Rainer Kuchl.

She graduated from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest in 2004 with distinction.

In her last year at the Liszt Academy she won the Scholarship of the Hungarian Republik. In the same year she won the RSAMD Trust International Instrumental Scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow where she graduated in 2005 with distinction. After she spent one year as a guest-chambermusic-student in Basel.

Eszter took part masterclasses at IMS in Prussia Cove, England, at International Bartok Seminar in Hungary, at Holzhauser Musiktage in Germany. Her main professors were András Keller, György Pauk, Dénes Zsigmondy, Imre Rohmann and Gábor Csalog. Recently her main interest have turned towards contemporary and chamber music. She was already three times invited to perform at the famous Lucerne Festival Academy, under the artistic direction of Pierre Boulez. Eszter also used to play at the most famous Hungarian Contemporary Music Festivals.

She performed at the Budapest Spring Festival and the 12th National Young Musicians' Festival in Halifax, England.

As a soloist she played with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Glasgow Chamber Orchestra and the Dutch Symphony Orchestra.

Her other musical activities included playing and singing with the Makam Ensemble between 2000–2005. She performed with them in almost all of the European Countries and India as well. In 2006 she became the concertmaster of Budapest Hillside Chamber Orchestra and the Rondino Ensemble. In the same year she started to play the viola. Since 2006 she started to arrange own chamber-music projects in Háló Community Center and in the Festetics Palace. Eszter Krulik is playing on an 17th centurian italian violin.

Georgi Sztojanov

composer

Georgi Sztojanov was born in 1985 in Dobrich, Bulgaria and is living in Hungary from 1988. He started his musical studies in the Hungarian Radio Children's Choir (1995-2000). During this time as a member of the choir he has performed the most important Hungarian choir works and has taken part in numerous premiers of compositions of many famous contemporary composers on festivals in Belgium, Salzburg, Italy and Japan. He has studied violin from 1995, piano from 1998, learned a year to play the clarinet in 2003, and studies playing the flute from 2005. He has studied singing with Éva Bodrogi (2003-2005), since 2005 bel canto from Katalin Schultz.

He started composing in 1996. From 1998-2004 he has studied composition in the class of István Fekete Gyor at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest. Parallel to his music studies, he has attended the Városmajori Higschool. From 2004 he continued his studies from György Orbán at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and is currently in his third year of studies there.

In 2003 he won the third price of the National Young Composer's Competition with his piece "Ablakban". In the same year the Angelica girl's choir recorded his piece composed on the text of the Japanese Empress, and the recording was given to the Empress herself.

In 2005 the 'de ereprijs' ensemble played his piece "NO WAY" on the Making New Waves Festival. In the same year two of his pieces: "Gömbhatár" and "Quasi una sonata" were performed on the Contemporary Music Festival of Young Composers. Also in the same year the Choir of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music has premiered his piece "Macbeth monolog" on Dóra Halas's diplome concert.

In 2006 two of his pieces, "Dialógusok az agyamból" and "Konkluzio" won prices on the Contemporary Music Festival of Young Composers. In January 2007 his piece “Silence of a victim” was performed in the Marble Hall of the Hungarian Radio, and in February 2007 “The Dowland Process” had a premiere with the support of the British Council. In 2007 his piece “People” was performed by ensemble MAE on the Making New Waves 2007 festival, and “3 da-da-dal” and “Novellák” had their firstngiht on the Contemporary Music Festival of Young Composers 2007. The famous Amadinda percussion group played his flute concerto in May last year. They are preparing to record it in 2009.

He also was a passive participant of the Gaudeamus Music Week 2007, Amsterdam. In 2008 “Cherubinischer Wandersmann” and “Dear, if you change” (recorded by Koltai Katalin on her first album) had their firstnights in march, “Búcsú” was sang by the female voices of Discantus choir at the 100 years celebration of the “Nyugat”, two choirpieces cuold be heared on the diploma concerts in the Music Academy (“Altató” and “Sonnet65”), and he can be proud of the third place of the Composer's Competition of the Academy, also with “Cherubinischer Wandersmann”.

Katalin Koltai

guitarist

Katalin Koltai was born in Budapest. She started to play the guitar at the age of 8.

She pursued her studies in the Bartók Béla Conservatory and in the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, where she graduated in 2007 summa cum laude as a classical guitar soloist in the class of József Eötvös. She also studied by Antigoni Goni in the Royal Conservatory of Bruxelles, and by Carlo Marchione in the Conservatorium Maastricht. Katalin Koltai has been regulary performing solo recitals and chamber music concerts in several countries (Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Holland, Spain, England, Ukraine).

She performed at various music festivals (Thy Chamber Music Festival - Denmark, Festival Interpretation of Spanish Song in Granada - Spain, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival - Finland, Contemporary Music Festival of Young Composers, Budapest – Hungary, Greenwich International Early Music Festival -London UK). In the spring of 2006 she held a masterclass and gave two solo recitals in Riga, Latvia.

Katalin Koltai plays very frequently chamber music with different combinations of instruments. She performs with recognized artists internationally (like Éva Bodrogi, singer; Christopher Orton, recorder soloist; Annamária Láng, actress). Since 2008 she plays often in the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra.

In 2007 she recorded her first solo CD. She made the World Premier recording of the guitar concerto by Harold Schiffmann in 2008 with the Györ Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Antal Mátyás. The CD is distributed among others by Naxos Music Library.

Katalin Koltai is very active in the performance and comissioning of contemporary music; she has given numerous first performances, and has received several dedications.