COLLABORATION WITH HUNGARY'S ÖKRÖS ENSEMBLE
TO EXPLORE GYPSY INFLUENCES IN CLASSICAL MUSIC
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Portland, Ore. … A wild Hungarian/Gypsy jam session with Hungary's leading folk revival band, the Ökrös Ensemble, will highlight "Gypsy Fire," an Oregon Symphony Nerve Endings concert conducted by Resident Conductor Murry Sidlin that delves into the Gypsy origins of classical music's folk elements, Friday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Nerve Endings is sponsored by BridgePort Brewing Company. Media support is provided by The Oregonian.

Conceived, written and conducted by Sidlin, the concert will be a collaborative exploration of the folk elements found in the classical music of Liszt, Brahms, Bartók, Enesco and Kodály as heard in their original Gypsy forms, and then reborn in an orchestral setting. A jam session with Ökrös will include special appearances by cimbalom virtuoso Kálmán Balogh; Aladár Csíszár, one of the last great Gypsy fiddlers from Transylvania; and folk singer Ágnes Herczku. The program also will include Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, Bartók's Romanian Dances and Kodály's Suite from "Hary Janos." The second half of the concert will feature Brahms' Hungarian Dances 1, 6, 11, 12, 20 and 21 and Enesco's Romanian Rhapsody No. 1.

The New York Times describes the Ökrös Ensemble as "… rough, joyous energy … remarkable virtuosity." The group is led by Csaba Ökrös, one of the most respected revival violinists in Hungary, and members include Miklós Molnár, László Mester and Robert Doór, who are considered the best folk musicians in Hungary with impressive global recording and performance backgrounds.

Nerve Endings was designed to attract new audiences and expand the traditional role of the symphony orchestra with innovative concerts. The series draws hundreds of new subscribers each season (so far this season each Nerve Endings concert has sold out completely), and it attracts international attention to the Oregon Symphony for presenting classical music in a very "unclassical" way.

Tickets for "Gypsy Fire" range from $16 to $50 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Prices for students under 25 range from $8 to $30. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.

Ökrös Ensemble

The Ökrös Ensemble, the leading folk revival band in Hungary, is a special treat for music lovers. They have the marvelous ability to present the soul of their music, performing on authentic instruments. Csaba Ökrös, the leader of the ensemble, is one of the most respected revival violinists in Hungary. He teams up with other excellent musicians to present authentic and unique Hungarian folk music, elevating it to a high level of artistry. Members include Miklós Molnár, László Mester and Robert Doór who are considered the best folk musicians in Hungary with impressive global recording and performance background. Members of the Ensemble are Rounder Records recording artists.

Kálmán Balogh

Kálmán Balogh is an internationally celebrated cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) artist who, in the gypsy musical tradition, is a versatile performer accomplished on the Hungarian concert cimbalom as well as in the folk and jazz idioms. He is a graduate of the Budapest Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music and has performed with great success throughout the world. He has helped to establish the Hungarian cimbalom as a contemporary instrument.

Aladár Csíszár

Aladár Csíszár is one of the last great gypsy fiddlers from an area of Transylvania, called Székelyföld. [Land of the Secklers]. At age 64 he is the most important informant from this region where folk music was preserved thought centuries. He was born into a gypsy dynasty of musicians and has played all his life for communities surrounding his birthplace. His playing may be characterized by wild improvisations, commendable musicianship and charismatic style.

There is a special relationship between Aladár Csíszár and the Ökrös Ensemble. A new CD is being recorded in conjunction with the upcoming tour which examines and documents the versatile and exciting music of Székelyföld, allowing centuries old traditions to survive. In their performance Ensemble performs virtousic renditions of Hungarian and Transylvanian music with full accompaniment of the rarely heard cimbalom and female vocal.

Ágnes Herczku

Ágnes Herczku is a young folk singer sensation and upcoming star on the Budapest folk revival scene. Her beautiful voice and authentic presentation of Central European folk singing tradition is exciting. She is also a professional dancer and a member of the well known Honvéd Ensemble of Budapest. As a singer she collaborated in numerous projects with well known and respected World and Folk music artists which resulted in several published recordings.