Liszt Academy Wind Ensemble Presented by Liszt Academy

The Liszt Academy Wind Ensemble presents a colorful kaleidoscope of 20th-century and contemporary wind-band music. The program’s first half features works with a more traditional musical language and instrumentation, while the second half turns to lighter pieces. For this section, the orchestra will be joined by an ensemble of students from the Jazz Department, creating an exciting cross-genre collaboration. The evening offers a panorama of works by three Hungarian, three American, and one Austrian composer, four of whom are still active today. Alongside Máté Balogh’s 2024 composition and Gordon Goodwin’s contemporary piece Ever Braver, Ever Stronger, the program's newest piece will be a work by Gyula Bánkövi. Adding to the program’s appeal, George Gershwin’s ever-popular Rhapsody in Blue will also be performed, featuring Eriko Hasegawa as the soloist. Composed in 1924, Gershwin’s masterpiece blends jazz and classical harmonies, the structure of a traditional piano concerto and characteristics of a rhapsody, known for its freedom and spontaneity.