József Auer
„To live, to make music, to teach, to create – all are only possible with total devotion.”
At the age of seven, József Auer decided to dedicate his life to music after experiencing a concert with the Children’s Choir of the Liszt Academy. He began his musical studies on the violin and flute, but it was by chance that he discovered the bassoon – the instrument that would ultimately define his artistic path. He studied under the guidance of László Hara Sr. at the renowned Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music in Budapest. At eighteen, he won first prize at the János Richter National Woodwind Competition and was subsequently admitted to the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.
Following his graduation, he continued his studies in Belgium and the Netherlands on a scholarship. In 1992, he was invited to join the orchestra now known as the South Netherlands Philharmonic (Phil Zuid) as principal bassoonist – a position he continues to hold to this day. With this ensemble, he was the first to perform John Williams’ The Five Sacred Trees bassoon concerto on the European continent – a performance warmly acknowledged by the composer in a personal letter of thanks.
Throughout his career, he has worked with many world-renowned conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink, Yuri Simonov, Antal Doráti, Iván Fischer, János Ferencsik, and János Kovács. In addition to his orchestral and chamber music activities, he taught bassoon – and, above all, music-making – for over two decades at the conservatories of Ghent (Belgium) and Tilburg (the Netherlands).
András Péter Kárász
András Péter Kárász began his cello studies in Várpalota and earned his degree at the University of Szeged’s Faculty of Music. During his student years, he gained recognition by winning prizes at several national and international competitions. He quickly developed a passion for chamber music and ensemble playing, and as a college student, he was admitted to the European Union Youth Orchestra.
Since 2013, he has been a member of the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, where he later became principal cellist. Since 2014, he has also served as solo cellist of the Budapest-based Concerto Armonico ensemble, and from 2015, he has simultaneously held the role of principal cellist in the Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra.
He has performed under the baton of distinguished conductors including Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, Yuri Simonov, Donato Renzetti, Ádám Fischer, and János Kovács. As both soloist and chamber musician, his performances have been featured on various radio broadcasts and recordings.
Since 2023, he has served as artistic advisor to the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra. In 2024, he became the artistic director of his own chamber music festival, held at Thury Castle in his hometown of Várpalota.
Programme subject to change.