US Tour 2003 March/April
The Hungarian Cultural Center, New York
in association with Centrum Management
presents:
Kálmán Balogh & The Gypsy Cimbalom Band
Photos: Kálmán Magyar
|
COME TO SEE THE BAND IN NEW YORK: April 30, Wed 8:00 PM THE BOTTOM LINE CLUB, 15 West 4th St. 212-228-6300 www.bottomlinecabaret.com |
 Kálmán
Balogh is one of the foremost Hungarian cimbalom players,
descending from a famous dynasty of Hungarian Gypsy musicians. His
virtuosity is matched only by his understanding and respect of his
heritage. A graduate of Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music of Budapest, he
has completed many successful tours throughout the world with various
ensembles, including five tours in North America. The cimbalom, a sort
of oversized hammer dulcimer played with mallets like a vibraphone,
possesses piano like percussive abilities to drive a band rhythmically
or take the melodic lead. In Kálmán Balogh's expert hands, the
cimbalom can do both simultaneously. His mastery of this unique and
rare Hungarian folk instrument has mesmerized audiences. |
Kálmán Balogh - cimbalom,
Sándor Budai - violin,
László
Major - violin, Ferenc Kovács - trumpet & violin,
Sándor Kuti - guitar, cimbalom, Csaba
Novák - bass
| Kálmán Balogh & The Gypsy Cimbalom Band is the dynamic merging of music from the old and new worlds. Balogh continues a fabled European musical tradition harking back to the collaboration of masters like gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli, connecting the ancient folk music traditions of Central and Eastern Europe with the chord progressions and swing of jazz. With Gypsy Jazz, Balogh's cimbalom becomes a new and compelling voice centering a band which also includes acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, trumpet, and violins. Similarities in jazz and traditional folk music, such as improvisation and a kaleidoscope of emotional expressions, are immediately evident. |
". it was the cimbalom player who took the greatest honors,
hammering with
demonic speeds ."
Boston Globe
| Melodies, which have been polished in European villages for centuries, are interpreted with great respect and understanding by The Gypsy Cimbalom Band, enabling present day music lovers to experience the emotions and beauty inherent in the music of our ancestors. Kálmán Balogh & The Gypsy Cimbalom Band bring a contemporary and uniquely forward-looking edge to time honored traditions, leaving audiences enthralled and inspired. |
| In addition to concerts, Kálmán Balogh & The Gypsy Cimbalom Band, conducts workshops, master classes, and teaching residencies on Gypsy Jazz and on the cimbalom. |
Kálmán Balogh and the Philadelphia Symphonic
Orchestra
Information: Centrum Management
