Concerto Budapest is one of Hungary’s finest symphony orchestras. Founded in 1907 as the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra, Concerto Budapest adopted its present name a century later. András Keller, who began his tenure as Artistic Director and Chief Conductor during the orchestra’s centenary year, has built on its historic legacy while attracting many of Hungary’s foremost young chamber music players to its ranks. Under his leadership, Concerto Budapest has developed a distinctive sound, rich in tonal shading, expressive contrast and dynamic range; he has also added many contemporary compositions to stand in company with its repertoire of symphonic masterworks. Concerto Budapest has won countless new admirers thanks not least to Imre Szabó-Stein’s video productions, which have proved a strikingly successful addition to Mezzo, the French television channel devoted to classical music, and The Violin Channel.

The orchestra added a significant new chapter to its history when it made its UK debut in June 2022. The ensemble and András Keller performed works from the core of their repertoire at six of Britain’s leading concert halls, beginning in London at Cadogan Hall on Monday 6 June and unfolding with dates at Guildford’s G Live (7 June), Anvil Arts in Basingstoke (8 June), Birmingham Symphony Hall (9 June), Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall (10 June) and the Usher Hall in Edinburgh (12 June). The tour repertoire included Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23 in A major K.488, with Angela Hewitt as soloist, and Beethoven’s Symphony No.5.