Júlia Karosi's latest musical journey seeks an even more intimate sound than before, with the singer also taking on the role of keyboardist. The vocal theme is built on multiple parts, performed live by two young singers who have recently distinguished themselves with their unique voices: Rebeka Nagy-Babos and Kriszta Koncz. The lyrics of the songs are largely inspired by Japanese haiku poetry, while the music combines elements of modern classical music and minimalist art pop with the world of jazz in both style and sound. The musical producer of the project is Yank, known for his extremely diverse work.

The Legendary Album Series | Blue Note Series | Miles Davis Vol. 1. | Young Man With a Horn The title Young Man With a Horn not only refers to the film of the same name but also acknowledges that Miles Davis was already considered one of the greatest promises in jazz at the time. The 1952 recordings were later released in an expanded form under the title Miles Davis Vol. 1. On the album, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean and trombonist J.J. Johnson engage dynamically and atmospherically with Davis, who later highlighted in his autobiography how satisfied he was with these recordings, despite having entered the studio without a regular band. In the MAO adaptation, the horn section will consist of Kornél Fekete-Kovács (trumpet), Kristóf Bacsó (saxophone), and Mátyás Papp (trombone), while the rhythm section will feature the familiar trio of Gábor Cseke, József Barcza Horváth, and László Csízi.

Saxophonist and composer Yvonne Moriel is one of the most exciting new voices in Austria’s vibrant jazz scene. Her recent recognition with the Austrian Jazz Prize for Best Newcomer highlights her artistic depth and growing influence. Over the past two years, her quartet sweetlife has been captivating audiences and was selected as a New Austrian Sound of Music act for 2025/26 – which acknowledges their fresh perspective and valuable contribution to Austria’s dynamic and forward-looking jazz community. The sound of sweetlife blends classic jazz elements with electronic soundscapes, complex rhythmic structures intertwine with dub effects. The instrumentation – saxophone, trumpet, synth bass/keys, and drums – presents a reimagined take on the classic, sophisticated jazz quintet. Yvonne Moriel, trained in both classical and jazz music, is a stylistically versatile musician. With her highly individual musical voice and compelling original projects, she has drawn quite some attention. Names like Shake Stew, Seb Rochford, Christian Muthspiel, Christian Lillinger and many more pop up when you are looking at her musical activities. Since 2022, she has been developing a distinctive sound with sweetlife – one that questions traditional concepts and opens up new sonic spaces. Following the release of a first EP in 2024, their debut album is set to be released end of 2025, accompanied by an international tour including Europe, America and Asia.  

The Austrian trio other:M:other (consisting of Judith Schwarz, Arthur Fussy and Jul Dillier) aims to create a rhythmic symbiosis of sound. Acoustic and electronic sounds merge seamlessly into one another, creating percussive networks of impulses that draw their inspiration equally from experimental music and beat-based club music. With unconventional instrumentation, extended playing techniques and a free improvisational approach, they explore the boundaries of musical genres and are virtuosos at translating their own sound language into a wide variety of stage settings, concert formats and stylistic contexts. Imagine a missing link between free jazz improvisation and club music and you get the idea of what makes this trio so unique.  

Pianist Verena Zeiner and drummer Ziv Ravitz met in NYC, when they both lived in the vibrant city. Since 2021 they play together as a duo and have released two albums since then: The Sweetness of Finitude (2022) and Radical Care (2025), an album on which the duo’s sound palette has been expanded to include guitar, bass and a string trio, creating a rich, immersive musical experience. Verena Zeiner, renowned for her unique and captivating piano performances, seamlessly blends improvised music with elements of chamber music and jazz. Ziv Ravitz, an exceptionally versatile drummer and composer, is one of the most sought-after musicians in modern jazz, collaborating with greats such as Avishai Cohen, Petros Klampanis or Dominic Miller. On this evening they will perform pieces from their existing albums and also brand-new music, featuring electronic enhancements to their acoustic instruments.  

“Perhaps no composer has had as great an influence on contemporary jazz as Bartók. The astonishing power and dynamism of his works almost overwhelms the listener; his music is full of thrill, mystery, boundless depth and purity. We created our arrangements with the aim to bring Bartók's music closer even to those who did not find it appealing until now,” said Péter Sárik about his first Bartók-inspired trio album, released in 2018. Since then, the band has performed the program to great acclaim in 15 countries around the world, from Finland to Kazakhstan to China, and in 2023 they followed up with the album X2 Bartók, featuring jazz adaptations of even more piano and choral works.  

The collaboration between Ági Szalóki, János Ávéd, and István Tóth is inspired by a respect for tradition and a love of freedom. Their program includes contemporary arrangements of church folk songs, Advent and Christmas carols, works by Sebestyén Tinódi Lantos, Bálint Balassi, Maurice Duruflé, and unknown 13th–18th-century English, Italian, and Hungarian composers, as well as thoughts, biblical passages, and poems related to the songs and the upcoming festive season. The cornerstone of the contemporary interpretation of the pieces is provided by Ági Szalóki, whose singing speaks several musical styles at a native level. The collective improvisations of István Tóth and János Ávéd blossom from beautiful melodies and move away from the traditional representation of the era into a more contemporary jazz context. Departure and return are seemingly two opposing processes, but they are also a necessary part of the basic experience of being a musician; we could even say that they are the journey itself.

László Dés, Miklós Lukács, Márton Fenyvesi, and András Dés formed their free jazz band in early 2019. Their idea is to push the boundaries of jazz, a genre that already allows for great musical freedom, to the absolute limit. Relying solely on their instrumental skills, their ears, and their sensitivity, they play without any prior rehearsals or coordination, with the joy of complete freedom. This requires great external and internal focus, as the music takes shape during the performance. The themes, structure, and form are all born in the moment, which is a tremendous experience for both the musicians and the audience, as the music that is created can never be reproduced in that form again. This shared experience is like a great magic, the magic of improvisation – four outstanding musicians finding each other through their instruments, concert after concert.  

It has become a tradition at Opus to end the year with a concert by the Dresch Quartet, which has been playing in its current lineup for six years, and its founder, the highly acclaimed Mihály Dresch, has been a key figure in etnojazz and in Hungarian music in general since the 1980s. His quartet consistently and confidently treads its own unique path with an individual fusion of Hungarian folk music and African-American jazz, jointly developed by Dresch and the band members. Commitment to the musical concept, respect and humility towards the sources, outstanding musicians, new and evergreen compositions, standards in the Dresch manner – all these combined create the musical experience that strikes the audience again and again with its freshness.  

Áron Tálas, who is, even by European standards, an outstanding pianist in the generation of young Hungarian musicians, is a rare exception: though he writes and playes music deeply embedded in tradition, the quality of his music admitted him into the catalogue of BMC Records, which comprises mainly modern productions. His trio has already released two albums on the label: on both Little Beggar (2018) and New Questions, Old Answers (2023), tracks with groove, melodies, and full of emotion represent the cream of the world of traditional jazz piano trios. At this concert, in addition to performing their favorite songs from the two albums, the trio will also offer a glimpse into the bandleader's new compositions.  

After the successful release of their album Calaveras y Boom Boom Chupitos on BMC Records in January 2025, the European ensemble Bonbon Flamme now returns to the Budapest Music Center for an exceptional, never-before-seen concert. For this third repertoire, titled “simplement possible” – recorded in the concert hall over the preceding days – Fulco Ottervanger, Luís Lopes, Étienne Ziemniak, and Valentin Ceccaldi invite us to drift into the wondrous realm of simplicity. A naïve, raw, and generous approach – where lullabies entwine with the feverish energy of a jazz tempest; where diamond-like sounds glimmer in a cloudy, scribbled sky. A way of moving forward without detours, straight to the heart and body – guided by the elusive totem of childhood’s creative force, and by that still-blurred threshold between dreams and reality. As simply as possible.  

Károly Binder is a musician of high calibre, who puts his talents at the service of the synthesis of new trends, different musical cultures, compositional techniques and improvisational systems, not forgetting his own musical roots. He is an autonomous composer whose piano playing and compositions cannot be classified by style or genre. With unrelenting consistency, Binder has pursued the path he set for himself since the late 1970s, a path on which he had no Hungarian predecessors. In his musical development, alongside the immense oeuvre of Béla Bartók, we can clearly trace the influence of the folk music of the Carpathian Basin and the melodic world of the Volga-Kama region, and even the American repetitive school hallmarked by Steve Reich. This time, the Binder Trio's program is based on two pillars: pieces from the For Children series, the centre of the band's latest five-disc release, as well as compositions by the bandleader, in which Bartók's legacy and contemporary jazz engage in dialogue.

The Jamaican-born, New York-raised pianist Wynton Kelly (1931–1971) rose to global fame playing with Wes Montgomery and as a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, all while creating timeless recordings with his own trio. His first recordings as a leader, made in 1951, featured the stunning bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Lee Abrams. Blue Note released this session under the title New Faces, New Sounds, which was later retitled the more appropriate Piano Interpretations. Kelly was influenced by the rhythm and blues school and technically brilliant performers like Teddy Wilson: his playing is cheerful, quick, attractive, and even crafty – perhaps because he was not yet twenty years old at the time. He excels in his harmonization on the blues numbers and in the quick, rolling runs on the faster pieces. This material is a rewarding opportunity for the always precise and clearly articulating pianist, Gábor Cseke, and the rhythm section.

Daniel Mester travelled around the world to find his own musical universe, which accommodates the melodies of Anatolia, Indonesian scales and imaginary Hungarian folk songs. He began his musical studies as a classical clarinetist, and later started to learn jazz saxophone playing. He graduated at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and he not only had the opportunity to perform in many parts of the world (South Korea, Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Morocco), but also to learn about musical heritages outside of Western musical traditions. He composed a couple of filmscores, and studying Turkish classical and folk music is another current inspiration for him, the impact of which is echoing in his compositions. His long-cherished dream of founding his own trio came true with the pandemic. He invited two talents of the young Hungarian jazz generation, guitarist Péter Cseh and drummer Tamás Hidász into this musical adventure. This evening, they will also be joined by the virtuosic master of the cimbalom, Kálmán Balogh. www.mesterdaniel.com

In 2026, Santa Diver, one of the most unique bands on the Hungarian jazz scene, will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The band consists of jazz violinist Luca Kézdy, multi-instrumentalist and composer Dávid Szesztay, and drummer Dávid Szegő, who has also been active as a composer in recent years. The three instruments and personalities represent a truly unique musical world, found at the intersection of jazz, world music, and modern creative. Their sound is defined by the unusual lineup (violin, bass guitar, drums), Luca Kézdy's unique violin playing with its wide emotional spectrum, colorful and melodic bass lines, and experimental, sometimes extreme, delicate yet energetic drumming. Besides Hungarian festivals and clubs, the trio has also performed at numerous festivals abroad: Chelsea Music Festival, NYC (US), Cairo Jazz Festival (EG), Südtirol Jazzfestival (IT), Sparks & Visions Jazz Festival (DE), Amersfoort World Jazz Festival (NL), Voll Damm Festival Jazz Vic (ES), Gaume Jazz Festival (BE).  Their 20th anniversary will be marked with a new album release and a series of concerts, beginning at the Opus stage. In addition to their latest compositions, they will of course also perform a selection of their most memorable songs from the past 20 years. The album is planned for release in the fall of 2026.

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matter 100 was a commission by the Bimhuis, Amsterdam. In matter 100, Kaja moves towards song and sound; song on the level of form and sound as a navigator and idea generator. She is interested in using basic harmonic structures, coloured and expanded through microtonality, and working with amplification and audio effects to shape the sound of the group. Dean Young’s poetry, sometimes sang, other times narrated, moves between experimentation and surrealism. The choice of the individuals generated inspiration and direction in writing music; Kaja invited musicians across generations and musical backgrounds to open the possibilities, provide freshness, and challenge her composing. All the members of this international group have a pronounced sound of their own and a rich musical history, regardless of the age and country of origin. In the days of the concert, the band also records an album to be released on BMC Records.

The music of Dsilton consists of energetic arrangements in microtonal tunings with modulating rhythms. At Dsiltons current program, cycles of Georg Vogel & David Dornig are interlocked. Concerning the techniques of composition and the frames for improvisation all pieces share together complex grooves and the extended tonality of 31-tone tuning. The repertoire shows a range from enharmonically entangled improvisation forms, 31-tone serial compositions to arrangements of processed field recordings. This enharmonic microtonal journey is played on special instruments: newly built 31-tone keyboards called Clavitone, drumset and a new eight string electric guitar with 31 frets per octave. With the friendly support of Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.

Springing off a sound reminiscent of acoustic piano trios of the 50s and 60s, Oùat explores the memory and perspectives of hand crafted, collective music making. Jazz in its most open operative meaning, in which improvisation is a real necessity, stimulates the trio to confront and investigate our times of sounds and movements. Oùat's music is transmitted through consistent listening and risk taking. An inviting work that gesticulates the most obvious as well as surprising in coming together. Being one of many groups made possible due to the venue Au Topsi Pohl (2019-2022) in Berlin, Oùat started off with performing the music of Ellington, Hasaan Ibn Ali, Elmo Hope, Per Henrik Wallin and Sun Ra. A chatty trilogy instantaneously finding the sonorous meanings of what, where and when, Oùat continues to praise the sound and momentum of collective concentrated creativity, making as much as possible out of an idea, a shared place and time. In the days of the concert, they are recording a new album for BMC Records.    

Following his trio, which has been performing since 2019, guitarist Péter Cseh has formed a new band, which will make its debut on the Day of Hungarian Culture. True to its name, the HIDAK (Bridges) Trio strives to connect different points: the members of the band with each other, the performer with the listener, and tradition with innovation. The band's sound covers a wide range, and almost anything can serve as inspiration for its members, so their repertoire includes the rich harmonies of modern jazz, the rhythmic rattle familiar from minimalist music, and slowly flowing streams of sound. All three members contribute to the program as composers, so roles within the band can be exchanged – thanks to the bridges that have been built.  

The Kristóf Bacsó Triad's music blends elements of jazz and contemporary music with an Eastern European feeling; in addition to carefully composed sections, improvisations also play an important role. Their latest album features the bandleader’s songs, whose magic lies in the multitude of unique melodies, sensitive harmonization, and individual forms, as well as the high level of (ensemble) playing. However, their greatest virtue is perhaps the accessibility that they are able to preserve and even bring to the fore despite all musical sophistication. Let It Go not only expresses deeply human feelings and experiences through its central theme – grasped and missed opportunities, taking responsibility for decisions or letting them go, the limits and unlimitedness of freedom in music –, but also gives space to personal statements such as Soulbird, an homage to Mátyás Szandai. 

Serendipity is not only the closest meanings of Nasip Kısmet, but also the best way to describe this international band’s authentic, multi-genre music: an ancient folk melody turns into a psychedelic outburst by a sudden chord progression, then eases into a mild jazz-fusion breeze by a touch of masterful musicianship. Nasip Kısmet was founded in Budapest in 2019 by Turkish musician Arif Erdem Ocak, who is also the founder and guitarist of the famous Turkish band Seksendört. The band consists of high-caliber jazz musicians from the Hungarian jazz scene, such as Daniel Mester (saxophone & clarinet), David Szegő (drums) and Marton Eged (bass guitar); and Turkish folk/rock musicians, siblings Arif Erdem (guitar & vocals) and Derya Ocak (vocals). Nasip Kısmet plays Turkish psychedelic-folk/jazz/fusion genres and continues to grow its audience throughout Europe.

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