A musical family that has lasted for generations
Budapest-born cellist Elemér Duka comes from a family producing musicians for hundreds of years. At the age of twelve, he was accepted at the Béla Bartók Conservatory. He then attended the Liszt Music Academy in Hungary and is currently a student at the University of Pécs. He is the winner of various national and international cello competitions.
Duka played as a soloist in Zoltán M��ga's symphony orchestra for eight years and performed with that company during an American tour in venues such as the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. He played with world-famous artists, including pianist Martha Argerich and violinists Zakhar Bron, Shlomo Mintz and Géza Hosszú Legocky.
In 2017, he founded his orchestra, the only one in Hungary led by the cello. Its mission is the fusion of classical and traditional Hungarian gipsy music, but the company also enjoys playing its own pieces and contemporary film music.
Duka has performed with his orchestra at festivals abroad, such as Zagreb Liszt Institute, Rome Chamber Music Fest, Split Summer Fest, Manchester Góbé Fest and Wien Konzert Haus. He is also the artistic director of the Budapest 5th District Classical Music Festival.
Laurens Moreno
Long ago, violist Laurens Moreno heard Hungarian gipsy music on an old wind-up gramophone and was immediately fascinated. Her interest and passion for this music have remained ever since. She studied at the conservatory with Esther Apituley and played with, among others, Nello Mirando and artist/violinist Armando.
She is convinced of the lasting value of the rich Hungarian musical Roma culture, especially the music that originated in the Budapest area and is passed on from generation to generation. She immerses herself in this immense repertoire with its real-life songs and fiery playing style and has been researching this tradition in the Netherlands, Budapest and Transylvania for decades. For her, it is a source of inspiration for her repertoire.
The viola is emerging as a solo instrument, and in Hungarian gipsy music, she finds a wealth of suitable music for this. By giving the viola its voice, she also introduces a new sound within Hungarian gipsy music.
As artistic director of the Zigeunermuziek Foundation, she organized the Budapest Boulevard 2011 tours, and she also played as viola primas in the Budapest Boulevard 2019 and 2022 tours.
