Hungarian Quartet
András Keller, first violin of the Keller String Quartet, holder of the International Bartók Chair in the Guildhall School of Music in London and Music Director of Concerto Budapest decided in 2018 to found a new string quartet to continue the work of the legendary Hungarian String Quartet, founded in 1935 by Sándor Végh and led later, until 1972, by Zoltán Székely.

The new Hungarian Quartet unites and retains the talent and knowledge of several generations. As a young violinist, Keller learned with Sándor Végh. The second violin, János Pilz was, together with Keller, founding member of the Keller Quartet and is at present section leader in Iván Fischer's world-famous Budapest Festival Orchestra and leader of the chamber orchestra Budapest Strings. The other two musicians are outstanding representives of the younger generation of musicians: the cellist László Fenyő is winner of several international competitions and Professor at the Music Academy in Karlsruhe, the viola player Gábor Homoki was until recently member of the Kelemen String Quartet.

"Just like Sándor Végh, my one-time mentor and other members of the Hungarian String Quartet were for decades advocates of Hungarian music throughout the world, we, too, wish to carry on this national message in music" - Keller said. "Sándor Végh was a close friend to Béla Bartók, it was his quartet which premiered in 1935 Bartók's String Quartet No.5 and it was for Végh's successor as primarius, Zoltán Székely that Bartók wrote his Violin Concerto No.2. Our aim is to renew the tradition of their very personal music making, free from externals. Jenő Hubay, Ede Zathureczky, Dénes Kovács, charismastic Hungarian violinists spoke all Hungarian on their instruments, and yet their message became universal. This is in our days quite rare: musicians speak a global language, often without any message. We hope that the voice of the Hungarian Quartet will travel far and wide."