PÁRNICZKY QUARTET
In 2016, András Párniczky (DLA) created his Quartet with the aim of performing adaptations of Béla Bartók’s pieces in an improvisational environment. Together with his fellow bandmates from his previous formation Nigun – wind instrument player Péter Bede and bassist Péter Ajtai – he has performed at more than 300 concerts, including venues such as the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Bravo Art Festival in Brussels, Technopolis Jazz in Athens Festival, and the Academy of Music in Budapest. Their first album, Bartók Electrified, was published in 2018 by Budapest Music Center. This repertoire was performed at the MÜPA in 2016 with Frank Möbus (bass) and Daniel Erdmann (tenor sax), and in 2019 with Carlos Bica (bass) and Dejan Terzic (drums) as part of a European tour.
In 2023, building on this joint work, the formation will be renewed with Ágoston Szabó-Sipos on drums. A summative repertoire was created that reflects the words of János Gonda: “… the sovereign European improvisational musical language, which integrates the elements of modern chamber jazz, contemporary, and folk music.” Instead of the usual thematic pieces, the compositions move within a much freer framework, in which, while the band’s recognizable sound is preserved, a self-identified performance is created. The debut performance of the new repertoire took place at the House of Hungarian Music in January 2023. The resulting album was released by Fonó Records.
András Párniczky – guitar
Péter Bede – alto saxophone, tárogató (reed wind instrument, played in Hungarian folk music)
Péter Ajtai – double bass
Ágoston Szabó-Sipos – drums