Award-winning Hungarian pianist gives concert
Zita Fletcher
Issue date: 2/2/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment
A young man acclaimed as one of Europe's most promising piano talents honored the University of Dallas' Lynch Auditorium on the evening of Jan. 24 with an exceptional performance that was part of the Crowley Chamber Music Series. The student-filled auditorium rang with applause as Péter Tóth took the stage, then soon fell silent as the young musician commenced the event with an elegant, echoing rendition of a Beethoven sonata entitled "The Tempest." "It was inspirational," said UD sophomore Mary Bloch of Tóth's performance. "I thought it was really beautiful."
Tóth, who was born in 1983 in Békéscsaba, Hungary, is the winner of several noteworthy international competitions, which include the 1997 International Piano Competition in Wittenberg, Germany, the 1998 International Piano Competition in Bovino, Italy, and both the 2000 and 2001 Franz Liszt International Piano Competitions in Weimar, Germany, and Budapest. In addition to his many successful performances in European countries, including Austria, Germany, France, Holland, Russia and Switzerland, he has also performed in Japan, South Korea and the U.S. His first recording, entitled "Late Piano Works of Liszt," won The Franz Liszt's Society's Grand Prix International Lizst du Disque award.
Although the interior of Lynch Auditorium hardly compares to the grandeur of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Tóth's concert was no less extraordinary. Absent of the routine leadenness that at times affects classical music performances, Tóth's seamless and graceful technique captured the inner life of the notes he played. He was able to imbue the most complex pieces with a vibrant soul that captivated the listener and thus lent meaning to the definition of music as an artistic expression.
The Crowley Chamber Music Series' event, "An Evening With Péter Tóth," provided UD students with a special opportunity to appreciate the remarkable talent of one of Europe's finest young artists and was both an enjoyable and unforgettable musical experience.
Tóth, who was born in 1983 in Békéscsaba, Hungary, is the winner of several noteworthy international competitions, which include the 1997 International Piano Competition in Wittenberg, Germany, the 1998 International Piano Competition in Bovino, Italy, and both the 2000 and 2001 Franz Liszt International Piano Competitions in Weimar, Germany, and Budapest. In addition to his many successful performances in European countries, including Austria, Germany, France, Holland, Russia and Switzerland, he has also performed in Japan, South Korea and the U.S. His first recording, entitled "Late Piano Works of Liszt," won The Franz Liszt's Society's Grand Prix International Lizst du Disque award.
Although the interior of Lynch Auditorium hardly compares to the grandeur of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Tóth's concert was no less extraordinary. Absent of the routine leadenness that at times affects classical music performances, Tóth's seamless and graceful technique captured the inner life of the notes he played. He was able to imbue the most complex pieces with a vibrant soul that captivated the listener and thus lent meaning to the definition of music as an artistic expression.
The Crowley Chamber Music Series' event, "An Evening With Péter Tóth," provided UD students with a special opportunity to appreciate the remarkable talent of one of Europe's finest young artists and was both an enjoyable and unforgettable musical experience.
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