Top Hungarian pianist performs in Jeddah to wide applause
JEDDAH: In a continuation of the series of entertainment activities in the Kingdom, Jeddah and Riyadh hosted world-renowned pianist Gergely Boganyi.
The Hungarian musician and his accompanying troupe held a concert at King Abdullah Economic City, near Jeddah, on Friday. They played the works of famous composers such as Johann Bach, Schubert, Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin.
Born in 1974, Boganyi is one of the leading pianists of his generation, having begun playing the instrument at 4 years old. His performances in the Kingdom were part of an international tour.
Following waves of applause for the live performance, Jeddawis took their admiration of the musical night to social media, where the hashtag #Boganyi was trending.
“Tonight’s event is crazy with the pianist Gergely Boganyi,” one Twitter user tweeted. The event came hot on the heels of the much-talked-about Japanese orchestra in Riyadh.
Boganyi visited the Jeddah Arts and Culture Association (ACA), where he was treated to a dazzling performance by Saudi musicians, including traditional music by Hassan Al-Iskandrani, Nasser Al-Ali and Ghassan Abdullah.
Hussein Al-Iskandrani and Mohammad Al-Otaibi played solo performances on the qanoon, while Saeed Baqer played a solo on the flute.
Boganyi said he was very happy by the warm welcome he received, and was enchanted by the music. He spoke of his interest in eastern musical instruments, especially the qanoon, oud and flute.
Musician Talal Bagher said he was pleased by the visit of such a renowned international artist, and by the quality of the music played.
Boganyi performed in Riyadh on Tuesday at an event organized by the Awtar Association and under the supervision of the Saudi Arabian Culture and Arts Society. The Saudi General Authority for Entertainment sponsored the evening.
The head of the Saudi Arabian Culture and Arts Society, Sultan Al-Bazei, said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Boganyi’s music institute to offer opportunities for Saudi students to study classical music.