All Strung Together!

Take the playful title seriously: the young folk musicians of the Pengetős Trio see their noble aim to introduce the youngest age groups to characteristic plucked folk instruments like the cobza, tambura and zither as a pedagogical mission. While skilled fingers know how to vibrate stretched strings, it's not so much a question of wizardly dexterity as one of paying attention, as will become clear at this instrument presentation where the participants will also get to learn and sing some new songs.

Veterans of stages both in Hungary and abroad, the three members of the Pengetős Trio have been playing in their current line-up since 2015. Each one is a dedicated fan and practitioner of authentic folk music. As their name indicates (pengetős means "plucked" in Hungarian), they specialise in stringed instruments of this type, and what makes them all their work all the more exceptional is the fact that in addition to selling out concerts in Hungary and internationally, they also research and teach folk music. They believe that it is never too early to start gaining a familiarity with the Hungarian musical tradition, and their children's programmes aimed at kindergarteners and schoolchildren have been very popular for a long time. Along with her mastery of the zither, Junior Prima Award-winning Alexandra Berta triumphs with her vocals at her appearances as well. The group are connected to the folk music department at the Liszt Academy in several ways: Cobza player Zalán Csenki serves as a lecturer there, while Bálint Horváth, a master of the tambura, studies at the institution. The members of the Pengetős Trio are "strung together" not only with each other, but also with their audience: the pedagogical interests and commitment of the musicians guarantee that getting to know these special instruments will be a lasting experience for all participants, regardless of age.