Múzsa Kollektíva – Bíró Eszter, Lábas Viki és Szirtes Edina Mókus estje

This programme is held in Hungarian.

The Muse Collective is the meeting of three exceptional singers: Viki Lábas, formerly of Margaret Island, Eszter Bíró, known from the world of theatre and film, and Edina Mókus Szirtes, who mostly creates in a traditional, global music context. Their new project will debut with a joint program at the House of Music in Budapest. Three different musical worlds, three distinctive voices, three unique perspectives. Muse – that is, everything that inspires the artists.

At the heart of the evening are exciting musical ideas, themes, and songs which, whether they are contemporary vocal reinterpretations of global hits or adaptations of poems, all appear in a new guise. In the case of the unique poem settings, the verses of Miklós Radnóti and Ernő Szép, among others, are interwoven with the lines of contemporary lyricists. The songs and poems gently blend into one another, in special arrangements and three-part vocal performance. The singers – who are appearing together on stage for the first time – also play instruments alongside the band accompanying them, led by Sándor Födő.

The strength of the production lies in the differing artistic backgrounds of the three performers. Coming from the worlds of theatre, klezmer, and film, Eszter Bíró is now, for the first time, taking part in such an interdisciplinary trio, where singing, instrumental interplay, and interactive stage presence are all equally emphasized.

Viki Lábas is one of the defining voices of the younger generation, who, alongside popular music, has long been open to literature and theatrical forms. Having stepped out of the band Margaret Island, it is important for her to redefine herself.

For Edina Mókus Szirtes, musical explorations have already played an important role alongside her work as a composer, but in this formation she joins as an important pillar of the trio, entering a new dimension of three-part singing and shared stage performance.

The musical world of the concert is shaped by the acoustic arrangements of Sándor Födő: special African and Persian percussion instruments, guitars, accordion, and violin create the intimate yet rich sound of the evening.