MAO Meets the Masters | Cseke Gábor meets Maria Schneider

What happens when a composer actually meets those who have shaped his

way of thinking? He does not quote or copy, but asks questions, debates and builds upon their work. ‘MAO meets the masters!’ is the Modern Art Orchestra’s autumn concert series, which brings this unique, personal and artistic encounter to life. Artists closely associated with the orchestra engage in a dialogue with the world of a defining international master – not merely as a tribute, but as a living, contemporary reflection. Iconic figures from the history of the big band are present here as sources of inspiration, whilst today’s composers express themselves in their own voices. Familiar musical languages meet new ideas, with the past and the present illuminating one another. This special musical dialogue will be performed at two concerts each evening (18:30 and 21:00).

On the third evening, the focus will be on the collaboration between Gábor Cseke and Maria Schneider. Maria Schneider is one of the most influential figures in contemporary big band music, whose music is characterised by a unique sensitivity to orchestration, organic structural design and a powerful emotional arc. Her compositions are often painterly in nature, featuring subtle dynamic nuances and rich textures. Gábor Cseke is known, both as a composer and a performer, for his sensitivity to detail; his music strikes a balance between complex structures and a freer, improvisational approach. This evening promises a particularly rich and nuanced world of timbres and musical arcs, in which the full orchestra performs with almost chamber-music-like delicacy.