Vidróczki Ethnosymphonic

Edina “Squirrel” Szirtes provides a special color to the Hungarian music scene. Her unique performance is a combination of live looping, musical creation using poetry, and a delivery of unique projections using exquisite formations. The base of the production is taken from a work by Zoltán Kodály called “Pictures of Mátra”, which utilizes a treasure of folk music from and around Hungary. Of course, the folk music is not presented in its original format but rather adapted and given a new form by Edina.

All of her instrumental pieces and songs are of completely her own composition. They feed from the rich and colorful Hungarian folk traditions as well, as from the pulse and fire of the Balkan minority groups’ own folk music. In this set up, the orchestra has an equally important role as do the soloists, not only accompanying. The orchestra plays virtuosic parts together with the soloist. Also, there are moments of individual improvisation using special ornamentations, performed on a selection of folk-rooted instruments such as the tárogató, peasant recorder, various percussions, citera and cimbalom.

One would classify the voice of this fine mix of a classical music orchestra and traditional folk instruments as “worldmusic”, however, it is rather like a picture painted with the feelings, thoughts, desires and voices of the world, based upon a true story, taken from great masters maintaining their heritage.