Since their formation, the two-time Fonogram Award-winning Elemér Balázs Group have regularly played at domestic and international jazz and world music festivals, concert halls and clubs. The emphasis on melody in their music means they retain a wide appeal. Their sound is characterised by the fusion of motifs from the musical traditions of different eras and regions. As far back as the release of their 2007 album, Early Music, they have been showing us how combining Renaissance and Baroqu...e music with jazz can open up new and exciting paths.
Nuria Rial, who enjoys worldwide popularity, was born in Catalonia. She specialises in Renaissance and Baroque music, in particular the works of Monteverdi and Handel. Nuria graduated from the vocals and piano department of the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona, before also studying as a solo vocalist under Kurt Widmer in Basel. She has performed to great acclaim at festivals and in concert halls across Europe and America, while her records have been released worldwide on some of the biggest record labels. Rial has visited Müpa before: she first performed as a special guest of the Elemér Balázs Group in 2008, while most recently she was invited to perform alongside Iván Fischer in 2019. The success of 12 years ago is bound to be repeated, as we enjoy a performance of the transcendental works of Bach, Vivaldi, Pergolesi, Casati, Caldara and many others, with plenty of improvisational elements thrown in.