Everyone has to pass at some point – that's not a question. But do we have to talk about it? And what can you say? And when? And how? - These are the questions that have preoccupied the minds of artists of all periods, including composers.

Even in his humorous pieces, Bartók included something testament-like, and there was always something serious about him, just like in Kocsis. The young Liszt was captured rather by the mysticism of death, more with interest than with fear. And young Richard Strauss painted with lofty Romanticism how the eternal soul leaves the passing body. On his deathbed, he said it felt exactly as he had written about it 60 years earlier. And what does today's young composer, Máté Balogh, say about this topic? And what do you think? We'll find out at the concert!

Zoltán Kocsis, pianist, conductor, composer

Winner of the Ferenc Liszt Prize and the Kossuth Prize; Distinguished Artist; Music Director of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra; Chief Conductor of the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra; recipient of the City of Pécs Grand Prize for Culture

He was a prominent professional mentor to the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra and also played an integral role in the musical and cultural life of Pécs. He regularly conducted the orchestra since 2003, was appointed its first permanent guest conductor in 2009, and continued to support the orchestra as an artistic consultant until his death in 2016.

Apart from his position in the capital, as a pianist and conductor, he played a significant role in supporting the professional work of regional music communities. Not only did he contribute to the orchestra’s professional development, but he also consistently advocated for the advancement of regional symphony orchestras and the decentralisation of the Hungarian music scene. He supported Pécs’s candidacy for the title of European Capital of Culture, and in 2016 he was awarded the City of Pécs Grand Prize for Culture. He also conducted the Kodály Centre’s festive opening concert in 2010.

As a young talent discovered in his early childhood, he gained international recognition at the age of 18; at 21, he was awarded the Liszt Prize, and at 25, the Kossuth Prize in recognition of his work as a pianist. He was one of the cofounders of a contemporary musical group called the New Music Studio. In 1983, he joined forces with Iván Fischer to found the Budapest Festival Orchestra, marking the beginning of his decades-long effort to revitalize Hungarian symphonic orchestra culture through his work in building the orchestra. His dedication to music has made him an artistic mentor to Hungarian orchestras and musicians; the success of the Pannon Philharmonic, among other accomplishments, is the result of his devoted work. For over a decade, from the very first day of the orchestra's revival until the day of his death, he remained a constant presence alongside the orchestra as its conductor and artistic adviser, serving as a professional guiding light for the orchestra. He was a committed advocate of the European-style cultural decentralisation and worked tirelessly with the symphony orchestras in the country’s provincial cities. He took on an active role in the implementation of the European Capital of Culture Pécs 2010 project with conviction, speaking out in support of Pécs’s artistic and cultural assets and its urban development plans among the competing cities. In recognition of all these accomplishments, he was awarded the City of Pécs’s Grand Prize for Culture in March 2016.

The audience in Pécs could regularly see and hear his performances as a conductor, composer and pianist. Zoltán Kocsis has conducted the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra every season since 2003, including at the Kodály Centre’s festive opening concert on 16 December 2010. Leading the National Philharmonic Orchestra, he performed a mission to promote the musical life of provincial towns; this included conducting the orchestra on several occasions in Pécs, as part of events organised by Filharmónia Magyarország. In 2014, he delighted families in Pécs with his own composition, entitled “Kiskarácsony, nagykarácsony”; in 2015, he performed at the Kodály Centre alongside his 18-year-old son, Krisztián Kocsis, with the Kodály Centre’s resident orchestra

His work has been recognised with numerous awards by both the public and the professional community. In 1984, he received a Gramophone Award and an Edison Award for his recordings of Béla Bartók’s works for piano and orchestra, made with Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. He was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist in 1984 and the title of Distinguished Artist in 1990. Since 1987, he has also been composing alongside his career as a conductor.  In 1997, he was elected chief music director of the National Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2004, he received a life-time achievement award in Cannes, France. At the same time, he received the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Minister of Culture for his work promoting French music. In 2005, he was awarded the Kossuth prize for the second time. On 25 March 2006, on the 125th anniversary of Béla Bartók’s birth, he was presented with the Bartók-Pásztory Prize upon the recommendation of distinguished members of the profession. In 2007, the Minister for Education and Culture awarded him the title of ‘Ambassador of Hungarian Culture’. In 2012, he received the Instrumental Recording of the Year award for his Debussy album. In 2012, the Hungarian state recognised his lifetime achievement with the Hungarian Corvin Chain Award, the highest state honour.