A full-evening orchestral work written for Hungary’s Mohács 500 commemorative year will have its world premiere in its version for tárogató, symphony orchestra and chorus on Sunday 15 November 2026 in the Grand Hall of the Academy of Music (Zeneakadémia) in Budapest.
“Penta Essentia — A magyar lélek hangján” (“Penta Essentia — on the note of the Hungarian soul”) is by the composer Keresztury-Albert Zsolt. The performance by the Szent István Filharmonikusok (St Stephen Philharmonic) opens the ensemble’s Gaudeamus series, according to Magyar Hírlap, which carried a press release about the concert.
The occasion is the Mohács 500 commemorative year: 2026 marks 500 years since the Battle of Mohács, fought on 29 August 1526 between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary, led by King Louis II, and the invading Ottoman Empire under Suleiman the Magnificent. The Ottoman victory is a defining turning point in Hungarian history; Hungary marked the anniversary in August with official ceremonies and the issue of a commemorative stamp, according to Magyar Posta.
What the piece is
A spoken ballad written by the composer frames the work and, in Magyar Hírlap’s description, tells an allegory of a love story that speaks to Hungarian fate and identity. The composer began the piece seven years ago and timed the premiere to the Mohács 500 year. Its message, he says, is not about loss but about the essential values of Hungarian existence, Magyar Hírlap reported.
The work was inspired by the essay “Öt géniusz” (“Five Geniuses”) by Hamvas Béla and its idea that “to be Hungarian means to create balance in the world of the five geniuses”. Its five movements draw on the folk songs of the five great regions of the Carpathian Basin, evoked by two folk singers. The tárogató, a characteristically Hungarian wind instrument, has a lead role, playing as an orchestral soloist in the overture and finale and interacting with the folk singers in the interludes.
The Academy of Music’s own programme note sets out the five geniuses as the cultivation of the West, the fire of the East, the seriousness of the North and the serenity of the South, with Transylvania — itself many-layered — as the fifth, and says the individual and society alike must bring these forces into harmony. Speaking to Papageno, the composer named the five regions whose folk songs the movements draw on as Transdanubia (Dunántúl), the Felföld, the Délvidék, Transylvania (Erdély) and the Great Plain (Alföld), and said the five-genius idea and the Mohács disaster are tied together by the concept of integration, since the country was torn into three parts.
Who performs it
The performers, as listed by Magyar Hírlap and by the Academy of Music’s own programme, are the Szent István Filharmonikusok; the Vox Laurus mixed choir and the Budapesti Kórus; Erdő Zoltán (tárogató); Albert Anna Leona and Gubinecz Ákos (voice); Bánföldi Szilárd (narration); and Dobozy Ágoston (piano). Safarek Krisztián conducts. The Academy of Music lists the concert for 15 November, 18:00 to 20:00, in the Grand Hall, with tickets at 4,000, 4,500 and 5,000 forints, and names Horváth Zoltán as director.
A chamber version of the work has toured venues in Hungary and across the Carpathian Basin during the commemorative year; the Budapest performance closes that tour. A composer interview published by Papageno noted that further performances are planned in Miskolc on 7 December and Pécs on 12 December. In the same interview the composer said the chamber version had travelled the Carpathian Basin this year from Révkomárom through Budapest and Mohács to Szabadka, reaching Hungarian communities and appearing at festivals including Kaposfest, Zemplénfeszt, Művészetek Völgye and the Ars Sacra Fesztivál.
What to watch
The premiere is a showcase for the tárogató and for a commission tied to a national anniversary. Anyone planning to attend should confirm start time, availability and ticket details directly with the Academy of Music and the Szent István Filharmonikusok, as these can change.
Sources: Magyar Hírlap; Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music; Magyar Posta; Budapest Music Center; Papageno.
Image: Evgenia Jarabik, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustration — the Grand Hall of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest, where Penta Essentia premieres on 15 November 2026.