Söndörgő

The primordial nature of traditional music, the sophistication of classical compositions, the energies of rock and the purity of Bartók's thinking characterize the Hungarian band Söndörgő - one of the most exciting, innovative and successful acts on the international world music scene.

When Söndörgő formed more than a quarter of a century ago, the members were still children and practically grew up alongside the band. Four of the five musicians belong to the same family: three brothers (Aaron, Benjamin and Salamon Eredics) and a cousin (David Eredics). Their spiritual backbone is the legendary Vujicsics Ensemble, which has been playing authentic South Slavic folk music for close to fifty years - father and uncle figures, along with other Eredics musicians. In keeping with Zoltán Kodály's ideals, the musical education of Söndörgő's members began nine months before their birth. They know the roots of their musical world deeply, even in a scholarly sense (all four Eredics members teach at the Department of Folk Music of the Budapest Academy of Music), but what truly drives them is not what traditional music once meant - it's what it can mean today and tomorrow.

2024 marked a pivotal turning point in Söndörgő's artistic journey. The band released the album Gyezz, featuring internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist Chris Potter. It earned four-star reviews from both Jazzwise and Songlines, and reached #1 on the World Music Charts Europe and the Songlines Top of the World chart. This momentum culminated in the band's 30th anniversary in 2025, when Söndörgő was appointed Ensemble of the Season at Müpa Budapest. That year also saw the release of the album XXX and extensive touring across Europe and Japan, including a performance at the World Expo in Osaka.

The anniversary celebrations concluded wi...