Söndörgő

Söndörgő ranks among the most exciting and successful bands on the international world music scene. The Hungarian group combines the authenticity of traditional music with the complexity of classical composition, the energy of rock, and the thinking of Bartók.

Founded over a quarter century ago, the band members have literally grown up with the ensemble. Four of the five musicians come from the same musical family: brothers Aaron, Benjamin, and Salamon Eredics, along with their cousin David Eredics. Their musical foundation was laid by the legendary Vujicsics Ensemble, which has played authentic South Slavic folk music for nearly fifty years - the fathers and uncles of the Eredics musicians. All four Eredics members now teach at the Department of Folk Music at the Budapest Music Academy. What drives them is not the question of what traditional music once meant, but what it can mean today and tomorrow.

In 2024, the album Gyezz was released featuring jazz saxophonist Chris Potter, earning four-star reviews from Jazzwise and Songlines and topping both the World Music Charts Europe and Songlines Top of the World. In the anniversary year 2025 - marking the band's 30th anniversary - Söndörgő was named Ensemble of the Season at Müpa Budapest and released the album XXX. During an extended European tour and in Japan, they performed at venues including the World Expo in Osaka.

The anniversary celebrations culminated in a sold-out concert at Müpa - the beginning of a three-part residency 2025/2026 exploring the musical core identities of Folk, Classical, and Jazz. Guest musicians include Márta Sebestyén, the Balanescu Quartet, and Michael League, Chris Bullock, and Jay Jennings from Snarky Puppy. A live album, In Residence at Müpa, will be released in autumn 2026.