Ágrol Ágra is a program originally conceived and curated by Kinga Cserjési, teacher of the Libero Canto Approach and Associate Artistic Director of the Libero Canto School of Singing in NYC. The idea came from a simple house concert. Kinga sang a beloved folk song from her home country of Hungary, and an audience member was moved by the song and encouraged her to put together a full program. Kinga went on to develop a solo recital, for which she chose pieces that represent the five regions of Hungarian folk music. Then, little by little, she began inviting other Libero Canto trained singers – Deborah Carmichael, Marisa Michelson, and Sara Serpa – to sing some ensemble pieces by Béla Bartók on the program. These pieces, though they were original compositions, were based on and inspired by traditional Hungarian folk music. As the program evolved, Marisa and Sara, wonderful composers in their own right, began writing new arrangements of the traditional folk songs, and even contacted other composer friends, Guillermo Klein of Argentina and Song Yi Jeon of South Korea to write new arrangements for this program as well. The end result is an a cappella concert that includes music by Béla Bartók, traditional Hungarian folk music, and completely new folk song arrangements, in a kaleidoscope of colors, styles, and character.
“I feel grateful and filled with joy to be able to sing this Hungarian program with my American friends and colleagues in the US. I can express myself in my mother tongue and native musical language, which is—to my great pleasure—highly appreciated by my musician friends, and music lovers in this country. I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that we will be able to share these musical gems with many members of the American-Hungarian community and beyond.” – Kinga Cserjési
In 2020, after years of putting together the program, it was ready to be presented, but the world had other plans. Ágról Ágra: from Branch to Branch had its first performance at the Hungarian House in NYC in 2022.
In spring of 2023 the program was revived and performed in NYC and The Hamptons with a new arrangement by Guillermo Klein, “Szeretet próbája,” and singer Margot Bassett Silver joined the group!
Ágrol Ágra will be performed in Spring of 2024. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list so you don’t miss it!