Members
László Blaskovics - male soprano
Judit Felszeghy - coloratura soprano
Marta Gal - harpsichord
Born in Budapest, Laszlo Blaskovics is one of the small company of male singers specialising in the soprano register. He studied with Prof. Sylvia Geszty, Prof. Krisztina Laki and Prof. Csilla Ötvös in Vienna and Budapest.
In 2002, László won a special prize in the 8th „Sylvia Geszty” International Coloratura Singing Contest in 2002, in Murcia, Spain. His extraordinary voice is a curiosity, its exceptional range enabling him to perform the male soprano repertoire which was so popular during the baroque period.
Among his most important stage appearances were in the past years as soprano soloist at Handel Messiah (Budapest Matthias Church).
László is the leader, founder and designer of Ensemble Marquise. With his Ensemble he has more than 250 concerts in over Europe in many prestigious festivals and venues. He designes the costumes, writes the narrative texts, plans the concert programmes and organizes the concerts. “Laszlo has an extraordinary soprano voice, evoking the authentic sound of baroque opera.”
Since 2009 he has been a regular guest soloist of the English early music ensemble, Fiori Musicali.
In 2015 he founded his new ensemble called Artistocrats, which is an extended version of Ensemble Marquise, and he also founded a string quartet, who perform in period costumes, called La Contessa.
As a singing teacher he worked at Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust between 2011-13 and from 2014 he has been teaching privately in Budapest, Hungary.
As a manager and producer Laszlo began his career in 2004. He established his music agency, which organises masterclasses, festivals, international trips for youth orchestras and choirs. He is the manager and director of several music projects, such as: Danube International Conducting Masterclass, Danube International Concerto Masterclass, Royal Music Palace Festival at Godollo.
Since 2021 he is the Programmanager of Danube Symphony Orchestra and Executive manager of Music Palace Festival at Royal Palace of Godollo)
Katalin Kallay - recorders
Katalin Kállay studied viola at the Leó Weiner Conservatory with Sándor Papp, and recorder with László Czidra, then she continued her studies as a musicologist at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. In the meantime she studied early music and recorder with László Lőrincz at Szeged University. She has attended at master classes by Peter Holtslag, Gábor Prehoffer and Anneke Boeke.
Katalin Kállay is a member of several early music ensembles such as Camerata Hungarica, Mandel Quartet, Excanto, Marquise, Sebastian Consort, Musica Profana, Savaria Baroque Orchestra, Tercina, Rosella, and she has performed as a guest musician in London, Kimbolton (Kimbolton Castle), Brixworth, Welliborough, Weimar (Hochschule für Musik „Franz Liszt”), Regensburg, Belgrade, Innsbruck, Trier, Nicosia, Ljubjana, Venice.
She is a regular guest at prestigious international music festivals: Budapest Spring Festival, Gödöllő Spring Festival, Budapest Bach Week, Early Music Festival in Csíkszereda, Börzsöny Baroque Festival, Zemplén Festival, Valley of Arts Festival, Seviqc Brezice Early Music Festival (Ljubljana), Tage Alter Musik in Herne, Ars Antiqua Europae In Via Gothica, Varna Summer International Music Festival. She has given regulary concerts in the most significant music halls of Budapest such as Big Concert Hall of Academy of Music, Old Academy of Music, Palace of Arts: Festival Theatre, BMC (Budapest Music Center), Óbuda Social Circle, Marble Hall of the Hungarian Radio, Nádor Hall, Bartók Béla Memorial House. Katalin has worked with such musicians as László Czidra, Pál Németh, György Vashegyi, Tamás Vásáry, Philip Pickett, Penelope Rapson (Fiori Musicali, England), Gwendolyn Toth (Artek, New York), Peter Zajíček (Musica Aeterna, Bratislava).
Currently she teaches recorder and chamber music at the Leó Weiner Conservatory (Budapest), at the Béla Bartók Conservatory (Budapest), at the Mária Ward Conservatory (Budapest), at the University of Szeged Faculty of Music and gives master classes at the Renaissance and Baroque Week in Győr. She also writes music reviews and concert guides for the Palace of Arts, „The Piano” concert series, the Concerto Budapest, the Muzsika and the Müpamagazine.
Michael Ryan - master of ceremonies
Judit Felszeghy feels blessed to be in the position of fulfilling her dream-vision: making people happy while making herself happy. As a singer she loves connecting with her voice to people. She is a human anti-depressant, as some people call her, as her voice deeply touches her audience's heart.
Her instrument – her soprano voice has a pure natural clarity that is combined with the art of virtuosity. Her coloratura passages are crystal-clear and precise, like a string of pearls, her tone is beautifully warm and her performance is full of love and passion. Judit strives for excellence and can delight any audience. Her devotion, focus, preparation and musicality is appreciated by conductors and musician colleagues alike.
Judit was trained in the Kodály method in Budapest, Hungary. She started her musical education on the piano and the recorder, and from the age of 6 she sang in various choir schools. Later on she sang in prominent youth choirs and was a soloist in various small groups, always feeling most at home with Mediaeval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical repertoire, and she is also inspired by ancient traditional songs. Judit graduated in singing from the Leo Weiner College of Music in Budapest with distinction. She studied with famous coloratura sopranos: Prof. Sylvia Geszty, Prof. Krisztina Laki and Prof. Csilla Ötvös in Vienna and in Budapest. In England she feels very lucky to have had regular lessons with one of her early music singing idols, Dame Emma Kirkby. With Emma's guidance and coaching Judit made her first solo CD, the "Faces".
Between 2016-2017 Judit had regular lessons with the wonderful Christine Cairns. In 2020 just at the beginning of the first lockdown Judit met Alison Roddy and started having online singing lessons with her. Alison turned out to be the holistic healing angel of Judit's voice in the midst of the anxiety and uncertainty of the pandemic, and also became her mentor. With her guidance, Judit is looking forward to exploring the next stage of her career and new possibilities post-Covid times with her refreshed, all-around healthy voice.
Judit moved to the UK in 2009 and since then has been building a growing reputation as a professional soloist and as a singing teacher. She regularly sings solos for Fiori Musicali early music group, and performs as a soloist for various music societies around Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. Engagements, she is very proud of, include a concert with the Orchestra of St John's under the baton of John Lubbock in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge; a UK tour with the Bahai'i composer, Richard Leigh who wrote his new CD, Daystar for Judit's voice; a Handel concert with Leeds Baroque under the baton of Peter Holman and singing Haydn St Cecilia Mass with Fiori Musicali with the lead of Penelope Rapson in London, at the Priory Church of St John.
Judit is the co-founder and the soprano soloist of the internationally acclaimed early music group, Ensemble Marquise. They have been working together since 2004 and became like a musical family.
Judit has been invited to perform with her group as well as a soloist at renowned festivals and has appeared and gained success in prestigious concert halls, historic houses and stately homes in Hungary, in the UK (including London) and in other countries of Europe.
Besides music she is highly interested in languages, and also drawn to modalities that bring physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing in a natural way.
She got her degree from ELTE University in Budapest where she studied Russian philology. Apart from English and Hungarian and Russian she also studied German and Italian.
Beside her life as a performer Judit teaches at serveral venues at the UK. She is permanent tutor of Northamptonshire Music Service and Spratton Hall School.
Agnes Kallay - cello
Agnes Kallay graduated at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest in 2006. In the following year she earned DAAD scholarship and moved to Cologne (Germany) to study under Maria Kliegel at the Hochschule für Musik. In 2008 she continued her studies with Nick Tzavaras and the Shanghai Quartet at Montclair State University (USA). In 2013 she completed her doctoral studies with Colin Carr at Stony Brook University (USA). In 2004 she won the Alpe Adria International Violoncello Competition in Gorizia, Italy. In 2007 she placed first at the Beethoven Chamber Music Competition, London, UK. In 2010 she was selected among the best 13 cellist at the 5th Unisa International String competition in South Africa. In 2010, 2011 and 2012 she three times won the Ackerman Chamber Music prize at Stony Brook University. In 2011 she was qualified for the final round with her flute trio at Coleman Chamber Music Competition, in Los Angeles.In 2013 with her piano trio, Trio Artica, she received Special Recognition at Plowman Chamber Music Competition in Columbia, Missouri.
As a baroque cellist, she performs with Camerata Hungarica, Mandel Quartet, Excanto and Marquise early music ensembles. She has given master classes at Renaissance and Baroque Week in Gyor (Hungary), and at Silicon Valley Music Festival in California. In September of 2013 she became, and remains, a professor at the Bela Bartok Conservatory and at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest.
The pianist and harpsichordist Marta Gal graduated from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, and then studied chamber music and song accompaniment at the Franz Liszt Hochschule, Weimar.
She has been teaching at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest since 1975. She teaches at the Csepel Music Conservatory and at Continuo music school as well.
She is a teacher at Snetberger Foundation and Center, which provides opportunities to study music for musically gifted Hungarian gipsy children coming from very poor background.
She acquired her mastery of the historically authentic performance of early music at the harpsichord and fortepiano master classes of Kenneth Gilbert and Jos van Immerseel in Antwerp.
Márta Gál is a member of several chamber groups, such as: Marquise, Artistocrats, Capella Savaria, Instrumenta Historica, and also works with Ensemble Grazioso that used to be directed by the belated Zoltán Kocsis. She has worked for many years as an accompanist in Hungarian and international competitions and master classes, e.g. in Weimar Master Classes.
Piroska Vitárius - violin
Piroska Vitarius was born in Budapest in 1971. She began her violin studies at the age of 4 with Judit Réger Szászné. During her primary music school years she won 2nd and 3rd prizes at the State Violin Competition „János Koncz”.
She studied at Bela Bartok Music Conservatory, where her teachers were Béla Bánfalvi and Péterné Fodor. In her academic years she studied at Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest where her professors were Béla Bánfalvi and István Kertész. During her Music Academy years she won the 3rd prize of "Klára Kádár" Violin Competition.
She gained her masters degree as a violinist and a teacher in 1994.
She has been a member of Ferenc Erkel Chamber Orchestra since 1987.
She began to develop her skill as an early music specialist in violin from 1989. She had taken part in many early music masterclasses with world-famous professors such as: István Kertész, Nicolaus Harnoncourt, Catherine Mackintosh, Jaap Ter Linden, Christopher Hogwood, Johannes Leertouwer, Simon Standage.
She was one of the founding members and then became the concert master for Orchestra Orfeo. She is a member of Musica Porfana and Concerto Armonico.
She also works regularly as a member with the following Ensembles: Capella Savaria, Corvina Consort, Ensemble Philippe, Musica Historica, Ars Longa Zenekar, Budapest Barokk, Esterházy Hofcapelle, Custos Consort, Marquise Ensemble, Solamente Naturali, Aura Musicale, Excanto Ensemble.
For decades she had travelled and performed in several parts of Europe and Asia.
From 2000 to present date she is the concert master of Savaria Baroque Orchestra led by Pál Németh.
She took part in several CD recordings. In 2007 she was the soloist at the first recording of Maddalena Lombardini Sirmens' six violin concertos at Hungaroton Studio.
In 2009 she founded her new Ensemble: Tercina, which is the only „Gesamtkunstwerk” type ensemble in Hungary - an ensemble that combines different genres of art: music, literature, dance and painting. Tercina Ensemble is a popular and regular performer on the Hungarian concert podiums.
She is the violinist of Ensemble Marquise and Ensemble Artistocrats since 2015.
In 1994 she began to teach as a professor in baroque violin at the Music University in Szeged, and also as a violin teacher at Józsefváros and Ferencváros Music Services in Budapest.
Recently she teaches at Maria Ward Secondary and Music School, she is a regular professor at the Renaissance and Baroque Week at Gyor, and at the Summer Festival of Csikszereda (Romania). Piroska is keen to share her experience with other musical professionals, therefore she regularly holds masterclasses about the basics of early music for the violin teachers' community.
She is a successful violin teacher. Her pupils during the years became founders of the following early music ensembles: Capricornus, Almaviva Quartet, L’Eclisse, Fraxinella Ensemble, Solis Consort, Compagnia Bonaria.
She is also very proud of her pupils who became international professional musicians playing at the following prestigious orchestras and ensembles:
Orfeo Orchestra, Savaria Baroque Orchestra, Capella Savaria, Aura Musicale, Budapest Bach Consort, Simplicissimus, Musica Historica, Freiburger Barockorchester, La Cetra, I Barocchisti, Solamente Naturali, La Stagioni, Concerto con Anima, Ensemble Mediolanum, Main Barockorchester, European Union Baroque Orchestra, Orchester Wiener Akademie.
The young actor and musical singer Michael Ryan was born in Wellinborough in 1994. However he always wanted to be an actor and musical singer. In the secondary school he performed in a lot of shows in youth drama companies. He played main roles such as shows like: High School Musical, Grease, Troilus and Cressida, Hairspray, Spring Awakening and Sweeney Todd. He is currently study at AADA ( American Academy of Drama Arts) in Los Angeles. Michael Ryan is the master of ceremonies of Marquise Ensemble since 2013.
The actor and musical singer, Dénes Kocsis acts in the Operetta and Musical Theater in Budapest.. He is currently performing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Chris in Miss Saigon, Mozart in Mozart, Rudolf in Elisabth and in other current shows. In the years of his drama studies, he acted Joe and Nick in Fame; Maugli and Sir Kan in Jungle Book; Kenicky in Grease and Georg in Spring Awakening. On the screen he has appeared in TV series, films and talent shows, such as the Hungarian X-factor, Csillag Születik – ‘Hungary’s Got Talent’ and Megastar. Dénes is the Master of Ceremonies-Actor of Ensemble Marquise since 2005. He acted in several baroque drama pieces on stage like Master Pathelin and La Fontaine Tales.
Denes Kocsis - master of ceremonies
Christian Heisz - master of ceremonies
Christian Heisz was born in Budapest into a catholic family in 1991. Despite the fact he always wanted to be a vet, his mother took him to a casting where the six years old Christian had been chosen to a little role in a big theatre, where he got the chance to play with famous and talented actors. This experience led the boy to the ‘academy of young talents’, where he could spread his wings, and finally he became the lead child actor in many theatres in Budapest. In 1999 he had been chosen to do the Hungarian voice of Christopher Robin in Winnie the Pooh movies (singing parts). At this point he started to work as a voice actor, and featured in great movies, just like in the Harry Potter, Spy Kids, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and other hundreds of movies. Finally after graduation, he had become an actor, but still he was working as a voice actor, and began his new studies as an IT System Engineer. In 2012 he had become protestant, and got married to a protestant pastor, Flora. Christian is a massive short film fanatic, if he has the time, he is directing his own short films. For now he won five bigger awards for his films in Budapest. Nowadays he is singing in musicals in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland, and beside he studies in Budapest and London.