Pianist Éva Polgár is a sought-after recitalist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, educator, and adjudicator. Critics praise her for her “intelligent interpretations” (Funzine Magazine) and “emotional power” (New York Concert Review). Her dedication to her native Hungarian culture resulted in researching Béla Bartók’s piano arrangements of his original orchestral compositions and specializing in Franz Liszt’s music. Her solo album titled Liszt: Harmonies patriotiques et religieuses was released under Hunnia Records. She has appeared on BBC World Service’s program “The Forum: Franz Liszt – Hungarian pianist and painter in sound” as a panelist and expert in the field. In the realm of cross-disciplinary endeavors, she collaborates with visual artist Sándor Vály. Their experimental music albums released under Ektro Records have been broadcasted by the Finnish Radio.
Polgár has toured the Americas, Asia, and Europe. As Hungary Foundation’s Cultural Ambassador of the Year in 2022, she performed a full program comprised of the musical treasures of Central Europe and Hungary at prestigious venues such Carnegie Hall in New York City and Nichols Concert Hall in Chicago. Her latest concerto performances have included appearances with conductors Horst Förster at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig and Tamás Vásáry at the Danube Palace in Budapest, and Okko Kamu at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Her chamber music debut recitals with violinist Kristóf Baráti and clarinetist Bence Szepesi at Carnegie Hall and with pianists László Borbély and Gábor Varga at the Kennedy Center received high critical acclaim. Furthermore, she has concertized with Klára Csordás (voice), Márta Ábrahám (violin), and Vilmos Szabadi (violin) among other renown artists. Her long-standing duo partner is Lisa Bost-Sandberg (flute), with whom she recorded Asha Srinivasan’s virtuoso opus, Utthishta.
An avid promoter of contemporary music, Polgár actively collaborates with composers and new music performers. Her solo and collaborative repertoire ranges from Pierre Boulez to rising composers. As the InterSpheres Trio, flutist Lisa Bost-Sandberg, percussionist Jacob Harpster, and Polgár built a remarkable performance history together, commissioning and premiering i/o (2017) by Daniel Tramte and dualith (2017) by Balázs Horváth, among performing other trio and duo repertoire on their national and international tours. She recently gave the world premiere of Andrew S. Lloyd’s of Préludes: Book II at the University of Texas at San Antonio, supported by the Barlow Endowment.
Polgár has won top prizes in competitions including the 2012 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (LAILC). She has been elected co-director of LAILC together with Dr. Katherine Hickey in 2017, which empowers her to foster young musicians at their early stage of professional career. To support her endeavors in mentoring rising talents and promoting the musical heritage of Franz Liszt, the Hungarian Academy of Arts has awarded her a three-year grant to design an impressive number of twenty-nine concerts in Hungary and the U.S. between September of 2020 and August of 2023.
A graduate of the Franz Liszt University and the Sibelius Academy, Polgár earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of North Texas (UNT). Her former mentors include Jenő Jandó, Hamsa Al-Wadi Juris, Lívia Rév, Orsolya Szabó, and Adam Wodnicki. A committed educator and adjudicator, she has appeared at masterclasses, festivals, and competitions such as LAILC, the Bogotá International Piano Festival in Columbia, East China Normal University, Pacific Stars International Piano Competition, Southeastern Piano Festival, and many more. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Piano and head of the keyboard department at East Tennessee State University. Besides her teaching appointment, she is the president of the Appalachian Music Teachers Association, an elected member of Board of Directors at the Southern California Chapter and the national organization of the American Liszt Society.
www.evapolgar.com
