Distinguished Hungarian composer Sándor Balassa’s philosophy on his music is that it ‘has to be whole, beautiful, interesting and appealing; as natural as if it were this way since the beginning of time, and so that anyone can pick it up with a feeling of joy.’ Balassa’s uniquely sophisticated textures, timbres and lyrical style can be heard here in pieces for young pianists, remarkable works originally written for cimbalom, and in the Baroque references and sweeping momentum of the Szonatina No.1. This is the first of three volumes of Balassa’s complete piano music.

István Kassai graduated as a pianist from the Budapest Academy of Music in 1982 studying in the class of Pál Kadosa. He pursued his second diploma at the Conservatoire Européen de Musique under professor Yvonne Lefébure. He also undertook several master courses, including one led by György Cziffra, who had a great impact on Kassai’s artistic development. During his career, Kassai has won several first prizes in competitions such as the International Piano Competition for Young Artists in Czechoslovakia, and the Paris International Debussy Piano Competition. He has been a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Art since 2013.