Katona Twins guitar duo

Award Winner 2004

The Hungarian born Katona Twins, Peter and Zoltán, have performed throughout the world at venues which include the Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Centre in New York; the Suntory Hall in Tokyo; the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; the Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall in London; the Forbidden City in Beijing; Alte Oper in Frankfurt and the Philharmonie in Cologne. The twins studied in Budapest, Frankfurt and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. They have won numerous prizes, including the prestigious guitar duo competition in Montelimar, France. The wide repertoire of the duo spans from Scarlatti to Piazzolla’s tango music. Their programmes also include concertos for two guitars and orchestra by Rodrigo, Vivaldi, Bach and Tedesco. Michael Berkeley, Judith Bingham, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez and several other contemporary composers have written for and dedicated works to the Katona Twins; as the result of a YCAT commission, Michael Berkeley composed a double concerto for performance by the twins with the London Sinfonietta at the 2004 Cheltenham International Music Festival. The Katona Twins have broadcast frequently for the BBC and other international television and radio stations. Recordings include music by Scarlatti, Handel, Rodrigo, Albéniz, Granados, de Falla and Mozart. Their recording of Rodrigo’s Concierto Madrigal was editor’s choice in Gramophone Magazine. A CD with the Carducci Quartet featuring works by Piazolla was released in 2004 and a further recording with the Carducci of Vivaldi was released in 2007 and was selected as CD of the week in The Daily Telegraph.