For sure, you have already learnt about the blissful effects Mozart’s music have on plants. Perhaps you even tried and it has been approved.

Now, you as a human being are different than plants in such, that you have not only nervous system but a beating heart and a brain producing serious cognitive activity. Let’s see what you gain if you switch from pop to classical music!

Smoothes your nerves

Let’s begin with your nerves. Today so much information drift in our everyday life. Messages, influences from various channels, instantly, and they demand instant reply. This continuous availability results in multitasking, whether you try to avoid or not. Listening to some smooth tune, for example the organ works of J. S. Bach, is equal to a wellness weekend for your nervous system.

2. Helps focusing

Speaking of multitasking, which is not supporting your improvement in any sense, finding your focus is essential. Some of us can work only in total silence, but there are other tasks which require high level concentration, such as cooking or composing an important mail. If you switch repetitive pop music to such classics as for instance George Handel’s masterpieces, you’ll be surprised how much advance you make in short time!

3. Best company for relaxation

Taking a bath and have no idea where to find some undisturbing tune? You definitely should put on W. A. Mozart! His playful tunes are never get too much, and warms your heart up from inside!

4. Make connection between people

Have you ever joined a classical music concert? For sure, other kinds of concerts connect the audience, because you dance for the same rhythm, move together, have the same experience. However, attending for example an organ concert, is not about moving together, you just sit tight. Yet, it means a higher level connection, because the force of classical music is so ancient, that evolutionary human beings connect together to the divine sound. Don’t believe? Give it a try!

5. Improves your brains functions

It is an understood fact, that art has blissful effect on your cognitive activity. It improves memory, deallocates such connections between neurotransmitters, otherwise could never been available. As your body needs workout, your mind too: if you wish for some more exciting activity than sudoku, join a concert, or put on Ferenc Liszt and let your brain do the rest.

6. Boosts creativity

Classical music as art is complex. Parts, tunes, instruments, rhythm are all in harmony, evokes different feelings and states of the mind. Whenever you listen to such music, your mind processing this complexity, and by that, creative energies flood you through. Especially if you attend a concert for example a such complex masterpiece as Verdi’s Requiem, and you can see how all the parts and instruments harmonized by the move of the conductor, this experience will work further in your brain for the good of your creativity!

7. Brings peace and love in your heart

Last but not least, cosy and intimate tunes of classical music cheer up your soul, warm up your heart, and bring joy to your life. Instead of sleeping pills, try to put on F. Schubert’s Ave Maria or any other piece you find peaceful, and see how balanced you get in no time!

In this series we kindly invite our readers to get our artists, soloists, organ players and singers know better. You can read here not only their curriculum vitae but beyond: their personal musical experiences, habits and freetime hobbies let you peep behind the scenes, and convince the doubters of even if they create something divine on the stage, musicians are human beings after all.

Our first artist to introduce is András Virágh, organ player of the Basilica, conductor of many choirs, currently the professional ETUNAM Chamber Choir sounds familiar from our Saturday Organ & Choir concerts.
András was born in Hungary, and started his musician career in the Bela Bartok Conservatory in Budapest and got his diploma on organ player and teacher at Ferenc Liszt Music Academy. Music was inherited in his genes, given that his father – and teacher at the same time, Endre Virágh was a famous conductor and organist in Budapest. His mother supporting Endre’s musician activities, sang in his choir too. Actually time came, when son conducted to his mother in the same choir. It may not surprising that András’s brother, Gábor is a musician as well, plays jazz overseas.
Given this heritage, and stamina for fighting with all the rivals and bureaucracy, András has won several awards since his career started, just to mention the most outstanding ones: he got the Ferenc Liszt Prize, and the Major Hungarian National Prize for Outstanding Artistic Work, made award by the government of Hungary.
His vocation can be measured not only in his prizes but in his great discography as well: he recorded complete organ works for the greatest Hungarian composers, such as Ferenc Liszt and Zoltán Kodály. Moreover, he continued with recording complete organ works for Cesar Franck and even for J. S. Bach as well! Latter is big favourite of his, he plays Toccata and Fugue in D minor by heart, which you can listen on our Monday concerts by the sound of the great pipe organ.

And now let’s get behind the scenes and learn some fun facts from András!

Is there any moving, touching musical memory from your childhood?
Actually, yes, my first significant musical experience. I was listening to my father, Endre Virágh’s organ concert sitting next to the pipe organ. When he was playing Fugue E minor from Bach, I felt suddenly as the bench i was sitting on started to lift, and I found myself in total astonishment. I think, this was the most important motivation for me to start musician career, this moment I still can feel. Later, on my own concerts I had similar experiences, and I think, this is that we can perceive from eternity through music.

Any funny memory you’d like to share?
Of course! I was 5 when at the 10AM Mass in the Parish Church of Budapest my mother was the organist. Since she missed buying icecream for me before the service, i needed to bribe her: if I don’t get my icecream after the service, I won’t hesitate and will step on the organs pedalier. Obviously, she had no choice but promise me that icecream.

A musical career is full of surprises, do you remember any embarrassing event on your concerts?
Sure, I played for a youth concert in the Hall of the Music Academy for primary school students. The coordinator of the program naturally was trying to handle the event, and could until the organ started to sound loud. From then on, the children got encouraged and tweeting had been going on till the last loud harmony of the organplay. When I finished, they were so loud like in a sport hall, and got so terrified of themselves that all of a sudden shouting became silence.

May we ask what are your practice habits? Being such a great artist, one can think you don’t need that much time…
This is not true, professionalism doesn’t depend on how many awards one have. Usually I practice 2-3 hours a day, but when I prepare for a concert, it can be more, depends on the complexity of the music. Ideally, with 4-6 hours practice a day I can prepare for any kind of concert.

What do you do, when you don’t play organ?
I love to spend my time in my vacation house in Badacsonytomaj, I can switch myself off best in the nature. In our family lake Balaton is a forever lasting love, and everything belongs to it, therefore now I learn sailing.

1. It is among the largest buildings in Budapest, and definitely the biggest church there. Basilica has the same height as the Hungarian Parliament with its 96 metres (315 ft) high peak. This height is the maximum limit according to the urban architect laws in Budapest, which can be considered as a symbol that secular and christian arm is equally important. To climb up and see the breathtaking 360 degree panorama of Budapest, one has to take 364 stairs – or get into the elevator.
2. Before a temple was established there, the former building served as a theatre, even animal fights were held in the place. In the beginning of the 19th century started the plans of building a church after a temporary one operated there. After half a century of construction, for 1905 the today shape of the Basilica was done. Even the famous architect, Miklos Ybl was participated planning this monumental building in the heart of the city.
3. St.Stephen’s has altogether six bells. Five smaller in the left side tower, and one in the right side. This latter is called just like the Basilica itself: Saint Stephen, named after the very first king of Hungary. It is the biggest bell in the country, weighs 9250 kilograms and can be heard only twice a year (expect some other special occasions): once at the kings national celebration on the 20th of August, and at midnight on New Years Eve. Four bells of the five smaller were named after Hungarian princes and saints and was founded in Passau 1993, except the one dedicated for Virgin Mary founded by Ferenc Walser in 1863 in Pest, which is the biggest among the others with its 3100 kgs weigh.
4. The great pipe organ of the Basilica was made in 1905, by József Angster. The disposition specification and size may remind experts of the French principles, due to the fact, that Angster studied at the famous Aristide Cavaille-Coll in Paris, therefore follows the structure the French style. The case of the organ was made by cabinet-maker Endre Thék. This instrument was improved many times in the last century. The last renovation was in 1982, when she got a new, 4 manual keyboard, a new frontage and 13 additional registers. It now has thus 93 registers, 6507 pipes! The largest is 10 meters, while the smallest one is only 6 millimeters, little more, than ½ centimeter! No doubt, this pipe organ is the greatest and most beautiful instrument of Budapest.
5. +1: Speaking of which, if you are about to fulfil the astonishing experience of wondering around the monumental walls of St.Stephen’s Basilica with listening of the marvellous sound of the great pipe organ, you can make that twice a week! You can choose shorter (and economical) concerts on Mondays or the exclusive ‘2 organs – 2 soloists’ Friday conterts, on which you also have the chance to observe how the big organ sounds compared to the smaller one. Keep in mind, the smaller you can listen to anytime, but the great pipe organ can be heard only at our Monday and Friday concerts.