As part of its 50th anniversary year celebrations, Manchester Camerata has released a brand new, short digital film about its musical director Gábor Takács-Nagy, who has led the orchestra since 2011, in collaboration with filmmaker and photographer Joseph Lynn.
The film is the third in Camerata’s digital film series, Untold, first launched in 2020. Fusing music performed by Camerata musicians with film and original poetry, Untold explores and shares the individual stories of the orchestra’s “nearest and dearest” – from its musicians and collaborators to those whose lives have been impacted through participation in Camerata’s community engagement work. Each film centres around a different person telling their own truth, and is bound by the same goal – ‘the healing power of music’ – a phrase coined by Takács-Nagy himself, and one which has both inspired the orchestra and his career to date.
Set to a soundtrack chosen by Takács-Nagy himself, Untold: Gábor reflects on the highs, lows, challenges and achievements of his life. From his early start as a violinist aged eight to his enrolment at the Franz Liszt music school in his home town of Budapest aged 18, his life with the Takács Quartet – performing over 1000 international concerts in its 17 years and latterly, and an equally successful career as a renowned conductor. Takács-Nagy shares anecdotes and experiences, truths and pivotal moments in his life – many for the first time – in this beautifully shot, short film.
Takács-Nagy will next conduct Manchester Camerata at the Stoller Hall on September 23 in the orchestra’s Mozart, Made in Manchester Series. This is a collaborative series between Manchester Camerata and Chetham’s School of Music who together have embarked on a five-year project to perform and record all of Mozart’s piano concertos. It also brings together eminent pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet with Takács-Nagy, to perform at Chetham’s concert venue.
