Jazzation Presented by Liszt Academy

Jazzation remembers the Hungarian-born Pannonica Rothschild in its brand-new programme debuting in spring 2021. As the youngest child of Charles Rothschild and Baroness von Wertheimstein of Oradea, Kathleen Annie Pannonica had everything she could wish for. Yet she still longed for something other than wealth could give: a life free of conventions and genuine independence. Not only for herself but every person. In 1952, while staying with a friend she heard Thelonious Monk’s legendary recording Round Midnight and she was so taken with the music that she missed her flight and never returned to her family. She settled in New York and dedicated her life to jazz, becoming a patron of musicians. She did this at a time when segregation was the norm in the United States and there were mutterings of disapproval due to the relationships between the white baroness wearing a pure white stole and three stranded pearl necklace and black musicians. Hungary’s number one a cappella jazz ensemble, whose members were also called on by Bobby McFerrin for his concert in Budapest, undertake an unusual recollection of the past: Jazzation, winner of several international major prizes, pay tribute to ‘jazz baroness’ Pannonica in this programme debuting at the Liszt Academy. The concert accompanies Nica through her remarkable life journey from the imposing parental home to the exciting world of New York jazz. This is not the first themed concert in Jazzation’s 15 years of existence: in 2018, a suite adaptation of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (with symphony orchestra accompaniment) was prepared for them, and in January 2020 a choral cantata on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was created. These proved to be an overwhelming success alongside the ensemble's principal profile, jazz and world music adaptations.