Eugene Zádor - From the Lonely Wayfarer (Mariusz Smolij)

Information

Composer: Eugene Zádor

• Ode to Peace
• From the Lonely Wayfarer
• Song to the Memory of an Angel (arr. Mariusz Smolij)
• Lullaby for Peter (arr. Mariusz Smolij)
• Autumn Night (arr. Mariusz Smolij)
• Silence (arr. Mariusz Smolij)
• Suite for Woodwind Quintet
• Brass Quintet
• Miniature Overture

Matilda Smolij, mezzo-soprano

Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV

Mariusz Smolij, conductor

Date: 2026

Label: Naxos

_____________________

This volume highlights the intimate chamber and vocal works of Hungarian-American composer Eugene Zádor, showcasing his personal and evocative expressive style. The collection includes the Ode to Peace, composed for the seventeenth anniversary of the United Nations during the historic tension of the Cuban missile crisis. It features poignant vocal selections, such as the nostalgic song cycle From the Lonely Wayfarer and Four Selected Songs, which explore themes of love, grief, and longing. Additionally, the Suite for Woodwind Quintet and the Brass Quintet demonstrate Zádor’s compositional versatility, rhythmic vitality, and masterful instrumental characterization.

Eugene Zádor (1894–1977) was a prolific Hungarian-American composer whose early keyboard virtuosity led him to formal studies under Richard Heuberger in Vienna and Max Reger in Leipzig. After completing a doctorate at the University of Münster, Zádor taught at the New Vienna Conservatory during the 1920s while launching an active compositional career that included symphonies and operas staged by the Budapest Royal Opera. Resigning from teaching in 1928 to compose full-time, he maintained a continuous output until his death. His vast catalogue encompasses orchestral works, operas, chamber music, songs, and distinctive concertos written specifically for unconventional, "underprivileged" instruments.

Polish conductor Mariusz Smolij (b. 1962) has led over 150 orchestras across four continents, performing in major venues such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Zurich’s Tonhalle, and Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. In North America, he has collaborated with the Houston Symphony, Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago, and others. A founding member of the Penderecki Quartet, he has held key roles with the NFM Lutosławski Philharmonic, Wratislavia Cantans Festival, and currently leads the Riverside Symphonia in New Jersey. His Bacewicz recording won a 2015 Fryderyk Award, and in 2019 he received Poland’s Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit for cultural contributions.