The Budapest Cafe Orchestra

Event Information

The BCO is a music-driven phenomenon, enthralling audiences everywhere with their infectious energy. The BCO will sweep you off your feet and stay in your heart forever. You will journey from one emotional pole to another: from a desperately tragic evocative heart-rending ancient Jewish melody to a dance from Eastern Europe and all the fiery exuberance that goes along.
Lead performer, Christian Garrick,is an improvising violinist, composer and bandleader on the international scene and is an active session player for films, tv and radio. As a teacher he is a professor of jazz and non-classical violin at London’s 3 major music conservatoires. 
In a musical maelstrom of a household his father, Michael Garrick MBE, played jazz piano, composing music all day and night-long. Meanwhile mother, Susan Robinson, taught piano and clarinet peripatetically. Some days would involve encounters with the likes of Jaco Pastorius, Spike Milligan, Nigel Kennedy or even Petula Clarke and others perhaps a trip to the Royal Festival Hall, where mum would be singing with the London Philharmonic Choir. There, a youthful Christian would brush shoulders with the likes of Olivier Messiaen, Itzhak Perlman, Klaus Tennstedt or Zubin Mheta. 

At 6, he met Stephane Grappelli at The Stables in Wavendon, an encounter that would influence him and his playing enormously.
He performed twice for the late Princess Diana. In a separate royal event he played for the Queen, Queen Mother and relations at Buckingham Palace for Prince Charles' 50th birthday celebrations. On receiving a solo fiddle rendition of Happy Birthday Prince Charles asked Christian to rewrite ‘that horrible old tune’, a request Christian met some twenty years later much to King Charles' pleasure.  In 2008 a violin concerto was written specially for him by Sir John Dankworth.  He plays violins by John Dilworth, Bodo Vosshenrich and John Jordan with bows by Pete Oxley and Kandler.

The musicians include:
Eddie Hession, button accordion. A former British accordion champion, and runner-up in world championships.
Kevin Cantlon, double bass.
Adrian Zolotuhin, Sax and strummed srrings, including guitar and balalaika.

This is an event not to be missed which will send you home with a smile!