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A number of lucky coincidences helped to form The Egri & Pertis Duo, starting with the fact that its members - Monika Egri and Attila Pertis - were both born in the city of Budapest. Later - again by chance - they found themselves in the same class in the Bartok Conservatory of Music. |
| After their studies in Budapest were over, it was no longer by chance that they refined their skills with the same teacher at the Vienna Music Academy, Professor Heinz Medjimorec, pianist of the Vienna Haydn Trio. In 1994/95, they attained their second diploma and the title of Magister artium at the Piano Faculty's Concert Section. | |
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In addition to their solo studies and first competition successes (Marsala, Paris, Dublin, etc.), their duo career soon began to flourish. This was first displayed at the "Hungarian Days" organized by the London Barbican Centre in 1989. |
Their first joint competition victory gave further impetus to their career at the International Two-Piano Competition held in Finale Ligure, Italy, in 1990. The jury gave them a special award for the best performance of a contemporary piece. Since then they have given regular concerts in Hungary and abroad, in the concert halls of Austria, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and the United States among others. |
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| The Egri & Pertis Duo (married since 1991) returned again as winners from Italy in 1995, having achieved success at the 11th International Two-Piano Contest in Caltanissetta. In the same year, they produced their first CD entitled "Journey Around the World", which was given an enthusiastic reception by audiences and critics alike. |
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| Having performed both as soloists and as a duo these two pianists decided in 1995 to devote themselves from that point onwards exclusively to their music making as a duo, playing either on two pianos or as a piano duet. This made it possible for them to continually and substantially expand their repertoire, which was supplemented with intensive research. The realization that only a fraction of the duo works were known and could be heard at concerts led them to their continual exploration of this exciting repertoire. |
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 Quite miraculously, as an unexpected addition to their research, the Egri & Pertis Duo acquired a true rarity, namely a musical instrument of which only a few exist in the whole world: a Pleyel Double Grand Piano made in 1904. They recorded its special sound in the CD series "Pleyel Double Grand Series", attracting the recognition of international critics (American Record Guide, Répertoire, Classics Today, Piano & Keyboard, etc.) In September 2000, the German Klassik Heute magazine's jury chose the CD "Pleyel and His Contemporaries" as recommendation of the month. |
 The 600 kilogram instrument presents enormous difficulties in transportation and so the Egri & Pertis Duo rarely give concerts on the double grand. Their debut at the Vienna Festival in May 2000 in the Musikverein was one such special occasion.In the festival's piano cycle, the duo was in the company of world famous pianists such as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Maurizio Pollini and Alfred Brendel. |
| Playing on "normal" pianos, the duo has performed as guests at several European festivals (Budapest Spring Festival, Carinthian Summer, MIDEM Classique Cannes, Bishopsgate Series London, etc.), responding to repeat invitations on a number of occasions. Among their notable overseas trips their North American tour should be mentioned. They performed in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Washington (Kennedy Center). |
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© 2004 Egri & Pertis |
In recognition of their artistic work, the Egri & Pertis Duo was given the Franz Liszt Award by the Hungarian Republic.