For most audiences, it is rare to have the chance to see a conductor's face directly during a performance. Even the musicians on stage seldom get to know what happens behind the scenes — the conductor's preparation process, educational journey, and everyday life.

To offer a closer look, the Conducting Division of the School of Music proudly presents the "Meet the Maestro" series of academic events. This ongoing program will regularly welcome distinguished conductors from China and around the world, engaging the public through masterclasses, special lectures, open rehearsals, and experience-sharing sessions. From multiple perspectives, audiences will gain a deeper, more vivid, and authentic understanding of how each conductor thinks, makes decisions, and finds inspiration — both on the podium and in life.

Since the launch of the "Meet the Maestro" Masterclass and Lecture Series, we have collaborated with thirteen distinguished conductors from around the world, engaging in profound and heartfelt artistic dialogues that range from choral music to symphonic works. In these rare and invaluable encounters, the conducting artistry and the profound meanings behind classical masterpieces have been meticulously explored, allowing the stage and the classroom to shine brilliantly in unison.

For our 14th edition, we are honored to welcome Alpaslan Ertüngealp, Founder and Artistic Director of the Hungarian Academy Chamber Orchestra and the Budapest Bartók Symphony Orchestra. Recognized as an outstanding representative of the renowned Hungarian school of conducting from the 20th century to the present day, he served as Artistic Assistant to the legendary conductor Claudio Abbado from 2011 to 2014, earning high acclaim across the international music scene. In addition to his remarkable achievements on stage, Maestro Ertüngealp is deeply committed to music education, emphasizing its crucial role in inspiring and nurturing the younger generation of musicians.

In this event, he will open with a mini lecture, "What is Music," followed by a conducting masterclass featuring three symphonic works as a medium to deliver his message in music to the audience. This will not only be a feast of music but also an artistic exchange that transcends borders and touches the soul.

【Date&Time】

Oct. 23, 2025 (Thur.)

- 4:30 PM -

Mini Lecture "What is Music"

- 5:00 PM -

Masterclass

【Venue】

Rehearsal Hall 701, Music Practice Complex

School of Music, CUHK-Shenzhen

2 International University Park Road, Longgang District, Shenzhen

【Maestro】

Alpaslan Ertüngealp, conductor/philosopher

【Collaborative Pianists】

Jie SONG, Xiaoyu XU

【Programme】

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Egmont Overture, Op. 84

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92

I. Poco sostenuto – Vivace

Leyuan XU, conductor

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)

Symphony No. 3 in F major, Op. 90

I. Allegro con brio

Hao XING, conductor

Qiuru CHEN, conductor

*Programme is subject to change.

Admission Free.

Please scan the QR code to register.

*Once the registration is submitted, it will be considered successful. No separate confirmation will be sent; please stay informed of event updates. Please present the event poster at the entrance for campus access.

【Notice】

*Children under 1.2m are not admitted

【Maestro】

Alpaslan Ertüngealp

Alpaslan Ertüngealp is the prize winner of many prestigious international competitions, such as the ‘Janos Ferencsik’ International Conducting Competition and the ‘Prokofieff’ International Conducting Competition, as well as the winner of the 'Dimitri Mitropoulos’ International Conducting Competition. A recipient of the Hungarian 'Artisjus' Award, he conducted at the opening of the Athens Cultural Olympics in 2005 and the inauguration of the György Solti Opera Hall in Budapest in 2013. He was the Music Director of the Savaria (State) Symphony Orchestra and is the founder/artistic director of the Academia Hungarica Chamber Orchestra and Budapest Bartók Symphony Orchestra. Between 2011 and 2014, he was the artistic assistant of the legendary conductor Claudio Abbado, working with the world's leading orchestras, such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, La Scala, and Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Alpaslan Ertüngealp is recognized as an outstanding representative of the famous school of Hungarian conductors from the 20th century to the present day. In addition to his stage life, he also emphasizes the importance of music education for young generations. As a member of the international jury for the 2017 ‘Maestro! Solti’ International Conducting Competition, he founded the Szolnok International Conducting Masterclass (szolnokmasterclass.com) in the same year and served as the artistic director of the workshop until 2020. Since 2019, he has been a guest lecturer at many universities in and outside Hungary and a guest conductor to many orchestras in China. Alpaslan Ertüngealp's active repertoire includes more than 800 symphonic and lyrical works. Although most of the works in his repertoire are from the classical period (All symphonies by Joseph Haydn and W. A. Mozart, as well as many classical operas and oratorios), he skillfully and passionately interprets the works of Bartók, Britten, Rachmaninoff, Wagner, Scriabin, Richard Strauß, and the French Impressionists. From 2017 to 2019, Alpaslan Ertüngealp was the Cultural and Artistic Director of the Gül Baba's Mausoleum Heritage Foundation in Budapest. In 2018, the foundation started its cultural activities under the auspices of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The program of the foundation includes studies in the fields of history, language, ethnography, and archaeology, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, concerts, international co-productions, publications, gastronomy days, and similar cultural events. In September 2021, during the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress, attended by Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, he performed the world premiere of the Romani Mass, commissioned by Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdö for the congress and written and composed for the first time in history in the Romani (Lovari) language. Despite the restrictions due to the pandemic, Alpaslan Ertüngealp continued his multilayered activities. The most important of these are his studies in philosophy at the Pécs University of Sciences, his Ph.D. degree in philosophy and two dozen conference presentations, and more than a dozen Hungarian and international philosophical publications (most recently 'Varieties of revelation, varieties of truth - A comparative ontological study of revelation through music and sciences' and 'The 'True' in Music - Revelation of a double nature' published by Routledge). He has given talks on the philosophy of music at the 'Music Perception and Cognition' Congress in Canada and on the philosophy of Kant at the 'Kant 300' world congress in Bonn. He is the invited conductor of a new youth orchestra based in Modena, covering four regions in Northern Italy, and also a professor of music theory, philosophy of music, and conducting at the Conservatorio di Musica Vecchi Tonelli in Modena. Every year, he gives two series of seminars on Immanuel Kant and the Philosophy of Art and lectures on the philosophy of music at the doctoral school of philosophy at Pécs University of Sciences. Currently, he is in the process of a startup, the Budapest Béla Bartók Symphony Orchestra, where he is the artistic director.