The Honvéd Gypsy Band of the Honvéd Ensemble is characterised by the duality of tradition and exceptional variety.

As for the first one: the orchestra is a traditional gipsy band as regards its structure with a virtuoso first violinist, strings, a soloist dulcimer player and a clarinettist. Yet this chamber orchestra of 12 players has some extraordinary characteristics that explain their unusual repertoire.

Beside traditional, gipsy entertainment music - the so called czardas music or café music - and the accompaniment of dance performances, they play compositions by the greatest of music literature, the arrangements of Liszt and Brahms, passionate Spanish gipsy compositions, the evergreen operettas of Strauss, Lehár and Imre Kálmán in a manner that compares to classical chamber ensembles.

The leader of the orchestra is Antal Szalai, one of the best first violinists in Hungary who himself started to make music at this ensemble at the age of 16 and he has been leading them for 37 years now with extraordinarily good taste and high demands.

This is not accidental that they were the first gipsy group ever to perform at the Sydney Opera House.

The orchestra toured in the United States, Australia, Japan and almost every European country with memorable success.

During the past five years they played 20 concerts in 13 countries. They have released dozens of records and they are often seen and heard on Hungarian television and radio stations.