Gypsy jazz violinist Roby Lakatos to perform April 2 at the Touhill

A recent blog entry from Jazz St. Louis' Gene Dobbs Bradford revealed that Gyspy jazz violinist Roby Lakatos (pictured) will play Wednesday, April 2 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in a concert to benefit the Hungarian-Missouri Educational Partnership (HMEP), a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to building global relationships through education.

Lakatos is a Hungarian native noted for mixing Gypsy music and jazz with classical influences. He studied music at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Budapest, and has appeared with artists and ensembles ranging from fellow jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli to the London Symphony Orchestra.

The concert is the centerpiece of HMEP's Gyspy Jazz Gala, and funds raised will go to provide scholarships for Hungarian students seeking to earn MBA degrees at Saint Louis University, University of Missouri–St. Louis, Washington University and Webster University. General admission tickets to the concert are $25 each, and can be purchased by calling the Touhill ticket office at 314-516-4949 or toll free at 866-516-4949, or bought online at the Touhill's Web site.

Patron tickets for the Gypsy Jazz Gala start at $250 each, and include complimentary valet parking, cocktails and dinner, tickets to Lakatos' performance, and a dessert reception. To purchase patron tickets, contact Kim Heasley by calling 314-725-7270 or via email at hmep@hungary-mo.org.