The Capella Savaria is the oldest chamber orchestra in Hungary to play on authentic instruments, and the ensemble's latest joint recording with conductor Nicholas McGegan features two Mozart serenades with solo violinist Zsolt Kalló. Serenades were a popular genre in the 18th century, and were usually written for special events (betrothals, weddings, the birth of children in wealthy families). For a court musician like Mozart, serenades represented an excellent source of income: in 1776 he wrote ten such occasional works, including the two pieces on this recording. Zsolt Kalló is a Hungarian violinist, and the concertmaster and artistic director of Capella Savaria. A student of Eszter Perényi at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Kalló graduated in 1990 with honors, and he continued his studies with Sándor Végh. Kalló has performed with Sonora Hungarica, Concerto Armonico, Aura Musicale, and the Orfeo Ensemble, and he is a founding member of Trio Antiqua and the Authentic Quartet.