Harmony of flavors and sounds – Interview with Carmen Ledinger, cultural ambassador of the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace

“What am I worth without music?” – the legendary singer Péter Máté asks himself in his song, which has since become a classic. In the history of mankind, the relationship between music and social events and dinners has become inseparable.

So, when we visit a restaurant or our favorite bar, it doesn’t matter what kind of background music we hear, since every tune can subconsciously affect our perception and mood. The right music heard in catering units or hotels can simultaneously establish a good atmosphere, make guests stay, and create positive associations with the brand of the given unit. Within the ranks of the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, the guest always comes first and the delivery of unique experiences means experiencing the highest level of luxury.

Carmen Ledinger’s work is complex, since as the cultural ambassador of the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, she is responsible for the entire musical repertoire of the Hotel – be it the pleasant background music playing in the background during a brunch in the Kollázs, or the organization of live music programs throughout the evening in the Múzsa bar.

In our country, this job is even less known or widespread outside of hotels, which you can call your own. How did you get into this position?
Before covid, I was a musician with a capital letter, I played concerts every day. Even then, I moved within the world of hotels, as I was a bar singer and I really liked this job. I also sang here at Kollázs for about six years. When this position opened, a girl I know texted me saying that when she read the ad, she immediately thought of me. A very dear friend of mine and I previously helped put together the music repertoire in other hotels, so I had practice in this, and I also graduated from higher education in this field. I understand that at the time, the number of applicants for this position broke a record.

When I got the job, the Kollázs already had acoustic performances, so originally they were looking for someone to plan the music programs at the Múzsa. At the beginning of my work, the situation was not easy, as the coronavirus epidemic broke out. There was a time when we sat in the closed hotel and tried the background music on the laptop one by one in different locations to see what the restaurant could handle, or what was too much. Then, of course, over the years, as the trends and the management change, I always try to adapt the music programs and the background music to what the vision is.

As soon as the guest enters the Kollázs or the Muse, he immediately hears and experiences the results of your work. How does the design process work? What goals have you set?

The world is changing faster and faster, and people are also accelerating with it. That’s why we wanted to update things to keep up. For example, much more electronic music was introduced. To this day, there are live bands, only now there are those who only play more party music on weekends. This sets the tone for people to continue having fun, or even stay here for that purpose. We have DJ programs: for example, we also have DJ violin and DJ flute, the range is very colorful. Also, our star program also runs on Ballet Eveningswhich a lot of people are looking for and this is the program point for which Müzsa is really known.

As the years come and go, fortunately there is room for this, that I can always add color. We have more Latin bands, but if someone likes DJs or prefers a funky or soul band, we have those here too, so we went in all kinds of directions. If we look at the weekly breakdown, we have solo pianists on Mondays, solo performers on Wednesdays, and jazz is the focus on Thursdays. I can’t name a band I’m not very, very proud of. Each of our bands is completely different and what I like about them is that no two are the same. The guest will not see the same thing on two consecutive nights, but always something different. I think this is very good.

Does the repertoire also differ musically by time of day?

Yes, it also depends on what time of day we are. Right now, for example (around 6-7 in the afternoon – the ed.) bossa nova is played in the Mússa, and in the evening an American, more soulful one takes a direction. In the Kollázs, so-called poolside music is playing, which is a bit limitless, but it creates a calmer atmosphere, while in the evening it turns into a little more rhythmic. We do the background music together with an English company.

It wasn’t easy to put together the live bands, but since I’m constantly coming and going in the city, I always keep my eyes and ears open. For example, I once went to dinner and saw a great singer-pianist boy there, I gave him a business card and asked him to write and search. Fortunately, he was in demand and has been performing with us ever since. Also, they usually look for me on Instagram and Facebook, and I also hold a casting once a year. There have been times when someone was at a casting, we couldn’t imagine it that year, but the following year he became a big favorite at Müzsa, so things always change, it’s really cool to work with so many people. Maybe even more than when I sang.

Why do you think it is important to have good music in a restaurant or bar? How can this be connected and added to culinary experiences?
I think it’s simple. Based on my own example, it is very bad to eat in a place where the music is terrible. It can be any restaurant where I sit – and if it’s like in a fitness room, it says a tuk tuk tuk – I’m like let’s get out of here. The Kopaszi Dam is a very good example of this. You walk along the promenade and there is only one restaurant where the music is good, and most of the people sit there. Even if not consciously, people prefer to sit in places where the music is good and where they enjoy the time spent. It’s good if there is still a culture somewhere to have live music and show our own talents, because we have a lot of very, very talented artists. Although I would like to add that not only Hungarians perform here, the group of musicians is also international.

What kind of feedback do you get from the guests regarding the music programs?
I am very proud of the program, because many important people come and I am always asked who is playing that day. When I watch the program, I am always reassured that it will be good and I know that he will enjoy it too. It’s a shame that people don’t stay here for a month and see all the bands, because it also varies who likes what.

If a band is new, I always collect feedback from the staff and the guests about what they thought of them. I ask everyone I meet. Some people like it and some don’t, but I pay very, very close attention because my ears are sensitive. But not only for me, the managing director (Thibaut Drege – ed.) also has very sensitive ears, because at the time he was training to be a competition pianist.

In the case of Kollázs, a change of concept recently took place. In this case, how did the music follow the gastronomic changes?
Mr. Drege, the new managing director, brought with him from France a concept of what kind of background music he wanted, and we started from the fact that he sent me songs. We identified what kind of style it was, and then we put together playlists from which he finally chose what he thought fit into it, and thus narrowed down the circle of what he really wanted.

It can be seen throughout the city that acoustic bands are starting to decline a bit and everything is moving in a different, faster, more electronic direction. That’s why we kept the acoustic Fridays and Saturdays, but there will be nights when there will be different types of bands, with the addition of brass and bass.

We try to have something extra present in each formation, which makes the music program different and different and remains strong. This is good because nobody gets bored here. Nor the musicians, because it wouldn’t be so good if the same music played every night, wouldn’t it? Neither do the guests, since they come at any time, there is always something different in the repertoire. Also, the crew is never bored – and if they enjoy the music, they enjoy the work even more.

Why should it be important for restaurants to pay more attention to music? Why should we incorporate this kind of knowledge that a cultural ambassador can provide?
Every place should have a colleague who deals with this and who is not only a music fan, but also has an ear for it. It would be very important for the guest experience. Most hotels employ external experts anyway. But on top of that, there would also be a need for an all-arts union in all the hotels, and then we would be able to talk to each other about what the trends are, what the new directions are, where the world is going. People don’t even think about it, and neither do the guests, what is the first music you hear when you enter the hotel.

Maybe it doesn’t reach conscious perception anyway, it just feels good to sit here with some words in the background and no silence, or let’s say something completely out of place. I think it’s a problem that sometimes the music in restaurants doesn’t fit, but someone just puts on music that they think is trendy right now and it doesn’t matter what the image of the place is.

What are your plans in terms of programs and musical innovations for the second half of 2024?
There is always something new, constant renewal everywhere. and musicians are also encouraged to constantly learn new songs. Gresham Palace’s birthday is coming up soon, for which we are planning a number of musical programs. But at the end of the year, New Year’s Eve is usually always a big bang, a huge party, so we always devote ourselves to it.