Winner of the coveted Ferenc Liszt Award, Antal Szalai became leader of the Hungarian Gypsy Orchestra in 1969 and has long been considered the best gypsy violin soloist in the world.

``Tradition is so important to the Gypsies. To me it's very important that people get the chance to hear our music,'' Szalai said.

``As time goes by, it gets less exposure. We need to keep it alive. I try to to share my passion for Gypsy music with the audience.''

The Sydney Morning Herald described the show with its traditional Gypsy folk, csardas, roma and verbunk as ``a must-see, whatever your musical tastes''.

The band includes acclaimed musicians Jeno Farkas on cimbalom, Laszlo Feher on panpipe, tarogato and clarinet, Kalman Bakos on viola and bracsa and Jeno Hosszu on double bass.

The Antal Szalai Gypsy Band will be at Dural Country Club, this Sunday, October 18, at 5pm.

To book, call 96511600.