Stories from the Apple Garden is a chamber-folk ensemble led by Ilka Kisgyörgy, marking her first project as a songwriter after years of working primarily as a vocalist in traditional and experimental music. Built around voice and electro-acoustic guitar, the music blends modal folk and early-music influences with contemporary minimalism, ambient drones and electronic textures. She is accompanied by well-known artists: András Németh on hurdy-gurdy and analogue synthesizers, Ábel Dénes (Nagy Emma Quintet) on double bass, and András Halmos (Jü, Decolonize Your Mind Society) on percussion. Their debut album, premiering on November 25, 2026, is produced by András Weil (The Qualitons).
Stories from the Apple Garden traces a woman’s journey through memory, vulnerability and renewal. It moves from dense, unsettled textures toward quieter spaces, combining intimate songwriting with hurdy-gurdy, double bass, percussion, field recordings and ambient electronics. Rather than documenting trauma, it captures the slow process of returning to creativity, trust and a renewed sense of self.
The apple runs through the entire album as a central symbol of womanhood, while its release on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women adds another layer to the record.