"For us, this is not just a job," he says of the gypsy band he founded in 1969.
"The question of what I would be doing if not being a musician has never come up.
My grandfather was a musician, my father was a musician and my son [also called Antal Szalai] is also a well-known classical violinist."
Antal Szalai and his Gypsy Orchestra have been celebrated in Hungary for more than three decades and are part of the country's cultural tapestry.
They are also ambassadors for Hungarian folk music internationally, after producing 20 albums and performing in more than 60 countries.
The orchestra was the first Romany band to perform in the Sydney Opera House but, for all its international globe-trotting, the ensemble has never played in New Zealand before.
"Just about the only country that we have never been to in the last 30 years is New Zealand and, unfortunately, we do not know too much about it, other than it has the reputation to be the most beautiful country in the world," Szalai said.
"We are looking forward to visit Dunedin and a successful festival.
We are busily preparing for the trip and studying up on Google.
"We are really looking forward to some serious sightseeing, even though our tight schedule will make this rather difficult.
"I hope that a lot of people will turn up at the festival and will enjoy our music and our traditional culture."
The concert will be a showcase of traditional Hungarian instruments and sounds, performed by virtuoso soloists Jeno Farkas on the cimbalom and Laszlo Feher on the tarogato and pan pipes.
The orchestra will also play gypsy music by Brahms and Liszt and traditional Hungarian and Spanish folk music.
"The music that we play is different from other genres," Szalai said.
"The rhythms are different, the instruments are different and the music comes from the heart. We love this music and the audience will feel this."
Hungarian Community in Dunedin co-ordinator Andras Palmay said it would be a rare opportunity for Magyars to experience music from their homeland.
"Hungarian musicians don't come here very often, because of the cost factor and because the Hungarian community in Dunedin is so small, so a lot of people are really looking forward to this."
Antal Szalai and his Gypsy Orchestra will perform at 8pm tonight in the Regent Theatre.
