Born: 1955, Budapest
Academic degree, university position: senior lecturer
Studies:
1962-1973: primary level music studies Music Pedagogy Collective in Szentendre, then State Music School in Szentendre – piano and accordion specializations
Instructors: Mrs. János Schmidt, Mihály Szári, † Tibor Papp, †Lajos Frank
1973-1977: secondary level music studies
Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music – organ and composition specializations
Instructors: † Endre Virágh (Organ), Gábor Lehotka (Construction of Organs), Zsuzsa Szabó, Lajos Kertész (Piano), Márta Sz. Farkas, György Sólyom (Music Literature), Éva Sipos (Solfége), György Tornyos (Music Theory), Miklós Kocsár (Composition, Harmony)
1982: Janus Pannonius Science University Faculty of Teacher Training, Pécs – Musical Education major
Instructors: Aurél Tillai, Valér Jobbágy (Choir Conducting), Péter Lányi (Piano), † Sándor Kígyós (Aesthetics), Jenő Ujvári (Cultural Theory, Leadership)
1981: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Ethnomusicology, post-gradual scholarship to study folk music
Consultant: Professor Dragoslav Devič
1997-1999: Budapest University of Technology, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Budapest – Public Education Leading major
Consultant: István Bábosik
In his thesis paper he examined the characteristics and common features of classical music and folk music.
Teaching experience:
1985: Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music – substitute teacher
2002-: appointed director of Kalász Art School, Budakalász
2001: founder of the tambura specialization at the Secondary School of Music in Vác
2000-2002-: external lecturer at the Hungarian Dance Academy
From the 2007-2008 academic year: Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music – instructor of plucked instruments at the Folk Music Department
Over twenty years of experience in adult education of music and dance. He has taught and tested multiple generations of choir conductors, folk song club leaders, children’s dance and folk dance instructors, and choreographers in category "C” and “B” training courses and higher education courses all over the country (Sárospatak, Győr, Székesfehérvár, Zsámbék, Tata, Budapest), and in Vojvodina and Slovakia.
From among his students from Budakalász and Vác, members of the Söndörgő Ensemble (Salamon Eredics, Áron Eredics, Dávid Eredics, Attila Buzás, Szlobodán Wertetics, György Bokros) achieved the great successes. They won the 2nd Folk Music Competition of Magyar Rádió, the special prize of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, have collaborated on multiple CD’s of the barn dance movement, released a solo album, and successfully performed at the Liszt Academy.
Ensemble memberships:
At the beginning of his music career, he was drawn to piano and organ music, especially to Bach's music and chamber music. Around the same time, South Slavic folk music grew closer to his heart. In Szentendre, Ponáz, Budakalász and Csobanka, cities where he was growing up, Serbian families still speak their language, and keep their religion, songs, dances and customs alive. Having experienced this and being of Serbian heritage himself, he has consciously helped preserve Serbian musical culture since he was young.
Founding member of Vujicsics Ensemble, and leader since 1974. The ensemble has been licenced by Filharmónia Hungary since 1978, and its line-up has changed little since then. The countless number of successful concerts and honours received in Hungary and abroad prove that the long-nurtured artistic conception of the ensemble (traditional rendition of authentic folk music and quality performance thereof) is the conveyor and source of high quality chamber music experience. Over the 30 years of its operation, the Vujicsics Ensemble has prominently presented valuable traditions of the homeland with its performing and creative successes at home and abroad. Due to its collecting, scientific and popularizing activities, his ensemble has become a top professional workshop of the folk music movement, strengthening the identity-consciousness of ethnic Serbians and Croatians in Hungary, and giving momentum to heritage conservation, to institutional folk music education, and to the spread of integrative art education.
Recordings:
Contributing musician on several recordings of folk music ensembles and solo artists: Kalyi Jag, Los Andínos, Vents d' Est, Ökrös, Zengő, Söndörgő, Fonó (Hegedős), Kárpátia, Tamás Kobzos Kiss, Gyöngyi Écsi, Bea Palya, Villő.
Other albums to the recording, releasing and editing of which he significantly contributed by collecting, composing or adapting music:
1992: Croatian folksongs and dances
1981: Vujicsics Ensemble: Délszláv népzene LP [South Slavic Folk Music LP] - winner of "The Album of the Year" Award
1986: Somogyi szomszédok [Neighbours in Somogy County]
1987: Szerb és horvát népzene [Serbian and Croatian Folk Music]– released in several countries of Europe, Japan and the USA
1997: Samo sviraj" CD
1999: Vujicsics 25" – Celebratory concert at the Liszt Academy CD
2000: Vujicsics Ensemble: Délszláv népzene [South Slavic Folk Music] CD
2001: "Podravina" – Croatian dances along the Drava CD
2000: "Együtt a jövőnkért" [Together for Our Future]– The debut CD of the Kalász Art School, sponsored and released by, among others, the Vujicsics Ensemble, for charity
2002: Jávor Choir: „СЕНТАНДРЕЈСКА СЛАВА" the liturgy of the Serbian Pilgrimage in Szentendre
2004: Bartók Béla szerb népzenei gyűjtése – Fonogramok a Bánátból 1912 [Serbian Folk Music Collection by Béla Bartók – Phonograms from the Banat Region 1912] (CD EXTRA: CD-AUDIO and CD-ROM 2004), editor, as part of the IZVOR series providing the source materials
2004: Horvát népzenei hagyományok Magyarországon I. [Croatian Folk Music Traditions in Hungary I.] CD
2004: Horvát népzenei hagyományok Magyarországon I. [Croatian Folk Music Traditions in Hungary I.] CD
2004: Kalászi kánta –hét éves a Kalász Művészeti Iskola [Chant of Kalász – Kalász Art School celebrating seven years of operation] – double CD
Teaching experience:
The historic achievements of folk music, folk dance research and the barn dance movement have inspired him to dedicate himself to Hungarian folk traditions, as well.
1982-2006: staff member of the National Cultural Institute in charge of professional methodology, education and minority matters of the entire instrumental folk music section
1990-1992: Music Division of Magyar Rádió, editor
1994-1996: Pest County Cultural Information Centre, staff in charge of musical culture
He has held lectures at the Municipal Pedagogy Institute in Budapest, the Art Education Conference in Sárospatak (1999), the Folk Music School of Óbuda, and the Primary School Education College in Budapest. He has served as jury member or president at several folk music and folk dance certification events, national art and academic competitions, and as curator of tenders.
He has been a consulting editor of secondary level folk music core curricula, and leading specialist of the folk instrument curriculum of primary level music schools and the material of the intermediate level licencing examination.
An outstanding achievement of his professional career is assistance with the establishment of the Folk Music Department of the Liszt Academy of Music in 2007. He had an essential role in the fine tuning of the successful strategy resulting in the historic move, in the establishment of the department, and in initiating and determining the accreditation process of the principal studies. Alongside Liszt Academy President Dr. András Batta and Prof. Pál Richter, he had participated in the work of the task force in charge of plans for the new department, starting in 2003.
Miscellaneous professional activities:
He has initiated and actively participated in music events related to traditions of Serbians living in Szentendre, Budakalász, Pomáz and Csobánka, since the 70's. (Szentendre Summer, Szentendre Theatrum, Szentendre Pilgrimage, Vujicsics Barn Dance Festival, Vujicsics Ensemble concerts on the grounds of Barcsay Museum, Vujicsics Memorial Festival). Originator of community radio broadcasting (founder of Civil Rádió). Managing editor of Fesztivál Rádió based in Budakalász (1995), artistic director of Duna Rádió in Szentendre (1995-1996).
He has been researching Béla Bartók’s early Serbian phonograph records, early 20th century gramophone records and the folk songs collected by Tihamér Vujicsics, to make preparations for the publication of indispensable source materials for academic purposes. A successful concert series in spring 2002 at the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy was organized as part of this publication project.
Main publications:
His most important work directly related to music education is editing a textbook series of an experimental curriculum for institutional folk music education, the “Népzenei füzetek" [Folk Music Notes], which lasted for eighteen years (1982-2000).
The first of the series consisting of 24 volumes is A népzenekutatás története [The History of Folk Music Research] by Benjamin Rajeczky. The rest of the series contains the results of the work and experiences of a young generation of folk music researchers: modern aids for teaching folk music instruments including audio materials, and collections of examples, in which fingering, bow playing techniques, stoppings, ethnographic and sister art relations, and the execution of ornaments and decorations are presented in a didactical structure.
He has been the organizer of the "Barn Dance - Folk Music" recording competition since 1985, and the editor (and in most cases music director) of the LP’s (1989-1993) and the CD’s (1993-1999) of the Barn House Festivals.
Memberships:
Association for European Folklore Centre
1998-: Vujicsics Association, President
2002-: Kalász Artistic and Educational Foundation
1995-: Testvérmúzsák Foundation, founding member
Public Foundation for Szentendre, board member
Dunakanyar Pedagogy Union, member of the presidium
National Professional Organization for Hungarian Art Education, member of the presidium
Prizes and awards (with the Vujicsics Ensemble):
1976–1977: Ki mit tud? ("Who knows what?"; a multi-genre talent show on the Hungarian National Television)
1986: PRO URBE SZENTENDRE
1997: Commemorative Medal for Pomáz
1998: Saint Sava Award of the Ethnic Serbians' Local Government in Hungary
1999: Líra Prize
1999: Award for the Art of Pest County
1999: Minority Award
1999: eMeRTon Award
2005: Ministerial Certificate of Appreciation from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage of Hungary
2006: Sound of Balkan Award
Honours:
2003: Award for the Art of Pest County
2006: Leó Weiner Music Pedagogy Award
2013: For the Minorities Award
2014: Kossuth Prize
Contact: gabor[at]vujicsics.hu