Born: 1955, Budapest (Hungary)
Academic degree, university position: DLA, habilitated professor
Studies:
1965-1969: Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music, Budapest (from the age of 10 with a special permission)
1969-1974: Franz Liszt Academy of Music – professors: Mihály Bächer, Pál Kadosa, Ferenc Rados, György Kurtág, András Mihály
For 4 years he took conducting courses at Ervin Lukács' conductor class
1965-1969: Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music, Budapest (from the age of 10 with a special permission)
1969-1974: Franz Liszt Academy of Music – professors: Mihály Bächer, Pál Kadosa, Ferenc Rados, György Kurtág, András Mihály
For 4 years he took conducting courses at Ervin Lukács' conductor class
2002: He received his DLA degree. The title of his doctoral thesis: A study on the musical and technical challenges of the piano works by Franz Liszt
Master classes, postgraduate studies:
1973: Master class of Alfred Brendel (Cheltenham, England)
1974-1976: Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory – professor: Bella Davidovich
For many years, he was a private student of Annie Fischer
Teaching activities:
He has been teaching at the Piano Department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music since 1977 being the ever youngest faculty member to join.
Since July 2011: Head of the Keyboard and Harp Department
He has been teaching at the Piano Department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music since 1977 being the ever youngest faculty member to join.
Since July 2011: Head of the Keyboard and Harp Department
Invited lecturer, master classes:
1986: Chair of the Georges Cziffra Piano Academy in Senlise, France
1998-2000: Kobe College, Japan – Visiting professor and founder of the postgraduate study courses (Doctoral School)
1986: Chair of the Georges Cziffra Piano Academy in Senlise, France
1998-2000: Kobe College, Japan – Visiting professor and founder of the postgraduate study courses (Doctoral School)
As an invited professor, he regularly gives masterclasses and lectures at the Tokyo Geidai University, the Toho University (also at the Vienna Branch School), and at the Osaka Ondai University.
Recent masterclasses include those held in the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag, Il Conservatorio di Musica “Santa Cecilia” di Roma, McGill University Schulich School of Music Montreal, Chopin University Warsaw, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre Vilnius.
He was the director of education in the consortium of the project “L'Europe du Piano” on behalf of Liszt Academy and gave numerous classes to all selected young virtuso pianists participating in the project.
He was the member of the jury of the International Liszt Piano Competition, Budapest (2016) and the Bartók World Competition Budapest (2019)
International and Hungarian competition awards won by his students:
Mamiko Tomari – International Piano Competition, Hamamatsu 1st prize
Ivett Gyöngyösi – Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition, 1st prize, special prizes
János Balázs – Kyushu International Piano Competition, 1st prize; International Liszt Piano Competition in Budapest, 3rd prize;1st prize of the Cziffra Foundation
Naoki Sekino – Kyushu International Piano Competition, 1st prize
Benabdallah Marouan – Andor Földes Piano Competition, 1st prize; Hungarian Radio Piano Competition, 2nd prize; Bartók Piano Competition in Szeged, 3rd prize
Árpád Dányi - Andor Földes Piano Competition, 1st prize
Jenő Dányi - Andor Földes Piano Competition, 1st prize
Yuki Sugii - 14th Euterpe International Music Competition, 1st prize
Viktória Kiss Szabó – International Youth Bartók Piano Competition in Vienna, 1st prize
Yurie Machida - 8th Padova International Piano Competition, 3rd prize
Narihito Mukeda - Pietro Argento Music Competition, 4th prize
András Suki – Gaillard International Piano Competition, special prize
Balázs János, Junior Príma Prize 2011
László Váradi,
Major concerts:
He has been giving recitals all across Europe and Japan. He played with all major Hungarian symphony orchestras, conducted by Kobayashi Ken-Ichiro and top Hungarian conductors (e.g.: János Ferencsik, András Kórodi, Ervin Lukács, Ádám Medveczky, János Kovács). His concert with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Mariss Jansons in St. Petersburg, while his concert in Boston with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra by Seiji Ozawa. He regularly performs at the Liszt Academy since the major renovation of the main building.
His chamber music partners include Elizabeth Cooper, Wenzel Fuchs, Eszter Haffner, Géza Kapás, the Kelemen Quartet, András Kiss, Zoltán Kocsis, Dénes Kovács, Jevgenij Nesterenko, Jessye Norman, Júlia Pászthy, Miklós Perényi, Katalin Pitti, László Polgár, Leila Rásonyi, Wolfgang Redik, József Sivó, Miklós Szenthelyi, Tamás Vásáry.
Recorgings:
FRANZ LISZT by Kálmán Dráfi (Carrere, Párizs - 1985)
Az ismeretlen Liszt (The Unknown Liszt) - 2. album (Hungaroton, Budapest – 1985)
SCHUMANN, CHOPIN by Kálmán Dráfi (Carrere, Párizs - 1986)
Franz Berwald: Piano Trios, Volume II. (Marco Polo, Frankfurt - 1991)
William Sterndale Bennett: Piano Sextett Op. 8.
Sonata Duo Op. 32. (Marco Polo, Frankfurt - 1993)
J. Brahms: Magyar táncok (Hungarian Dances) (BMG, Athens - 1995) - conductor
J. Brahms, Polikandriotis (BMG, Athens - 1996) - conductor
The Virtuoso Contrabass of Aladár Pege - Classic Live 2001/2002 (own label) - pianist
Awards and honors:
1971: Liszt-Bartók International Piano Competition, Budapest – Special Prize
1976: Liszt-Bartók International Piano Competition, Budapest – Special Prize for the best Bartók interpretation
2012: Liszt Prize
2023: Meritorious Artist
2023: Meritorious Artist
