Date, place of birth: 1985, Miskolc
Subject: organ, repertoire, organ studies, chamber music
University post: senior lecturer
Studies:
2000-2003: Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music, Miskolc – organ, piano, music theory (teacher: Gabriella Mátyus Andrássyné, Klaudia Kádas, Gábor Papp)
2003-2008: Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music – Organist, teacher diploma (teacher: Gábor Lehotka)
2008-2012: Hochschule für Musik, Würzburg – Organist soloist diploma, Church musician with degree, choir conductor (teacher: Prof. Dr. Christoph Bossert, Prof. Dr. Jörg Straube)
2008-2010: Musikhochschule, Trossingen/Universita Tor vergata, Rome – Organ expert (coordinator: Prof. Dr. Michael G. Kaufmann)
2012-2015: Universiteit Utrecht/University College Roosevelt, Middelburg – PhD musicology (consultant: Prof. Dr. Albert Clement)
Recordings:
Dialog der Tasten I – Messiaen, Reger (HfM Würzburg)
Dialog der Tasten II – Muffat, Böhm (HfM Würzburg)
125 Jahre Orgelbau Seifert Kevelaer – Franck, Fink (Organum Musikproduktion)
Max Reger: Zwölf Stücke für die Orgel Op. 59 (Organum Musikproduktion)
Principal concerts:
Berlin Cathedral, Cathedrale Notre-Dame Paris, Schwerin Cathedral, ION Festival Nürnberg, Waltershausen, Ulm Münster, Freiberg Cathedral, Konstanz Münster, Hamburg St. Petri, Hildesheim Hohen Cathedral, Bachwoche Ansbach, Ottobeuren Basilica, Budapest Spring Festival, Müpa Budapest, Berlin Orgelpower Festival, Wien ev. Stadtkirche, Zürich St. Anton, Ljubljana IMAGO Music Festival.
Church music activities:
2001-2009: Miskolc, Vasgyár Reformed Church
2004-2005: Budapest, Kőbánya St. László Church
2003-2008: Budapest, Szent Mihály Church
2010-: Rapperswil, Stadtpfarrkirche St. Johann (Switzerland)
Orchestra membership:
2012-: Camerata Castello (Switzerland)
Teaching activities:
2011-: Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
2013-: Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music
2014-: Hochschule für Musik Würzburg
Posts as guest professor, principal master classes:
Germany, Switzerland, France, Poland, Estonia, Hungary.
Prizes:
2011: International Organ Competition, Nürnberg – 1st prize
2009: International Organ Competition, Biarritz – 1st prize, special prize
2007: International Organ Competition, St. Maurice – 1st prize
2014: International Organ Competition, Chartres – 2nd prize
2009: International Organ Competition, Wiesbaden – 2nd prize, audience prize
2008: International Organ Competition, Heidelberg – 2nd prize (1st prize not awarded)
2004: International Organ Competition, Opava – 2nd prize, special prize
2010: Junior Prima prize
2010: Miskolc City Award for Excellence
2008: Person of the Year in Miskolc
Activities as an organ specialist:
Budapest, Liszt Academy Grand Hall. Reconstruction of the Voit & Söhne concert organ (IV/74) built in 1907.
Freiburg, Münster. Assessment of the state of the swallow’s nest organ and documenting its restoration. 2010 (commissioned by Orgelbau Metzler AG, Switzerland)
Miskolc, Kossuth Street Reformed Church. Restoration of the Op. 368 József Angster and Son organ (II/19) built in 1901.
Óbuda, Reformed Church. Reconstruction of the Sándor Országh and Son organ built in 1899 and its enlargement in the spirit of Országh (II/12).
Hajdúböszörmény, Kálvin Square Reformed Church. Total restoration to the 1914 state of the Op. 890 József Angster and Son organ (III/38) with the reconstruction of the pneumatic controller. (Phase 1 2014, phase 2 2015)
Activities as a restorer:
Complete restoration of the Alexandre-Erard Piano-Orgue in the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum collection.
Performances:
- 2009: Southern German string registers. (Szent Ferenc Sebei Church, Budapest)
- 2009: Impact of the Alsace organ reform movement on Hungarian organ life. (Avilai Nagy Szent Teréz Church, Budapest)
- 2010: Die Hydra von Aquincum (Würzburg, Hochschule für Musik)
- 2010: Historicism in modern organ construction (Ferenc Gergely Memorial Day)
- 2011: Liszt and the organ (Ferenc Gergely Memorial Day)
- 2011: The harmonium (Evangelical Cantor Teacher Training School Fót)
- 2012: Voruntersuchungen zur Restaurierung und Rekonstruktion der Voit Orgel der Musikakademie Budapest (Tallin)
- 2013: In the shadow of the swastika – The roots of Neo-Baroque ideology (Ferenc Gergely Memorial Day)
- 2013: Presenting the history and restoration of the Piano-Orgue from the Ferenc Liszt bequest (Old Academy of Music, Liszt Museum)
- 2013: Liszt’s singing piano (Old Academy of Music, organized by the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music Doctoral School)
- 2014: In the circle of Liszt (Poznan)
- 2014: Karg-Elert und das Titz Kunstharmonium (Douai, Internationale Max Reger Akademie)
- 2015: Übersicht der Literatur für Kunstharmonium (Giengen, Internationale Max Reger Akademie)
Publications:
2014: “Länderbericht Ungarn”: Orgel/Orgue/Organo/Organ/2011 publisher: ZHdK – Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (ISBN 978-3-9809-23279 Verlag Organum Buch, DE-74613 Öhrigen edition 1 2014)
2011: Egy ideális orgona Budapesten /An ideal organ in Budapest/: Magyar Egyházzene XVIII. évf. 2010/2011, pp 71-83
2010-2014: “Hajdúböszörmény, Bocskai téri ref. templom. Az Angster orgona állapotfelmérése, teljes dokumentációja és restaurálási tervének elkészítése, a munkák műemléki engedélyeztetése.” /Hajdúböszörmény, Bocskai Square Reformed Church. Assessment of the state, complete documentation and preparation of the restoration plan of the Angster organ, licensing of the work/
Plzeň (Czech Republic), Koranda Church. Assessment of the state, drafting of the restoration plan, documentation of the Urban organ. 2010
Liszt Museum, Budapest. Assessment of the state, drafting of the restoration plan, documentation of the Ferenc Liszt Piano-Orgue 2011 (commissioned by the Stiftung Kulturgut Orgel foundation)
Contact: info.szabobalazs[at]gmail.com