Biography
I was born in 1964 in Budapest, Hungary. I
frequently attended classical music concerts with my music-teacher parents and,
at the age of 10, I took up piano lessons. In spite of my tolerant teachers, I
was attracted to rock music and changed to guitar at the age of 15 and founded
several rock groups in high school. I became familiar with the music of Emerson,
Lake and Palmer, King Crimson and Frank Zappa in 1981; however, the Choral
Fantasy of Beethoven also had a great impact on me. The latter led me to choose
classical, rather than jazz study and, with my entrance piece "Fekete Hangulat",
went to study at the conservatory in 1982, with Kocsár
Miklós, a highly open and creative teacher.
In the autumn of 1986, together with Péter Pejtsik (cello) and Gábor Egervári (flute),
I founded the group After Crying. Our aim was to create "contemporary, but
listenable" music. For a year, we had been listening to contemporary composers
like Schönberg, Stockhausen, Boulez and Ligeti, but we all realised that this
music was not our path. Instead, we found what was authentic for us in the
contemporary music roots of the music of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, King Crimson,
Frank Zappa and Laurie Anderson. Following this, we found our distinct direction,
which found a favourable audience reception in the time frame of 1990-91.
I left After Crying in the summer of 1994, due to personal and artistic reasons
and since then, I have pursued a solo career.
In 1995, I founded the group Townscream, which disbanded in April of 1999,
mainly due to the lack of the possibility of rehearsals and concerts.
Together with my bands, as well as a solo musician, I have given concerts in
several countries throughout Europe and North America, the U.K., Portugal,
Israel, Germany, Canada and Yugoslavia, to name a few.
In 1996, I received a church organist diploma.
I have released several solo CDs since 1999, gradually shifting back towards
classical music. My aim is to create authentic contemporary music based on the
classical tradition, but using undertones of rock.
I have composed more than 40 pieces of incidental music for theaters throughout
Hungary.
Since 1995, I have been happily married to violinist Gyermán Júlia. We have four
children: Péter (born in 1996), Anna Flóra (1997), Laura (2000) and Luca Zsófia
(2002).
From 1999 to 2002, we lived in the city of Pécs, where my wife played with the
Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra; since 2002, we have been living in Szentendre,
where I am an organist in a Catholic church, a great joy for me.
From January 2003 to 2005, I presented two series of lectures: the first was
devoted to the problems of light (rock) music [remark: rock and its related
genres are often classified as light music in Hungary], while the second series
was devoted to the analysis of the works of rock legends (Zappa, ELP, King
Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, etc.), as well as a piece by the Hungarian group
Kolinda.
In November, 2004 I founded Kairosz, a group consisting of a string quartet and
keyboards. Our first experiments with electronic music were received with
antipathy. Since we altered our sound in favor of a pure acoustic setting, we
experience a careful approach.
In the autumn of 2004 I started to write a Requiem, which premiered in 2005, in
Kaposvár, Hungary.
Since February 2005, I have been a guest lecturer at the Aesthetic Department of
the University of Pécs. I have given two courses so far: "The Aesthetics of
Light Music" and "Twentieth-Century Music Aesthetics and Music Theory Systems."
This opportunity, besides being a great honour for me, is a great source of joy
as well: I have experienced how talented and open, although often misunderstood,
the young generation is!
In August, 2005, I composed Consolatio (for choir), comissioned by the Origen
Conference held in Pécs, which was performed by the choir of the Pécs Bazilika
with great (and unexpected) success.
My wife and I continue our organ-violin
concert series "Lélektánc" (Dance of Spirit).
Presently, I am working on the final touches of a trombone quartet, finishing
the Requiem and composing new pieces for Kairosz.