Artist database

This is the Artist Database of BMC, which includes information about composers, musicians, orchestras, choirs and groups that are either Hungarian or Hungarian by origin or live in Hungary, as well as information about releases recorded with them.

Kovács Zoltán


Composer

Place of Birth
Budapest
Date of Birth
1969

 
Zoltán Kovács was born in Budapest in 1969. He began to learn to play the piano at the age of 7. Later, at the age of 13, he started to play the bassoon. He continued his studies at the Bartók Béla Vocational School of Music, where he was taught composition by Miklós Kocsár and bassoon by László Hara, Jr. In 1987, he was admitted to the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. There, his composition professor was Emil Petrovics, while he learned to play the bassoon from Tibor Fülemile and Gábor Janota.

It was in these years that he wrote his first orchestra piece (Accompanying Music – 1988), which made him a recognised figure, and whose recording with the Radio Orchestra earned him a special award from Hungarian Radio in 1990. In 1991, he won the audition of the Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera House for the place of first bassoonist. From 2001, as a member of the ‘Concordia Wind Quintet’, he participated in several concerts in Hungary, as well as abroad.

He received his composer diploma in 1993, and this was the occasion at which his ‘Violin Competition’ was performed by Ágnes Soltész and the orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera House (conducted by János Kovács). Between 1994 and 1996, he taught orchestration and score reading at the Academy of Music.

Since 2012 Zoltán Kovács has been a member of Hungarian Academy of Arts.

Awards
2007 Artisjus-Prize
2008 Benedek Istvánffy-Prize
2009 Ferenc Erkel Prize
2021 Bartók-Pásztory-Prize
 
Year Title Publisher Code Remark
2019 Puskás Levente és Váradi Judit: Tetra Magánkiadás ISRC HU-AK5-1900001
 
Title Type Year
The Knock-kneed Lad Mixed choir 1995
Knights of the Round Table Ensemble 2002
Adagietto String orchestra 1995
Grant Me Tranquillity Choir a cappella 0
Amor Sanctus Solo voice(s), choir & orchestra 2003
Ave Maria Mixed choir 2008
Capriccio Brasiliano Chamber Music 2001
Dream Dances Concerto 2000
Elegy and Tango Chamber Music 2014
Elegy and Tango - Hommage a Piazzola Orchestral work 2019
I Went to the Forest Children's choir 0
Espagna Instrumental solo 2002
Flute Quintet Chamber Music 1997
Violin Concerto Concerto 1993
Three Songs on Attila József´s Poems Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) 1992
Three Dances (In memoriam Erkel) Symphony orchestra 0
Bassoon Concerto No. 1 Concerto 1996
Symphony No. 1 - After the Legend of Saint Agnes Symphony orchestra 2001
String Quartet No. 1 Chamber Music 1991
Basson Concerto No. 2 Concerto 2012
Symphony No. 1 Orchestral work 2013
Come to me Female choir 2007
Double Concerto for Trumpet, Trombone and Orchestra Concerto 2007
Chinese Poems Female choir 2005
Accompanying Music Solo voice(s) with orchestra 1988
Missa Pannonica Solo voice(s), choir & orchestra 2018
Moldavia Chamber Music 2004
Moldavian Cantata Solo voice(s) with orchestra 1998
Musica di maggio !to be determined 0
Folksong Reminiscences Chamber Music 2013
Rhapsody for Saxophone and Piano Chamber Music 2017
Brass Quintet Chamber Music 0
Scottish Ballads Solo voice(s) with solo instrument(s) 2023
Sinfonietta String orchestra 1997
Spagna Instrumental solo 2002
Capricious Serenade String orchestra 2006
Sonatina for Viola and Piano Chamber Music 2007
Taormina Pictures - I. Full Moon in Taormina Symphony orchestra 2015
Tisza Symphony orchestra 2023
Árpád Tóth Reminiscences Chamber Music 2017
Vae Victis Symphony orchestra 2003
Waiting For You Female choir 1989
Dream Dances - Clarinet Concerto Concerto 2000
Dream Dances No. 2 Chamber Music 2008
Dream Dances No. 3 Chamber Music 2009