Artist database

Csaba Tűzkő (1964) started playing music at age ten in the city of Szeged. After graduating from the Jazz Department of the Béla Bartók Conservatory in 1986 he moved to Paris then to Sydney where he lived until 1994. During the years he spent abroad, he played with René Urtereger, Alby Cullaz, and George Brown, and was a member of the Sydney North Side Big Band. After his return to his home country, he played in prominent Hungarian jazz formations including the Szakcsi Generation Band, Malek Andrea’s Five Seasons, the Hot Jazz Band, and the Elemér Balázs Quintet. Presently he plays Moldvan folk music with the band Fanfara Complexa, and since 2002 has been leading and composing for his own groups. The music of the Csaba Tűzkő Septet makes use of the forms and harmonic movements of classical music, the most characteristic feature of jazz, namely improvisation, and the power of Eastern European folk music to create a special atmosphere. The Septet plays solely Tűzkő’s compositions and folk music arrangements, which can be heard on two CDs: Clangorous Stone (2002) and Spring Greeting (2003). Tűzkő will bring his quintet to the festival, which includes members of his Septet, and they follow a similar direction with their music.