Snétberger Ferenc
guitar
Place of Birth
Salgótarján
Date of Birth
1957
Web
Born in 1957 in northern Hungary, guitarist/composer Ferenc Snétberger was the youngest son of a family of musicians. Early on his father, a guitar player also, became his role model. Snétberger studied classical music and jazz guitar. Today he is best known for his art of improvising and his crossing of stylistic borders. His music is inspired by the Roma tradition of his home country, Brazilian music and flamenco as well as classical guitar playing and jazz. He made numerous albums as a leader, co-leader and sideman and has toured all over Europe as well as Japan, Korea, India and the United States.
In 1995 he composed his Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, "In Memory of My People", on the occasion the fiftieth year following the end of the holocaust. Inspired by melodies of the gypsy tradition, the concerto is a powerful statement against human suffering. It has been performed by the composer himself with chamber orchestras in Hungary, Italy and Germany and also at the New York UN headquarters (International Holocaust Memorial Day, 2007).
Ferenc Snétberger performed Luciano Berio's Sequenza XI (for solo guitar) as well as concertos with orchestra by Vivaldi, Rodrigo, and John McLaughlin. He also wrote music for film and theater. On stage he performed with David Friedman, Dhafer Youssef, James Moody, Trilok Gurtu, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Bobby McFerrin and others. Snétberger in 2002 was appointed freeman of Nógrád county and in 2010 of his birth town Salgótarján. In 2004 received the Hungarian Order of Merit. In 2005 he was awarded the Liszt Ferenc Prize in Budapest.
In 2004 Snétberger founded his new trio with legendary Norwegian bass player Arild Andersen and Norway-based Italian drummer/percussionist Paolo Vinaccia. With natural ease and on the highest level the three of them bring together choice compositions, technical skills, improvisational drive and musical fantasy. Released in fall 2005, their debut album "Nomad" was greeted with enthusiasm by critics and listeners.
In the same year Snétberger's performance with Bobby McFerrin at the Veszprém summer festival (Hungary) was recorded for the DVD "Snétberger live" (solo / duo with McFerrin / trio "Nomad"). In summer 2007 Snétberger was invited by McFerrin for further duo concerts in Germany and Spain.
Snétberger's cooperation with Markus Stockhausen started in 1999 with "Landscapes", a duo suite recorded for Snétbergers album "For My People". In three movements the musicians immediately create a language of their own showing their talents in an amazing way. "They come along lightly and yet filled with melancholy - and they give the impression that one day they simply HAD to meet in order to make this music happen. You can't help but hope this cooperation will be continued soon," Ralf v.d. Kellen wrote in Intro magazine. Eight years later during which Snétberger and Stockhausen have further been stimulating each other artistically, their duo album "Streams" finally proves their development.
He was awarded with Deutscher Jazzpreis (guitar category) in April 2022.
In 1995 he composed his Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, "In Memory of My People", on the occasion the fiftieth year following the end of the holocaust. Inspired by melodies of the gypsy tradition, the concerto is a powerful statement against human suffering. It has been performed by the composer himself with chamber orchestras in Hungary, Italy and Germany and also at the New York UN headquarters (International Holocaust Memorial Day, 2007).
Ferenc Snétberger performed Luciano Berio's Sequenza XI (for solo guitar) as well as concertos with orchestra by Vivaldi, Rodrigo, and John McLaughlin. He also wrote music for film and theater. On stage he performed with David Friedman, Dhafer Youssef, James Moody, Trilok Gurtu, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Bobby McFerrin and others. Snétberger in 2002 was appointed freeman of Nógrád county and in 2010 of his birth town Salgótarján. In 2004 received the Hungarian Order of Merit. In 2005 he was awarded the Liszt Ferenc Prize in Budapest.
In 2004 Snétberger founded his new trio with legendary Norwegian bass player Arild Andersen and Norway-based Italian drummer/percussionist Paolo Vinaccia. With natural ease and on the highest level the three of them bring together choice compositions, technical skills, improvisational drive and musical fantasy. Released in fall 2005, their debut album "Nomad" was greeted with enthusiasm by critics and listeners.
In the same year Snétberger's performance with Bobby McFerrin at the Veszprém summer festival (Hungary) was recorded for the DVD "Snétberger live" (solo / duo with McFerrin / trio "Nomad"). In summer 2007 Snétberger was invited by McFerrin for further duo concerts in Germany and Spain.
Snétberger's cooperation with Markus Stockhausen started in 1999 with "Landscapes", a duo suite recorded for Snétbergers album "For My People". In three movements the musicians immediately create a language of their own showing their talents in an amazing way. "They come along lightly and yet filled with melancholy - and they give the impression that one day they simply HAD to meet in order to make this music happen. You can't help but hope this cooperation will be continued soon," Ralf v.d. Kellen wrote in Intro magazine. Eight years later during which Snétberger and Stockhausen have further been stimulating each other artistically, their duo album "Streams" finally proves their development.
He was awarded with Deutscher Jazzpreis (guitar category) in April 2022.
| Year | Title | Publisher | Code | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Nuages / Felhők | Hungaroton | SLPX 17910 | |
| 1989 | Trió Stendhal | Hungaroton | SLPX 37245 |
Own LP |
| 1991 | Earthsound | Sentemo | SNT 30191 | |
| 1991 | Snétberger Ferenc: Samboa | Sentemo | SNT 30190 |
Own |
| 1992 | Snétberger Ferenc: Bajotambo | Sentemo | SNT 30991 |
Own |
| 1992 | Trio Stendhal: Something Happened | Sentemo | SNT 30192 |
Own |
| 1992 | Zörr | Hungaroton | HCD 37669 | |
| 1994 | Trio Stendhal: Live! | Bouvard & Pécuchet | VBP 014 |
Own |
| 1994 | Snétberger Ferenc: Signature | Enja | ENJ-9017 2 |
Own |
| 1994 | Running Time - The best of László Dés | Hungaroton | HCD 37332 | |
| 1996 | Snétberger Ferenc: The Budapest Concert | Enja | TIP-888 823 2 |
Own |
| 1998 | Snétberger Ferenc: Obsession | Tiptoe | TIP-888 834 2 |
Own |
| 1999 | Snétberger Ferenc: For My People | Enja | ENJ-9387-2 |
Own |
| 2000 |
Gitár-dob párbaj
(Guitar-Drums Battle) |
Hungaroton | HCD 71010 | Jazz History 3. |
| 2001 | Snétberger Ferenc: Balance | Enja | ENJ-9432 2 |
Own |
| 2003 | Dés-Snétberger: Double Invention | TOM-TOM Records | TTCD 50 |
Own |
| 2003 | Dusko Goykovich: Samba Do Mar | Enja | ENJ-9473 2 | |
| 2003 | Joyosa | Enja | ENJ-9468 2 | |
| 2004 | Snétberger Ferenc: Nomad | Enja | ENJ-9485 |
Own |
| 2006 | Lakatos, Tony: Gypsy Colours | Skip Records | SKP 9062-2 | |
| 2009 | Babel | TOM-TOM Records | TTCD 120 | |
| 2010 | Lamm Dávid: 1st the 1 (... then the other) | X-produkció | XP042 | |
| 2016 | Ferenc Snétberger: In Concert | ECM Records | ECM2458 |
Own |