Artist database

Károly Binder - pianist, composer, university professor and leader of university department - was born 2 April 1956 in Budapest. After finishing Bajza Primary music school between 1962-1968, he recieved his high school final exam at Kölcsey Ferenc High School. After finishing his classical musical education - from the age of 5 - he was accepted to Bartók Béla Music Academy on Jazz Faculty. He graduated in 1979, his master was Mr János Gonda. While graduation he continued his classical education privately. He received his degree with a reward in 2000 at Liszt Ferenc Music Academy, Teacher Training Institute, on Jazz Faculty as a jazz-pianist, teacher, jazz-composer and orchestrator and as a jazz-theory lecturer. In 2003 he recieved a degree at Liszt Ferenc Music Academy - on music, vocal, solfeggio, music-theory and conductor.

He taught at Erkel Ferenc Music school (jazz-pianist, jazz history, jazz theory teacher), Liszt Ferenc Music Academy on Jazz Faculty (jazz-piano, jazz-composing, instumentation), Liszt Ferenc Music Academy - Budapesti Teacher Training College Jazz Department (docent, head of department, jazz-piano, jazz-composing, instrumentation, jazz-theory teacher), then from 2007 Liszt Ferenc Music Academy - Head of Department at the Jazz Faculty, university professor.

He is a well-known performing and recording artist both in Hungary and internationally. He has given concerts and held workshops in London (Royal Festival Hall), Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Cologne, Vienna, Athens, Ankara, Cairo, Duisburg, Essen, Freeburg, etc. During the previous years he has been playing in different formations and with many different artists: Binder Band; Binder Quartet: Mihály Dresch (sax), Róbert Benkő (bass), János Weszely (drums); Binder Quintet: Károly Friedrich (trombone), Tamás Tóth; Amadinda; Pangea, Group 180, Béla Faragó, László Dés, Gyula Lukács, Ferenc Körmendi, Ágnes Szakály, Balázs Berkes, Elemér Balázs, János Egri, Gábor Juhász, György Vukán, Kálmán Oláh, László Süle, Attila Lőrinszky, Mihály Borbély, Gyula Csepregi, Endre Juhász, Szabolcs Szőke, Péter Szalai, András Dés, Csaba Faltai, Gábor Bruzsa, Kornél Fekete Kovács, Tibor Csuhaly Barna, György Jeszenszky, Ágnes Lakatos, Tamás Berki, Béla Lattmann, Ákos Benkó, Tibor Fonay, Andrea Szulák, Júlia Hamari, Márta Sebestyén, Zsolt Kaltenecker, Béla Zsoldos.

As well as he has been performing with the following international artists: Harry Becket, John Tchicai, Theo Jörgensmann, Eckhard Koltesmann, Berndt Köppen, Trilok Gurtu, Ramesh Shotam, Federico Sanesi, Charlie Mariano, Barre Phillips, Günter Sommer, Jirzi Stivin, Marilin Mazur, Connie Bauer and Johannes Bauer.

He won both the International Jazz Piano Competition in Kalisz in 1981 and the Hungarian Radio Grand Prix in 1986 with a work entitled Kontinentspiel. He also received the eMeRTon Prize as the Pianist of the Year in 1989 and made his first recording for two pianos in the same year in Hungary. His CD Dance Music was Record of the Year in 1991. He was awarded with the Erkel Prize in 2003. He was rewarded by the Ludwig Maximillian University in 2011. 2 years later, in 2013 he was the winner of Gramofon Hungarian Jazz Prize. He's been awarded with Artisjus Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and with János Gonda Prize in 2022. In 2022 International Liszt Ferenc Album Prize was given to Binder Music Manufactory. In 2024, he was awarded the Prize of Merited Artist of Hungary and the Bartók Radio's György Vukan Jazz Prize.

He has appeared on radio and television and has written the scores for a number of motion pictures and productions for the theatre. He has also composed more than 400 pieces for piano, orchestra and chamber ensemble.