Artist database

István Elek was born on July 17, 1955, in Budapest. He began his musical studies in the music program at the elementary school on Radda Barnen Street in Budapest, where he studied clarinet under József Bakos beginning in 1966. In 1969, he was admitted to the Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music, where he earned his high school diploma as a student of István Vécsey. He began his studies in 1976 and earned a degree in clarinet pedagogy from the Teacher Training Department of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music that same year. During his college years, he became acquainted with the saxophone, and in the same year he earned his degree, he was successfully admitted to the Jazz Department of the Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music, where he studied under Miklós Siliga. His training lasted from 1977 to 1980, after which he earned a degree in jazz performance.

Between 1978 and 1980, he was a member of the Deák Big Band, and from 1980 to 1982, he played with the Budapest Grand Circus Orchestra; he then signed contracts with bands on ocean liners (T. Fregatt, Hi-Five, Society Six, Metronom). Starting in 1984, he played in drummer Iván Nesztor’s Ton and Play Quartet, then went abroad again to perform on American cruise ships with trumpeter László Gallyas’s band.

In 1989, he returned home at the invitation of saxophonist Ferenc Muck; together with some fellow horn players, they founded the Besenyő Blues Band, from which the horn section went on to operate independently as Besenyő Brass. They performed at festivals and made TV and radio recordings. In 1991, he played in the backing band for bassist and singer Jackie Orszáczky, who was visiting from Australia. Starting in 1993, he began playing in drummer Péter Szendőfi’s jazz-rock group called Fusio. From 1994 to 2005, he was a member of the band Tea, as well as the Budapest Symphonic Band. Starting in 1995, he performed with ESP and was a member of the Sax-Gang saxophone quintet. In the second half of the 1990s, he also played in the bands of Gergely Földvári, Sándor Zsemlye and Bea Tisza.

In November 2001, at the invitation of Department Chair Károly Binder, he became a saxophone instructor in the Jazz Department at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, initially as a part-time instructor and, starting in December 2007, as an assistant professor. He has long been interested in contemporary music as well; he performed at the premiere of Péter Eötvös’ opera at the Millenáris Theater and at the premiere of his chamber works at MIDEM in Cannes. In 2005 he joined the East Side Jazz Company, led by Ágnes Lakatos. From 2005 to 2010, he served as artistic director of the Budapest Jazz Orchestra. They released two albums together (2007 - Everything’s Alright and 2008 - Images). In 2009, they performed a joint concert with Grammy-winning pianist George Duke at the Palace of Arts, and a year later at the Sziget Festival.

In 2014, he formed his own band, the István Elek Quartet. The other members of the band are: János Weisz on piano; Péter Molnár on double bass; and Balázs Cseh on drums. In February 2015, he became a member of the Executive Board of the Hungarian Jazz Association.

He has received the EMeRTon Award three times: in 1992 as a member of the Besenyő Blues Band, in 1995 as a member of the TEA band, and in 2006 as a member of the Fusio Group. In 2022 he was awarded the Artisjus Educator Award.

Concerts abroad:
Japan, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, USA