Artist database

8th October, 1939, Budapest - 23rd September, 2006, Budapest

He received his diploma from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in 1969, then between 1975 and 1978 he studied in West Berlin under professor Rainer Zepperitz, the solo bass player of Herbert von Karajan at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been giving concerts since 1963 playing classical music and jazz side by side. He has recorded numerous albums, for the last decade he has made two records every year: one classical and one jazz. Since 1978 he has been Associate Professor of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, now, as a retired instructor, he is still active. In 1982 he played at the Carnegie Hall with Herbie Hancock�s orchestra as a guest soloist. On that occasion the instrument of the late Charles Mingus was presented to him by Mingus� widow, who had heard Pege play earlier. Besides playing with other great artists he has given duo performances with Art Farmer, Albert Mangelsdorf, Dexter Gordon, and Walter Norris. Several honors have been bestowed on Aladár Pege. In 1964 he was selected as the Virtuoso of the Prague Jazz Festival, and in 1970 he was voted Best European Soloist at the Montreux Jazz Festival. In his home country he received the Liszt Award in 1977, in 1986 he was named Merited Artist, in 1999 the �For Budapest� Award was presented to him, in 2002 he was given the Kossuth Prize, and in 2003 the Inter Lyra Award. His life and art has been discussed in a monograph written by Géza Riskó.