Szabó László
tuba
Place of Birth
Bicske
Date of Birth
1945
Orchestra
Magyar Rézfúvós Együttes (Hungarian Brass Ensemble)
/
Budapest Rézfúvós Kvintett (Budapest Brass Quintet)
Web
László Szabó was born on June 11, 1945 in Bicske, Hungary. His relationship with music began at the age of ten, when he became a member of the Pioneer Wind Band in Bicske, founded by László Kiss. He began his musical studies practically in 1959 in Győr, at the trumpet department of the Sebestyén Lantos Tinódi School of Music, where he was a student of Vilmos Ernőházi and later Frigyes Varasdy. He began studying tuba in 1963 as a student of György Zilcz, then in 1964 he was admitted to the Liszt Ferenc College of Music in Budapest, where he graduated in 1969 under the guidance of Dr. László Újfalusi.
From 1967, as a third-year college student, on the recommendation of Ferenc Steiner, he taught at the Hungarian People's Army Deputy Musician Training Vocational High School, and his professional orchestral career started as well in the Hungarian "Postás" Symphony Orchestra. From 1970, during his years in the Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera House and the Budapest Philharmonic Society, he played practically the entire opera-, ballet- and symphony orchestra repertoire.
In 1977, under the baton of János Ferencsik and later Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi he became the Principal Tuba player of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra - called the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997, with the principal music directorship of Zoltán Kocsis. Founding member of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
While working with world-renowned conductors, he has toured Europe, Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan during his 46-year long carreer as orchestra member.
His career as chamber musician has also brought him significant accolades and successes. He has contributed to the first Hungarian brass chamber music recording and several other similar productions. Winning the Grand Prix of the 1st Maurice André International Brass Chamber Music Competition in Paris with the Budapest Brass Quintet (then Renaissance Brass Quintet) had a great significance in his life. This victory was followed for about three decades by a multitude of LP-, CD- and radio recordings, TV appearances, concerts and tours from Japan through almost every country in Europe to America.
From 1982 he taught at the Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music in Budapest, and from 1988 he started working at the Academy of Music as an instructor. During his teaching activities, as participant at several professional events, he held master classes and was regular member of the jury at insrumental competitions in Hungary and abroad.
Considering the effectiveness of his pedagogical work of more than fifty years, here is a figure: since 1992 his students ranked 71 times in an upscale place in international music competitions, 37 of these, are first prizes. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career as a practicing musician and teacher.
On January 1, 2013, he retired from the National Philharmonic Orchestra, and on February 1, 2019 from the Liszt Ferenc University of Music.
Awards, honors:
1969 Honorable Tuba artist-teacher diploma
1979 Grand Prix of the 1st Maurice André International Brass Chamber Music Competition in Paris
1980, 1984 Hungarian Radio Award for Excellent Musicianship
1983, 1984, 1986 Award of the Hungarian Copyright Office (now ARTISJUS)
1985 Honorary citizen of Baltimore (Maryland, USA)
1986 Liszt Ferenc Award
1987 Bartók-Pásztori Award (As member of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra)
1989 Artist of the Year (In the orchestra)
1998 Ferencsik-ring
2004 Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association
2017 Apáczai Csere János Award
2017 Perpetual Membership from the National Philharmonic Orchestra
2018 Membership of the Public Body of the Hungarian Academy of Arts
2019 Hungarian Academy of Arts Diploma in Recognition of Music Education
2020 Honorary citizen of the City of Bicske
Academic degrees:
2000 Habilitated master (dr.habil.)
2005 Appointment as university professor
2011 Doctoral degree (DLA), title of his dissertation: Hungarian aspects of the application areas of the bass tuba
Recordings:
Eight independent recordings with the Budapest Brass Quintet.
He has contributed to composer's albums (Sándor Balassa, Miklós Sugár, Péter Eötvös, Kamilló Lendvay, Lajos Huszár).
He is a contributor to many radio recordings with various chamber ensembles
Several concerts and recordings with the Budapest Brass Quintet, including the Hungarian Radio, all German (at the time West-German) Radios, RAI, the BBC and Radio France.
Conversations with László Szabó, PhD (videos in Hungarian):
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbEVMAcJMtI
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXmH4Igvto
From 1967, as a third-year college student, on the recommendation of Ferenc Steiner, he taught at the Hungarian People's Army Deputy Musician Training Vocational High School, and his professional orchestral career started as well in the Hungarian "Postás" Symphony Orchestra. From 1970, during his years in the Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera House and the Budapest Philharmonic Society, he played practically the entire opera-, ballet- and symphony orchestra repertoire.
In 1977, under the baton of János Ferencsik and later Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi he became the Principal Tuba player of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra - called the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997, with the principal music directorship of Zoltán Kocsis. Founding member of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
While working with world-renowned conductors, he has toured Europe, Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan during his 46-year long carreer as orchestra member.
His career as chamber musician has also brought him significant accolades and successes. He has contributed to the first Hungarian brass chamber music recording and several other similar productions. Winning the Grand Prix of the 1st Maurice André International Brass Chamber Music Competition in Paris with the Budapest Brass Quintet (then Renaissance Brass Quintet) had a great significance in his life. This victory was followed for about three decades by a multitude of LP-, CD- and radio recordings, TV appearances, concerts and tours from Japan through almost every country in Europe to America.
From 1982 he taught at the Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music in Budapest, and from 1988 he started working at the Academy of Music as an instructor. During his teaching activities, as participant at several professional events, he held master classes and was regular member of the jury at insrumental competitions in Hungary and abroad.
Considering the effectiveness of his pedagogical work of more than fifty years, here is a figure: since 1992 his students ranked 71 times in an upscale place in international music competitions, 37 of these, are first prizes. He has received numerous accolades throughout his career as a practicing musician and teacher.
On January 1, 2013, he retired from the National Philharmonic Orchestra, and on February 1, 2019 from the Liszt Ferenc University of Music.
Awards, honors:
1969 Honorable Tuba artist-teacher diploma
1979 Grand Prix of the 1st Maurice André International Brass Chamber Music Competition in Paris
1980, 1984 Hungarian Radio Award for Excellent Musicianship
1983, 1984, 1986 Award of the Hungarian Copyright Office (now ARTISJUS)
1985 Honorary citizen of Baltimore (Maryland, USA)
1986 Liszt Ferenc Award
1987 Bartók-Pásztori Award (As member of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra)
1989 Artist of the Year (In the orchestra)
1998 Ferencsik-ring
2004 Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association
2017 Apáczai Csere János Award
2017 Perpetual Membership from the National Philharmonic Orchestra
2018 Membership of the Public Body of the Hungarian Academy of Arts
2019 Hungarian Academy of Arts Diploma in Recognition of Music Education
2020 Honorary citizen of the City of Bicske
Academic degrees:
2000 Habilitated master (dr.habil.)
2005 Appointment as university professor
2011 Doctoral degree (DLA), title of his dissertation: Hungarian aspects of the application areas of the bass tuba
Recordings:
Eight independent recordings with the Budapest Brass Quintet.
He has contributed to composer's albums (Sándor Balassa, Miklós Sugár, Péter Eötvös, Kamilló Lendvay, Lajos Huszár).
He is a contributor to many radio recordings with various chamber ensembles
Several concerts and recordings with the Budapest Brass Quintet, including the Hungarian Radio, all German (at the time West-German) Radios, RAI, the BBC and Radio France.
Conversations with László Szabó, PhD (videos in Hungarian):
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbEVMAcJMtI
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeXmH4Igvto