Janos Nagy
profession: pianist, composer,
arranger
After graduating form The Franz Liszt Academy of Music with a
degree in jazz piano, composing and arranging, he won first place at the Jazz
Juniors contest in Cracow, received the “Best Soloist” award at the Getxo
International Jazz Festival, and in 2003, as “Best Soloist of the Year,” he
recieved an eMeRton award. In 2005 he was given an Artisjus award. Over the
course of his carrier he played and recorded among others with Al diMeola, Alex
Acuna, Arnie Somogyi, Ben Castle, Bernard Maseli, David Murray, Dave Samuels,
Dewey Redman, Krzysztof Scieranski, Garry Willis, Paco Sery, Sangoma Everett,
Tony Lakatos and Winston Clifford.
After participating in the competition in
Vilnius, he gave a series of solo concerts in London and Prague. Not long after
forming his own trio (Janos Nagy Trio), they played together with world-famous
saxophonist David Murray at the Mediawave Festival in 2001. The concert was
later voted “The Jazz Event of the Year” by the critics of Gramofon Magazine.
In May 2002 the trio had Dewey Redman in its midst as a special guest. The trio
has since then performed in various festivals abroad (Cracow, Macau, Vilnius
and Warsaw).
In the spring of 2004 he a founded the ’Freestyle Chamber
Orchestra’. The FSCO comprises both classical and jazz musicians, including
some who prefer to ignore the strict boundaries between the two genres. By its
name and musical nature, it is known as an orchestra which represents freedom.
Its leader, Ferenc Erkel Prize-winner János Nagy, demonstrates his
multi-faceted skills as a musician, playing piano and a variety of keyboard
instruments, besides acting as composer and orchestrator. Regular collaborators
with the FSCO, bagpipe player Balázs Istvánfi and hurdy-gurdy player Béla
Szerényi contribute greatly to the ensemble’s unique sound by injecting the
musical styles of the Carpathian Basin and the folk music of other, similarly
spirited peoples.
In 2011 he formed
the Monamo. MONAMO the Hungarian jazz band made its debut in
Budapest Jazz Band in 2011. Since then they had already performed in the
Palace of Arts in Budapest (MÜPA). The band combines the creative energies of
singer-violinist Edina Mókus Szirtes, percussionist Kornél Mogyoró and János Nagy. They play own compositions,
songs written for poems by contemporary Hungarian poets, and some of their
favourite compositions. MONAMO comprises both classical and jazz musicians,
including some who prefer to ignore the strict boundaries between the two
genres. By its name and musical nature, it is known as an orchestra which
represents freedom.
He played with other bands in the past: such as Fusio (1989-91), Fortinbrass Quintet (1992-94),
Kőszegi Imre Kvartett/Kvintett (1992-94), Borbély Műhely (1998-2002), 9:30
(1996-2009), In Line (1996-2001),Class Jazz Band of Eszter Horgas (2002-2004). He
play
He teaches in the Jonh Kodolanyi University of Applied
Sciences and in the Tibor Pikethy Music Secondary School jazz piano.
In 2002, on a request from the Béla Kövér Puppet Theatre of
Szeged, he composed a one-act opera, which premiered in November 2003.
In the same year, together with co-writer Miklós Malek he
engaged in the adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen. Their collaboration gave birth to
a new piece mingling elements of classical, contemporary and jazz music. The
premiere of this featured special guest Al Di Meola. The piece was later
preformed at the Arena of Pula in Croatia.
His outstanding arrangements are: Ágnes, Eszter
Horgas, Csilla Szentpéteri, Bikini
As a soloist and studio-musician he has
contributed to more albums and numerous concerts with several well known
Hungarian artists such as Ágnes,
Almási Enikő, Romantic, Csepregi Éva, Horgas Eszter, Balázs Feco, Jamie
Winchester, Hrutka Róbert, Gerendás Péter, Pierrot, Herczku Ágnes, Lovász Irén,
Malek Andrea, Weiner-Szász Chamber Orchestra,, Hungarian Rádió Symphonic
Orchestra
Awards:
1995 the second prize at the 14th Jazz-piano Improvisation Contest in Vilnius.
1996 Jazz Juniors Competition, Krakow - best
group, best soloist
1997 Getxo International Jazz Festival – best
soloist
1998 and 200 eMeRTon prize as the Best Group of
the Year (prize of the National Hungarian Radio)
2005 Artisjus Musical Foundation's award
2011 Ferenc Erkel prize (prize of the Hungarian
Culture Department)
