Gyula Bánkövi
Hungary
was born in Dunaujváros, in 1966. Started to get to know arts already at the age of 6: studied ballett-dancing, playing the piano, then the bassoon. At the age of 14, his relationship with arts was interrupted as he was devoted to searching for the hidden secrets of nature, and wanted to become geologist rather than artist. At the age of 16, discovered again that art is a remedy for everythin: Turned his attention to the curious world of jazz first, then that of comtemporary music. Strated to study composing under Miklós Kocsár, and continued it under Attila Bozay, at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music. Maintained a close connection with nature, further on too, as shown also in his first successful composition entitled Hydrophony (expressing the eternal reccurrence of water). He is interested in a wide range of genres: composes for greater chamber orchestras, childrens choirs, brass-bands, solo viola, percussion instruments and elecronics alike. Won several prizes at different competitions for composers. He is enthusiasticly seeking after new soundings as well unusual possibilities of ensembles of exceptional instruments affording special aesthetical experience. Since 1992 has been working for the Bartók Channel of Hungarian Radio as editor or specials series. His work at the Radio includes, of course, dealing with and popularizing comtemporary Hungarian music as well as monitoring, selecting, orderning the disque novelties of the world market, and editing them into the broadcast.
- Some prizes:
- Istvánffy Benedek prize (2000 - Silverwinged Butterflies),
- Proposed work on the Rostrum of Composers in Amsterdam (2000 - Silverwinged Butterflies),
- Proposed work on the Rostrum of Composers in Wien (2003 - Accord/ion/ concerto),
- Erkel Prize (2004),
- Second prize of the Composers' Competition in Memoriam Attila József (2005 - Distant Song),
- Proposed work on the Rostrum of Composers in Paris (2007 - Les fleurs du vent),
- The composition of the year in Hungary - Artisjus Prize (2007 - Les fleurs du vent)
- Lajtha Prize (2010),
- Bartók-Pásztory Prize (2012),
- Prize of the Third International Composer's Competition - in Memoriam Zoltán Kodály (2012 - Négyes-hatos)
- Prize of the UMZF Composer's Competition - in Memoriam Béla Bartók (2015 - Zöldfény-udvarú éj)
- Stage works:
- Struggles (percussions instruments for four players) /10'/ (1991), Recording - Hungarian Radio (1996),
- Gaspard de la nuit - after Ravel /50'/ (2004-2005), Recording - Hungarian Composer's Union (2005),
- Orpheus /55'/ (2005), Recording - Hungarian Composer's Union (2005), Short version in use /12'/.
- Works for unaccompanied choir:
- Ave Maria No. 1. /6'/ (2003),
- Magnificat /4'/ (2008),
- Hétpupú zivatar /Thunderstorm of the seven humps/ (for children choir /in Hungarian language/) /8'/ (1992),
- Fejenagy /Big-head/ (for children choir /in Hungarian language/) /8'/ (1994),
- Capriccio senza parole (for children or girl choir /without language/) /3'/ (2013),
- Ének a hegyekből (Singing from the Mountain) (for children or girl choir /without language/) /6'/ (2014),
- Spleen (for mixed choir /in French language) /9'/ (2014),
- Ave Maria No. 2. (for girl choir with violoncello) /7'/ (2017).
- Work for solo voices:
- Miserere - for four soloists (counter-tenor, 2 tenor, bass /in Latin language/) /18'/ (2001), Recording: Hungaroton HCD 32344 https://music.apple.com/us/album/silver-winged-butterflies-miserere-porte-lenfer-hungaroton/547731361.
- Works for voice with accompaniment:
- Two songs - after the poems by Puskin (sopran, piano /in Hungarian language/) /6'/ (1986).
- Work for solo voice with chamber ensemble:
- Consciousness (for bariton voice and chamber ensemble after poem having the same title by Ferenc Szabo /in Hungarian language/) /12'/ (1997), Recording: Hungaroton HCD 32344 https://music.apple.com/us/album/silver-winged-butterflies-miserere-porte-lenfer-hungaroton/547731361.
- Works for orchestra:
- Accord(ion) concerto (for accordion and large orchestra) /14'/ (2002), Recording - Hungaroton HCD 32344 https://music.apple.com/us/album/silver-winged-butterflies-miserere-porte-lenfer-hungaroton/547731361
- Les fleurs du vent (for large orchestra) /18'/ (2005), Recording - Hungaroton - SACD https://music.apple.com/us/album/b%C3%A1nk%C3%B6vi-towards-light-hungaroton-classics/496680730
- Distant song - in memoriam Attila József (for large orchestra) /25'/ (2005),
- Figures in a Landscape (Figurák a táblán) (for large orchestra) /12'/ (2010), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2010).
- Works for chamber orchestra:
- Current (Sodrás) (for piano and string orchestra) /16'/ (2002), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2002),
- Exclamations (for two marimbas and string orchestra) /15'/ (2002), Recording - Hungaroton SACD https://music.apple.com/us/album/b%C3%A1nk%C3%B6vi-towards-light-hungaroton-classics/496680730
- Al secco - al fresco (for chamber ensemble and sopran voice) /10'/ (2007), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2011), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBCx4sxhq8s&feature=related
- Itinerant Spaces (Vándorló terek) /13'/ (2010), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2010),
- Works for solo instruments:
- Gli ultimi sospiri degli alberi (for flute) /7'/ (1997), Recording - Hungarian Radio (1999),
- Floating (for Accordion) /7'/ (2005), Recording - Hungarian Radio( 2006),
- Corale - in memoriam Luciano Berio (for piano) /6'/ (2011), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2013) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLl9DZJmKcQ
- Re-Petit-Ív (for Flute) /4'/ (2015), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2015).
- Chamber music:
- Brass-segments (for brass quintet) /10'/ (1995), Recording - Hungarian Radio (1995),
- Les souvenirs de Pierrot (for Tuba and Piano) /6'/ (1988),
- Dream and reality (for Violin and Piano) /7'/ (1996), Recording - Hungarian Radio (1997),
- Dialogue (for four Flutes) /6'/ (1998),
- The flowers of the memory (for Pipe and Cembalo) /7'/ (2000),
- Angeldance (for four Flutes) /8'/ (2005), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2005),
- Dissoluzioni (Attűnések) (for three Accordions) /8'/ (2003), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2004),
- Duo-phantasy (for Violin and Cymbal) /8'/ (1996), Recording - Hungarian Radio (1996),
- I misteri delle montagne lontane (Pianoforte per quatro mani) /10'/ (2006), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2006),
- 4x4 (for Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Tuba) /10'/ (2010), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2010),
- Invisible Footsteps (for five Violas) /10'/ (2015),
- Crystals of the wind (Szélkristályok (for Flute, Oboe, Vibraphon, Viola and Violoncello) /8'/ (2016),
- Dancing Stones (Táncoló kövek) (for Violin, Clarinet and Bass Marimba) /7'/ (2016), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2016)
- Electroacoustic music:
- Hydrophonie (Tape-music) /8'/ (1991), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfwrmjrI_3A,
- Pictures from the past (Tape-music) /7'/ (1992), Recording - Hungarian Composer's Union,
- The Sound of the soul (A lélek hangja) - sound poem on the basis of fragments of Zemplén /32'/ (1997), Recording - Hungarian Composer's Union,
- Silver-winged Butterflies - acoustic phantasy (for flute, violoncello and electroacoustic) /10'/ (1999), Recording: Hungaroton HCD 32344 https://music.apple.com/us/album/silver-winged-butterflies-miserere-porte-lenfer-hungaroton/547731361,
- The Gate of the Hell - after the sculpture having the same title by Rodin (for string quartet and electroacoustics) /19'/ (2001), Recording - Hungaroton HCD 23244 https://music.apple.com/us/album/silver-winged-butterflies-miserere-porte-lenfer-hungaroton/547731361,
- Lux aeterna (for mixed choir and electroacoustic) /15'/ (2006), Recording: Hungaroton SACD https://music.apple.com/us/album/b%C3%A1nk%C3%B6vi-towards-light-hungaroton-classics/496680730
- Les fleuves de l'obscurité (for string quartet and electroacoustics) /26'/ (2008), Recording - Hungaroton SACD https://music.apple.com/us/album/b%C3%A1nk%C3%B6vi-towards-light-hungaroton-classics/496680730
- Painted by the Time (for two Flutes, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Trombone, Violin, Viola, Violoncello and electroacoustics) /15'/ (2010), Recording - Hungarian Radio (2010).
- A világ vagyok - A Harmadik Magyar Köztársaság kikiáltásának 20. évfordulójara kiírt zeneszerző verseny díjazott alkotása, József Attila A Dunánál c. versének utolsó két versszakára /2'/ (2009),
- Változatok:
- No.1. - gyermekkar-vegyeskar-zenekar,
- No.2. - vegyeskar-zenekar,
- No.3. - vegyeskar zongorakísérettel,
- No.4. - vegyeskar a cappella,
- No.5. - egyszólamú vegyeskar zongorakísérettel,
- No.6. - egyszólamú egynemű kar zongorakísérettel.
Each composition is published by Hangvarazs Bt. H-1126, Budapest, Márvány utca 29. II/5.