Kálmán Balogh
Encyclopedia
Kálmán Balogh is one of the foremost Hungarian
cimbalom players, descending from a famous dynasty of Hungarian Gypsy musicians. His virtuosity is matched only by his understanding and respect of his heritage. A graduate of Franz Liszt Academy of Music of Budapest
, he has completed many successful tours throughout the world with various ensembles, including five tours in North America
. In 1985 he was awarded the Hungarian distinction of "Young Master of Folk Arts", and two years later he won second prize in the Aladár Rácz cimbalom-competition.
, and he has toured around the world with various ensembles
, including five tours in North America. In 1985 he was awarded the Hungarian distinction of "Young Master of Folk Arts", and two years later he won second prize in the Aladár Rácz cimbalom-competition. As an artist he has performed with such Hungarian bands as Jánosi, Ökrös, Téka, Méta, Muzsikás
, Zsarátnok, Vízöntő, Vasmalom, the Swedish
Orient-Express, the Dutch
Sultan and Ot Azoj, the English
Transglobal Underground
, the American Peter Ogi and the Joel Rubin
Jewish Ensemble. The cimbalom, a sort of oversized hammer dulcimer played with mallets like a vibraphone, possesses piano like percussive abilities to drive a band rhythmically or take the melodic lead.
He was musical director of the "Magneten Gypsy Show" of Andre Heller
and also performed on a CD with the Budapest Festival Orchestra
playing Brahms Hungarian Dances
. In 1997, he performed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic
Orchestra and also with the Miami Philharmonic Orchestra.
and jazz
both at home and abroad.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
cimbalom players, descending from a famous dynasty of Hungarian Gypsy musicians. His virtuosity is matched only by his understanding and respect of his heritage. A graduate of Franz Liszt Academy of Music of Budapest
Franz Liszt Academy of Music
The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...
, he has completed many successful tours throughout the world with various ensembles, including five tours in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In 1985 he was awarded the Hungarian distinction of "Young Master of Folk Arts", and two years later he won second prize in the Aladár Rácz cimbalom-competition.
Life
He is a descendant from a famous dynasty of gypsy musicians. He is a graduate of Franz Liszt Academy of Music from BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, and he has toured around the world with various ensembles
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, including five tours in North America. In 1985 he was awarded the Hungarian distinction of "Young Master of Folk Arts", and two years later he won second prize in the Aladár Rácz cimbalom-competition. As an artist he has performed with such Hungarian bands as Jánosi, Ökrös, Téka, Méta, Muzsikás
Muzsikás
Muzsikás is a Hungarian musical group playing mainly folk music of Hungary and other countries and peoples of the region. Established in 1973, it has also played works by classical composers, especially Béla Bartók, who himself collected folk tunes...
, Zsarátnok, Vízöntő, Vasmalom, the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Orient-Express, the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Sultan and Ot Azoj, the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Transglobal Underground
Transglobal underground
Transglobal Underground is a London-based music collective who specialise in a fusion of western, oriental and African music styles...
, the American Peter Ogi and the Joel Rubin
Joel Rubin
Joel Rubin is a Jewish musician known for being a leading performer of klezmer music.He studied with Richard Stoltzman and Kalmen Opperman, attended the California Institute of the Arts and received a BFA from the State University of New York at Purchase. Rubin holds a Ph.D...
Jewish Ensemble. The cimbalom, a sort of oversized hammer dulcimer played with mallets like a vibraphone, possesses piano like percussive abilities to drive a band rhythmically or take the melodic lead.
He was musical director of the "Magneten Gypsy Show" of Andre Heller
André Heller
Franz André Heller is an Austrian artist, author, singer and actor.- Biography :Heller was born in Vienna into a wealthy Jewish family of sweets manufacturers . His almost daily visits to the Café Hawelka were in his opinion a key element in the development of his literary orientation...
and also performed on a CD with the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Budapest Festival Orchestra
The Budapest Festival Orchestra was formed in 1983 by Iván Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis, with musicians "drawn from the cream of Hungary's younger players", as The Times put it...
playing Brahms Hungarian Dances
Hungarian Dances (Brahms)
The Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms , are a set of 21 lively dance tunes based mostly on Hungarian themes, completed in 1869.They vary from about a minute to four minutes in length. They are among Brahms' most popular works, and were certainly the most profitable for him. Each dance has been...
. In 1997, he performed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic
Brooklyn Philharmonic
The Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, commonly known as the Brooklyn Philharmonic, is an American orchestra based in the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City...
Orchestra and also with the Miami Philharmonic Orchestra.
Kálmán Balogh and the Gipsy Cimbalom Band
Balogh regularly plays with the Gipsy Cimbalom Band. The group performs Hungarian folk music, as well as classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
both at home and abroad.
International tours
Balogh has toured across Europe, the U.S. and Canada since 1985.Albums
- Balogh Kálmán & the Gipsy Cimbalom Band: Roma vándor (1995)
- Gypsy Music From Hungarian Villages (1996)
- Balogh Kálmán & the Gipsy Cimbalom Band: Gipsy Colours (1997)
- The Art of The Gipsy Cimbalom, ARC Music Productions Int. Ltd. (1998)
- Balogh Kálmán és a Romano Kokalo: Gipsy Colours, FolkEurópa (1999)
- Balogh Kálmán - Gipsy Jazz, Rounder Records Corp (1999)
- Balogh Kálmán & the Gipsy Cimbalom Band: AromA, FolkEurópa (2003)
- David Murray, Kovács Ferenc és Balogh Kálmán & a Gipsy Cimbalom Band, Fonó (2005)
- Balogh Kálmán: Karácsonyi Örömzene, Gryllus (2005)
- Balogh Kálmán - Korpás Éva: Ó, szép fényes hajnalcsillag – Hungarian folksongs for Christmas, FolkEurópa (2005)
- Balogh Kálmán & the Gipsy Cimbalom Band: Aven Shavale, FolkEurópa (2007)
- Balogh Kálmán & the Gipsy Cimbalom Band: Live in Germany (2007)
- Balogh Kálmán & the Gipsy Cimbalom Band: Délibáb, FolkEurópa (2010)
Contributions
- Szvorák Katalin: Dalvándorlás, Hungaroton (1986)
- Márta István: Kapolcs riadó (1987)
- Muzsikás: Ősz az idő (1989)
- Téka: Feljön a nap (1989)
- Vízöntő: Gitania Express, Hungaroton-Gong Kft. (1990)
- Vízöntő: Best,Quint (1991)
- Cimbalomos Világtalálkozó (1991)
- Transylvanian Portraits,Koch World (1992)
- Zengő (1994)
- Ökrös – Balogh Kálmán: Hippoglassus Hippoglassus, Around Sound Studios(1994)
- Ando Drom (1995)
- Jánosi együttes: Rapszódia - LISZT és BARTÓK forrásokHungaroton Classic LTD., (1995)
- Budapest Ragtime Band: Trubadurr, Hungaroton Classic LTD., (1995)
- Cserepes Károly: Kivándorlás (1896-1914) (1996)
- Üsztürü Zenekar: Szárazfának muzsikája, Fonó Records 1997)
- Joel Rubin Jewish Music Ensemble - Beregovski’s Khasene (1997)
- Ökrös: Bonchida, háromszor (1997)
- Kallós Zoltán: Idegen földre ne siess, (1997)
- Ot Azoj Klezmerband: The Heart of Klezmer,Oreade Music (1998)
- Gypsy Folk Music From Transylvania, Rounder Select (1999)
- Kiss Ferenc: Nagyvárosi bujdosók, Etnofon (1999)
- Zengő: Víg óra (1999)
- Jézus születése FOLK-OPERA 2000 (2000)
- Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
: Revisited, BMC Records (2000) - Cintece ale romanilor din Ungria (2000)
- Vasmalom II., Vasmalom III., Periferic Records (2001)
- International Cimbalom Festival, FRÉA Records (2001)
- Kiss Ferenc: A Héttorony hangjai, Etnofon (2001)
- Ökrös: Elindultam szép hazámból (2001)
- Herczku Ágnes: Arany és kék szavakkalFonó Records (2002)
- Mitsoura: Mitsoura,Bartha Bt. (2003)
- Nem megyünk a másvilágra: Gömör – Kishont megye falusi bandáinak emlékére (2003)
- Tükrös: Vígan legyünk!, FolkEurópa (2003)
- LezKlez & Kálmán Balogh: „Ostinato”, LezKlez (2003)
- Üsztürü: Az Öregeké, FolkEurópa (2004)
- Tizenkét Banda: Erdélyország, FolkEurópa (2004)
- Fonó együttes: Túlparton, Hungaroton Records (2004)
- Válogatás: Hangvető 2004-2005, FolkEurópa (2004)
- Parno Graszt: Járom az utam, Fonó (2004)
- Zerkula János és a Szászcsávásiak, Balogh Kálmán, Vizeli Balázs, FolkEurópa (2004)
- Szvorák Katalin: Áthallások - magyar népdalvariánsok, Hungaroton Records (2004)
- Szvorák Katalin: Pünkösd Közép-Európában, Hungaroton Records (2005)
- Hangvető válogatás 2006-2007, FolkEurópa (2005)
- Agócs Gergely: Kilencz Ballada, Fonó (2005)
- Ökrös: Így kell járni..., Gryllus (2006)
- Kovács Ferenc: Beli buba, Gramy Records (2006)
- Berecz András: Sinka ének (2006)
- Vágtázó Csodaszarvas: Tiszta forrás, Fonó (2006)
- Ökrös Csaba és a Dobogó kő (2006)
- Csillagok, csillagok..., FolkEurópa(2007)
- We are Magyar! 2007 (2007)
- Berkó együttes, Etnofon (2007)
- Kaláka - Arany János (2007)
- Gryllus Vilmos: Dalok 4 - Magyar népdalok (2009)
- Both Miklós: Radnóti, Gryllus (2009)
- Rendhagyó Prímástalálkozó, FolkEurópa (2009)
- Kovács Ferenc: My Roots
- Youth Without Youth
- Celtic Lullabies
- Joel Rubin
- Hepta
- Festival d'été de Québec
- Sultan: 20 Jaar
- Balkanswingband Sultan: Obstinato
- World Music
- Orientexpressen: Mahala
- Music of East Europe
- Udrub: Suhanás
- Internationales Hackbrettfestival 2
- Gypsy Music
- World of Gypsies
- The Dulcimer Collection
- Johannes BrahmsJohannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
(1833-1897) - Dresch Quartet: Archie Shepp
- Sultan: Obsédé
Awards
- 1985 Honorary Young Master of Folk Art
- 1999 eMeRTon award
- 2005 Artisjus prize
- 2009 Bezerédj prize
- 2009 Kodály prize