Classical Pianist 1

This Classical Pianist was born in Budapest on the 21st of August in 1969. He grew up in a religious intellectual family where the love of music was always present. He encountered music as a child when he opened the big cupboard and in a mysterious box he found his father's old accordion. Making it sound and playing melodies on it was a hilarious discovery for him.

Classical Pianist beginnings

When this Classical Pianist was 5 years old, he remembers performing at a school program where he played the accordion. In the meantime he also found a violin at home which he also learned to play. That was the moment his parents realized that he must learn music.

At the age of 7, this Classical Pianist started to play the piano and he performed better than the average. He practically won every piano contests during his school years. This was the time when he discovered beat music which we could get only through the filter of the iron curtain.

Entering the doors of the conservatoire, in spite of being involved in classical music this Classical Pianist listened and played jazz as a young rebellious pianist hereby being the odd one and drawing the disparaging attention of my teachers. Slowly his parents gave up the struggle with him to become a classical musician. His career at the Music High School was not simple at all: because of my misbehavior he had been fired and taken back twice. Finally this Classical Pianist finished his studies performing the 3rd Piano Concerto by Rachmaninoff and gained high marks from the director and professors.

After finishing the High School of Music this Classical Pianist was seeking his way out: he composed music for commercials and two piano concertos; worked as a musician in theatres and even composed a song for a pop festival –but he still felt lost. Then he moved towards pop music and founded a boy band based on the then so fashionable model. Although this Classical Pianist could not sing, after having learned to dance and sing for 2 years in 1993 he created his three-member pop band. Record company "Polygram" offered them a 5 year contract which resulted in their first album "Soul a rap" (Hungarian pun meaning the rap is ringing) where this Classical Pianist was as a composer, lyricist, arranger, singer, rapper, musician and producer.

Classical Pianist credits

A year later their video clip "15 years" reached no. 2 at the National Festival of Video clips. Soon they performed as the pre-act for Dr Alban in front of 14 000 people in the Budapest Sport Arena. Their video clip shot on the concert stayed in Top40 for 18 months. In 1995 this Classical Pianist and the band toured with their next album "Hip Hop Boyz II" and performed in front of 20,000 people as the preact of East 17. As a result of that they were invited to the "Total Dance Festival 2" organized in the Budapest Sport Arenal where 14,000 fans sang along the band's hits.

The next album "Hip Hop Boyz III" was released by a new record company, "Record Express". Thanks to their management, while performing at Midem Festival in Cannes several label representatives took notice of this Classical Pianist and the band. The album resulted in gold (25,000 sold copies) and then platinum (50,000 sold copies) albums within a couple of weeks and an invitation to Michael Jackson's live show in Budapest. As a part of the show they received the prize for the diamond (100,000 sold copies) album - which was an extraordinary achievement. They made the English version of the album released and and distributed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The band also performed with huge success at promotional events of the biggest TV and radio stations of the region alongside with chart-topping international artists. Their secret was a unique acrobatic-choreographed show. By 1996 Hip Hop Boyz performed as the main Hungarian act for Total Dance Festival 3- a full house event – the very same show where the international main act was the then worldwide acknowledged Backstreet Boys and 'N-sync. This Classical Pianist and band closed that year with a triple-platinum album.

This Classical Pianist teenage dream – to be a pop star – was fulfilled. In spite of this fact he still felt unhappy. Something was missing from his life. Maybe private life... But the show went on... Signed contracts with a multinational record company ( EMI), two gold "Best of" albums and a whole series of precious Hungarian awards, another full house event for 14,000 fans as a preact for DJ Bobo. Their biggest ever audience assembled on the most important Hungarian pop concert in 1997: alongside with No Mercy and other Hungarian artists they played in front of 250,000 people.

In 1997 the time came for composing something experimental: this Classical Pianist covered "I could have danced all night", a tune from "My Fair Lady" in their own style. The premiere of the song, which took place in a New Years Eve show of the Hungarian TV for 4,500,000 viewers, was accompanied by a giant chorus line. The next single and the video clip was inspired by the Three Musketeers. A great Hungarian director created a musical based on the Dumas story containing the songs of Hip Hop Boyz 5 and all the hits. The Hip Hop Boyz concert-musical became a full house event as a unique show in the Hungarian Pop history. "Hip Hop Boyz 5." became a platinum album on the release-day. While touring throughout Hungary, this Classical Pianist received several commissions as a producer and arranger.

The band's first transatlantic success came in 1997 at the MIDEM Festival in Miami. This Classical Pianist8 songs were selected for 37 compilations – most of which became gold albums, some of them over 250,000 sold copies. Hip Hop Boyz established a dance school for young talents. Besides training kids, they aimed their mental education as well, highlighting the importance of anti-drug lifestyle. Being followed as an example by other similar bands was a real achievement for us, in such way providing kids with physical and intellectual education in the early state of their maturing personality. That is why every year we organized a summer camp combining sport, music and dance classes where all the fans and visitors were welcome. This school still operates nationwide and as a band they performed almost every charity events, like collecting and handing over Christmas presents for children living in boarding schools, visiting the Children's Hospital at Christmas and offering the income from an auction of Hip Hop Boyz records, costumes and relics to the orphanages.

At the peak of the band's career an unfortunate accident and particular business interests put and end to the most successful Hungarian pop formation of the '90s, the Hip Hop Boyz. A year later, in 1999 this Classical Pianist completed his first solo album as a singer, rapper, songwriter, lyricist, arranger and producer. This material was more adult appealing music with thought-provoking lyrics. After writing and performing dance hits creating lyrical pop songs was a refreshing experience for this Classical Pianist. He closed his first solo season at the end of summer at Coca Cola Beach House in front of 4,000 fans with the best session musicians in the country and performing at Total Dance Festival alongside with the Five. Before finishing his next solo single, a cover of Michel Legrand "Windmills" this Classical Pianist also worked with the Hungarian Radio Symphonic Orchestra and hosted a youth classical concert series.

In 2001 his old friend and colleague invited him to New York where he had the chance to work for independent managements. After two weeks of his arrival this Classical Pianist was committed to arrange songs for Anastacia in a way getting into the blood circulation of the American music and had an insight into the real American show-biz. He improved his skills in composing and studio technique by taking part in local productions. Not before long he had the chance to compose tracks for Tarkan's new- and first worldwide - album. Four of this Classical Pianist songs were accepted by Atlantic Record Company and as we went on with the sessions, he enjoyed more and more the teamwork – as before he always had had to work and make decisions alone. All in all, his 2 years in New York and in the American music business proved extremely exciting and instructive - but he had to move on.

After returning home, this Classical Pianist launched an album with a great Hungarian jazz singer of a new European style so called "gypsy R&B". The CD was a huge success on the Hungarian market. After producing a couple of hip hop albums he felt a new voice ringing inside him. He sat down to the piano and he was reborn as the 10-year-old child, the one who used to mock conducting John Williams' compositions. He doesn't know how the first tune came from and he doesn't know why – he found myself taking down the tunes. This was the moment when Sentimental was born. This Classical Pianist was sure that he found his own sound and after the constant roaming in the world of music he knew this was what he had to do. This is what he always dreamed of.

With a former classmate this Classical Pianist established a chamber orchestra which is capable to create the sound of the modern romanticism. Finding the proper musicians who could be perfectly identified with his idea took him two years. Even the first rehearsal proved his anticipations. Composing and arranging for chamber orchestra was a special challenge for th is Classical Pianistas he always was averse from the flimsy chamber sound. Now he knows that anything is possible with this lineup, even to achieve the impression of a symphonic orchestra. The key factor is cooperating with excellent soloists. The need living in him all the time – that is skipping unnecessary and incomprehensible parts from a music piece and confining himself to the point – showed this Classical Pianist the real and eternal presence of the romanticism. This was the point when he understood the function of his music: to build a bridge between the elitist classical music and average people. This was the point when he felt he can create a great album. All the former success and acknowledgement was faded beside the sensation which he felt during the first studio recording sessions. Finally he made MUSIC! He relived the moment after 20 years. It felt fantastic. This Classical Pianist found his way home as a musician...