Judit Varga (born 12 January 1979) is an Erkel Ferenc Prize and Béla Bartók - Ditta Pásztory Award winner Hungarian composer, pianist and university lecturer.
She is known for contemporary classical music compositions as well as for composing for motion pictures and theatre pieces. As a solo pianist and chamber musician, she performed in many countries, on prestigious festivals. She is looking for new impulses both as a musician and as a teacher. The two primary platforms of her studies and work are Vienna and Budapest.
Career She started her studies at the Liszt Ferenc Music School in Győr, where she played the piano and the flute. She then attended the Béla Bartók School in Budapest. At the age of 16, she had already received scholarships to foreign summer courses. In 2005 she graduated with honors at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, where she studied piano and composition. In the meantime she was admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna too, to the media composition and applied music, piano and composition faculties, and since 2013 she is a PhD student there.
Since September 2013 she has been teaching composition and film music composition at the composition department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, while at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna she teaches ear training and analysis to the students of the composition and conducting departments.
At the beginning of the 2000s, she used to be a tutor of the singer, string and flute classes of the Austrian Master Classes in Zell an der Pram and of their master classes in Vienna. At the Richter János High School of Music in Győr she was teaching composition, score reading, music theory and orchestration. In 2008 she led the piano class of the Maria Regina Volksschule in Vienna and she was a silent film pianist as well.
Her compositions are performed worldwide in such prestigious concert halls and festivals as the Wien Modern, the Hungarian State Opera House, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Juilliard School in New York, the CAFe Budapest Contemporary Arts Festival, the Mini Festival, the Konzerthaus and Musikverein Wien, the Muffathalle Munich and the Warsaw Autumn. They are part of the repertoire of Hungarian and foreign bands like the Ensemble Modern, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, the UMZE Ensemble, the Concerto Budapest, the Ensemble Kontrapunkte, the Riot Ensemble London, the ensemble XX. jahrhundert (eXXj) and the Hungarian Radio Choir. All of her compositions were commissioned.
She performed on many stages all around the world as a solo pianist and chamber musician. In 2016 her opera, Love, which is an adaptation of the classic film of Tibor Déry, Károly Makk and Péter Bacsó, debuted in the Hungarian State Opera House as part of the memorial year of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. In 2019 she was awarded with the TONALi19 composer award for her piano solo, Pendulum. This also means that said composition will be performed by the participants of the piano competition of the TONALi Festival in the Elbphilharmonie.
Beside contemporary classical music, she is particularly interested in scoring motion pictures and theatre pieces, and in the compositions written for multimedia events. In 2013, when the Prima Primissima Prize has undergone a complete renewal, she was entrusted to design the new musical image. She composed music for more than 30 theatre pieces and films. In 2014 the Academy of Austrian Film awarded best soundtrack to Deine Schönheit ist nichts Wert (Your Beauty is Worth Nothing...). In autumn, the Konzerthaus of Vienna commissioned her to compose new music score for a Bolshevik Soviet propaganda silent film from 1924, The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks. The renewed film premiered in March 2016. Approximately 30% of her work is made up of composing for films.
She is a member of the Hungarian Composers' Union, the Austrian Composers' Association and the Studio 5 composer group. The latter was founded in 2017 and they aim to organize concerts that can bridge tradition and innovation.
Main works
Operas TitleDate Love 2016
Orchestral works + Compositions for OrchestraTitleDate I. Piano Concerto 1996–1997 Quasi una cadenza 2004–2005 Le Temps retrouvé 2008 Concerto Rivolutionario 2009 Concerto Imaginario 2011 ...alles Fleisch... – in memoriam Zoltán Gyöngyössy 2013 Urlicht 2015 JUMP! 2017
+ Compositions for String OrchestraTitleDate Mosar II 2019Anima Musicae Moments 10: Varga Judit - Mosar II (ősbemutató) (premiere). On the Anima Musicae YouTube channel - 5 March 2019 Black and White 2018 Hallgató-Pergető 2009–2010
Ensemble TitleDate Schlaflied für Johanna 2001 Berceuse 2001 Kammerkonzert für Klarinette und Ensemble 2003–2004 In memoriam J.V. 2004 Pavane 2005 ...sweeter than roses... 2010 Entitas 2012 Speak Low 2013 13 Lieder (for bass clarinet and ensemble) 2013 Broken Beauty 2018A few moments with Judit Varga , riotensemble.com - 31 October 2018.
Chamber music TitleDate Auge 2001 Streichquartett II 2002 ~opra01~ 2002 Streichquartett IIB 2003 Möbiusband 2003 Dialog 2004 Dialog (2. Version) 2004–2005 Strictly Ballroom I 2005 Strictly Ballroom III 2005 Klavierquintett 2007 Dietro la musica 2013 Songs for a Waiting 2013–2014 Mosar 2017 Puzzle (Black Hole Edition) 2018 Escapex2 2019
Vocal music TitleDate Mégis 1998 Levél 1999 Harbach 2000 Mad(á)rigál 2005 The L.I.F.E. 2005 Schlummert ein 2014 Pocket Requiem 2017 A Wreath 2018Varga Judit: A Wreath, Universal Music Publishing Editio Musica Budapest, ump.emb.hu - 30 March 2019. Pie Jesu 2018 The Night 2018 #perspektiven:los 2019
Solo Instrument TitleDate Words 2005 10 Portraits for Viola 2010 Barcarole pour Frédéric et George 2010 Sonatine 2013 13 Lieder (for bass clarinet and live electronics) 2005 Fanfaren 2017 Centipede 2017 Pendulum 2019
Film Scores TitleNationality, Genre, ProducerDate HeimHeim on Lukas Gnaiger's Vimeo channel - 2 June 2016 DramaFilmakademie Wien 2010 Das Pferd auf dem BalkonDas Pferd auf dem Balkon Official Website AustriaDramaMinifilm 2012 Deine Schönheit ist nichts WertDeine Schönheit ist nichts Wert Official WebsiteGüzelliğin On Par'etmez Austria TurkeyDramaDor Film, Filmakademie Wien, MarangozFilm 2012 Lou Andreas-Salomé, The Audacity to be Free Official Website Drama | RomanceAvanti Media Fiction, Tempest Film, KGP Kranzelbinder Gabriele Production 2015 Mr West ComedyVienna Konzerthaus 2016(eredeti: 1924) The Legend of the Ugly King BiographyMitosfilm, Aichholzer Filmproduktion, MarangozFilm 2017 Gypsy Queen SportDor Film-West Produktionsgesellschaft, Dor Film Produktionsgesellschaft, ARTE (completed)
Dance Theatre Music TitlePremiereTheatre 7 Encounters7 Encounters Playbill, valerieklein.at 2010 Palais Kabelwerk, Vienna
Theatre Music TitlePremiereTheatre Bertolt Brecht:Man is Man 1998 August Strindberg, Friedrich Dürrenmatt:Play Strindberg! 2001 Éjszakai Theatre, Budapest Zoltán Egressy:Vesztett éden 2003 Pinceszínház (Cellar Theater), Budapest Anton Chekhov:The Seagull 2004 István Örkény Theatre, Budapest Sándor Márai:Fizess nevetveFizess nevetve! On Gábor Gergely Veres's YouTube channel - 12 November 2012 2008 Éjszakai Theatre and Pinceszínház (Cellar Theater), Budapest Sándor Márai:Portraits of a Marriage - The real thing 2009 Pinceszínház (Cellar Theater), Budapest Leonid Zorin:A Warsaw Melody 2010 Pinceszínház (Cellar Theater), Budapest Géza Csáth:A Pertics Janika 2011 Pinceszínház (Cellar Theater), Budapest Robert Thomas:Trap for a Single Man (Szegény Dániel) 2012 Karinthy Színház, Budapest Niels Peter Juel Larsen:Blixen bárónő szerelmei 2014 Centrál Színház, Budapest
Discography
+Singles Album Publisher Year Other Lou Andreas-SalomeLou Andreas-Salome (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) By Judit Varga, open.spotify.com Avanti 2016 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
+Compilation albums Work(s) Album Publisher Year Other Schlaflied für Johanna Volksmusik - 6. Komponistenforum MittersillVolksmusik - 6. Komponistenforum Mittersill, open.spotify.com ein_klang Records 2002 Strictly Ballroom III born to be off-roadAustralian Clarinet & Saxophone (Volume 8, Number 4, Dec. 2005) born to be off-road stump-linshalm , stump-linshalm.com ein_klang Records 2005 CD1 Variationen Für Klavier 1,Variationen Für Klavier 2,Variationen Für Klavier 3 The Next GenerationAndreas Wykydal, Lukas Haselböck, Sonja Huber, Richard Graf, Judit Varga, Alexander Kropp, Karl Barth (3), Tzveta Dimitrova, Johannes Kobald, Michael Wahlmüller, Roland Freisitzer – The Next Generation, discogs.com ORF, ORF Funkhaus 2005 Opra 01,Quasi Prologue,Fließend Bewegt,Febbrile,Poco Feroce ÖEGZM Vol. 4: Mixed Chamber Music 4Gemischte Kammermusik 4OEGZM Vol. 4: Mixed Chamber Music 4 - Gemischte Kammermusik 4, Thürauer, Dimitrova, Varga, Bolcso, Szakacs By OEGZM, open.spotify.comThürauer, Dimitrova, Varga, Bolcsó, Szakács Ton 4 Records 2009 CD, performed by OEGZM(Österreichische Gesellschaft für zeitgenössische Musik) Le Temps retrouvé Új Magyar Zenei Fórum 2009 zeneszerzőverseny(New Hungarian Music Forum 2009 composers' competition) BMC HMIC 2010 2 CD Képzelt zongoraverseny Új Magyar Zenei Fórum 2011 zeneszerzőversenyUMZF 2011 zeneszerzőverseny - Promóciós CD, info.bmc.hu - 1 July 2011(New Hungarian Music Forum 2011 composers' competition) BMC HMIC 2011 Performer: Concerto Budapest A Fly's Life and Decline SunfireFactsheet CD “Sunfire” - The Twiolins - 2014, thetwiolins.de The Twiolins MarieLuise & Christoph Dingler 2014 Entitas for twelve musicians (2012) Woher? Wohin? – Mythen, Nation, IdentitätenWoher? Wohin? – Mythen, Nation, Identitäten , ensemble-modern.com EM Medien 2017 Clemens Heil, Ensemble Modern, 2 CD Judit Varga Showreel Austrian Film Composers’ Showreel Vol. 2Österreichischer Komponistenbund Mitgliederinformation Winter 2018/2019 (Austrian Film Composers’ Showreel Vol. 2, 6. old.), komponistenbund.at Österreichischer Komponistenbund 2018 DVD
Awards 1st prize – Franz Liszt Academy of Music (LFZE) Composer Competition, Budapest (1998) 1st prize – LFZE Composer Competition, Budapest (1999) SKE Special Award – Social and cultural support from austro mechana - SKE Fonds, Vienna (2003) 2nd prize – LFZE Composer Competition, Budapest (2003) 2nd prize – LFZE Composer Competition, Budapest (2004) Special Award – Liszt Ferenc International Piano Competition, Pécs (2005) Dryard Prize – Vienna International Pianists Academy, Vienna (2006)VIP Academy 2006, VIP-Preisträger, pianists.at Theodor Körner Prize (2009) 1st prize, Orchestra category – UMZF Composer Competition, Budapest (2009) State scholarship – BMUKK (Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur), Vienna (2010)Kunstbericht2011, kunstkultur.bka.gv.at 2nd prize, Orchestra category – New Hungarian Music Forum (UMZF) Composer Competition, Budapest (2011) Special Award – Ö1 Talentebörse-Kompositionspreis, Vienna (2012) Winner of the „Woher? Wohin? Mythen, Nation, Identitäten“ tender – Goethe-Institut, Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt (2012) Film Prize nominee, Best Soundtrack – 49. International Antalya Film Festival (2012) Film Prize nominee, Best Soundtrack – Austrian Film Academy (2013) Staatsstipendium – BMUKK (Bundesministerium für Unterricht, Kunst und Kultur), Vienna (2014)Kunstbericht2014 , kunstkultur.bka.gv.at Film Prize, Best Soundtrack – Austrian Film Academy (Deine Schönheit ist nichts Wert, 2014) Winner of the Hungarian State Opera House's tender for the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956., Budapest (Love, 2016) Bartók Béla–Pásztory Ditta Prize (2017) „Call for scores” winner of the Riot Ensemble (Broken Beauty, 2018)Call for Scores 2018 , riotensemble.com - 2018. Erkel Ferenc Prize (2018) Istvánffy Benedek Prize (Pocket Requiem, 2018) TONALi Prize – Tonali Classical Music Competition and Festival (Pendulum, 2019)
References